Circus and fairground related lots and vintage coin-operated amusements of all kinds are invited from all and should be submitted by 6th August 2009.
It's that time of year again! Auction time! October 25th that is! It sounds like a long time away but before you know it the leaves will be falling from the trees and you will be off to White Waltham for the Annual Fairground Auction. This year my event goes under the banner of The Fairground and Circus Auction. So not only will there be the normal array of slot machines, pedal cars and fairground art, there will also be some very fine circus memorabilia to feast your eyes upon.
Any lot will be considered for the auction although I would prefer pieces that can be easily taken away on the day of the auction, simply because this seems to be where the market is strongest. In other words - I am not interested in small roundabouts with unrealistic reserves on! I would urge anyone entering lots to have no or low reserves as this is a sale not a valuation service. Any item which does not make its reserve will be stated as unsold.
This year we have a special section to the auction - a segment 100% for charity. One of my many ideas that has gone down very well! Our charity of the year is the Teenage Cancer Trust. There's never a good time to get cancer, but for a teenager the timing seems particularly cruel. Young people can get some of the most rare and aggressive forms of cancer while the emotional upheaval of adolescence can make a cancer diagnosis even harder to cope with. Every day in the UK, six young people will have to face that diagnosis. Teenage Cancer Trust understands that teenage cancer requires specialist care and that young people have a much better chance in their fight against cancer if they are treated by teenage cancer experts in an environment tailored to their needs. Teenage Cancer Trust builds units in NHS hospitals which improve the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer. As Teenage Cancer Trust receives no government funding, Teenage Cancer Trust rely on voluntary donations.
It occurred to me to ask as many fairground artists as I know to do a piece of artwork to auction off commission free. This has the obvious benefit of raising much needed funds for a very worthy cause, and it also highlights the fact that if you want traditional hand-painted artwork you can still have it done for you - you just need to know where to look! All too often you see a set of gallopers with vinyl scrolls on the steps or a vintage slot machine with stick-on letters - why? Because it is cheap and traditional artwork isn't and nor should it be - it's a dying art-form that deserves celebrating and this is my way of doing so. We have already got two fabulous pieces here - one by my Mum, Anna Carter and one by Vicky Postlewaite. Myself and my apprentice, Aaron Stephens are both half-way through our pieces - mine being a guitar kindly donated by Fender - possibly the hardest thing I have ever decorated and will be a one off one of a kind piece! Many other famous artists are painting pieces for this event including a very well known artist from Australia!!!
To view the lots check the website: we will be updating it every week with the catalogue launch at the Great Dorset Steam Fair (hence the early closing date for entries - there is method in my madness!) We have already got a great deal of interest this year thanks to the success of last year's auction and the lot allocation is quickly filling up.
We look forward to seeing you on the last Sunday of October.
Joby Carter
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