Pre-booked stallholders will be admitted for set-up from 6.30am on Monday morning and casuals from 8am, with early buyers now admitted to the fair on Monday morning from 9am at a cost of £25. The new arrangement (buyers were previously officially admitted on Tuesday) formalises the realities of previous fairs where many eager buyers had been prepared to pay £100 as a standholder to gain early access to the fair on what was called 'set up day'.
Director Richard Burgoin said: "Since the announcement we've had many positive responses from stallholders to the new format and most particularly from buyers who are excited about the new Monday entry, as they felt that stock had already been "picked over" by Tuesday. This now gives them a chance to find a real bargain."
Individual entry on Tuesday will be £5, with £2.50 on Wednesday when the show will finish at 4pm. The holding areas on gates 5 and 6 will still be available for early arrivals to park up on Sunday night.
Swallow Fairs had initially toyed with the idea of reducing the show to two days (Monday and Tuesday only) but moving the fair back a day would have created an empty Wednesday between the end of Lincoln and the start of IACF's Newark fair on Thursday and Friday. This was unpopular with overseas buyers and sellers.
