Bowlers (Manchester) computer fair.

[Zoots]

Anyone been reasonably recently? I went to the 'bank holiday special' today.
I know it's been steadily going downhill for a long time but I was there about 6 months ago and it was still pretty full trader-wise. Today was I'd say 75% empty and more like a car boot. Fucking 2nd hand clothes, cheap socket sets and thermal insoles. I know they DO do a car-boot there (on Sundays) but this was supposed to be a computer day. Aside from a few decent stalls with GFX cards and HDD's it was shit.. Anyone seen anything better recently there or was today typical? Considering fucking it off and going further afield next time.

[sanj]

Yeah mate,it's been going downhill for the last 2 year's,the last straw was seeing somebody sell a toilet seat and some car part's,I thought fuck this after £10 in diesel and £3 entry fee they can fuck off,it's not even cheap with the bit's they have anyway.

[Raptor]

Buying online killed the fairs a long time ago

[SiE]

That and the fact that they busted all the traders outside.

[dannyboy]

I go to the Wolverhampton show every week, as thats where my main supplier is for stock for my shop. This show has declined loads too in the past year. The only reason my supplier travels down from Manchester is because of selling wholesale else they wouldn't make any money at all. On top of that nearly every stall got done for R4's, dbox's and the like a few months back hasn't helped.

[maltloaf]

I used to love the fairs, went to the Wolverhampton one fairly regularly. They got too busy and then there were no real bargains to be had. We used to get some really good deals for stock but as soon as they got proper busy you couldn't talk a deal out of anyone.

[ilscuro]

I gave up on bowlers a couple of years ago, when you factor in admission price and fuel, it's just not worth it anymore.

[Mickey]

I used to love going over to bowlers.At times it took us longer to get into bowlers and parked up than to travel over the pennines. It went down hill when all the traders "outside" got busted and went underground. Now as said before the tinternet has killed it

[Fearless]

RIP Bowlers, some good memories.

Indeed it is a car boot sale now, to be fair they overcharged for the stalls for years which put a lot of traders of, they then got desperate to rent the stalls in the end so anybody could sell shit that probably was the nail in the coffin.

also modders forced out and changes in the law contributed, can still get ya warez there if you know where to look, i prefere nzb though

[Zoots]

Ta for the replies lads. Looks like a sign of the times then and not just a one/two off. I said 'further afield' as I thought there was one in Wigan but it looks like there isn't one now that's worth the fuel/travelling now. RIP Bowlers indeed. End of an era there.

[Tim.Lad]

ahh bowlers I remember raptor being their peddling his blank media among other things

[Raptor]

ahh bowlers I remember raptor being their peddling his blank media among other things

the good old days

[tigger3]

ahh bowlers I remember raptor being their peddling his blank media among other things

Yeah & what ever happened to him?

Tig3

[Tim.Lad]

Yeah & what ever happened to him?

Tig3

he got divorced from $ony then later fled to America ca ca

[mufc1]

I used to love going to bowlers sat morning bacon & egg butty to get rid of hangover and steady myself in the football que to get in .
Then pay £4.00 to get a stamp of a thug to get you in and off you go as people have stated it is ruined you could see the decline at least 2 years ago and its cheaper online as stated .
The likes of scan and other places in the north west did enjoy going and getting a bargain shame its finished really.

[Little John]

It seriously went down hill when NCM bought the venue, they had so much space to fill they let anyone and everyone in, originally half the main hall, then expanded to the whole of the hall. I remember queueing up for ages in the car then just dumping it somewhere on a patch of grass and walking to the place on the shows around Christmas.

The prices were always good especially when there was a new boy in town under cutting everyone on memory or processors due to the questionable source, the established traders would all reduce their prices, taking a loss but ruining the new guys day. I used to work for Alfa computers and it was done a few times with a guy who just sold memory at just over his purchase price So we dropped our prices as we were paying less than him and sold our memory to a bunch of others so they could sell cheaper all planed as we bought the quantities to get the lower prices with the intention of getting shut of this guy selling the knocked off memory.

The internet has killed it, the likes of scan expanding 10/11 years ago has allowed them to sell cheaper making the trip to Bowlers paying £3/£4 entry fee just expensive. Never mind having to trawl through all the crap in there.

[Tim.Lad]

I stopped going to Bowlers when I discovered Aria back in the day with Scan and micro direct popping up their was no reason to go to bowlers any more..

BTW what ever happen to VIP that where based down near Strangeways

[{{909}}]

same thing happened to a few fairs near me, used to be modding/flashing of everything possible, mp3 cds on display and backups obviously being sold all over, as well as great prices on pc stuff but once they put an end to modding and the interesting stuff, half the stalls disappeared and the pc stuff is cheaper online. To be honest, looking back on it, its not something i'll miss, heaving fat blokes with gravy stains all over their shirt and the general 'im a pc expert' wankers are something best forgotten.

[Zoots]

lol.. Have to admit the garlic/kebab breath, B.O. stenches & blokes swilling Coke and burping first thing on a Saturday morning are not something I will miss either.

[Mr_Maghoo]

BTW what ever happen to VIP that where based down near Strangeways

The VIP I know is in Warrington.