Arthur Swallow Fairs, who organise the Swinderby Antique and Home Show found 40 dodgers in the back of vans by 8.30am on opening day, an hour and a half after opening time. Each dodger would have saved themselves £15, the entrance fee on Tuesday at Swinderby.
Other fair organisers have also been attempting to tackle the same problem for some time.
Talking to ATG from the Newark showground on Thursday, April 2, the first day of dmg Antiques Fairs'International and Collectors Fair, dmg's Daniel Ferrett said: "It's a very common practice, entrance charge-dodging, particularly when stallholders stay overnight in the car park the night before.
"We've been random checking and searching vans into the ground for some time now and we already got a few people this morning who are unwilling to pay the £20 entrance fee (this covers both Thursday and Friday).
"Of course, if entrance-dodgers can get in with a stallholder, they have the pick of the fair at 7.30am on the first day before the public opening time of 9am."
