EVENT: Bizarre Bazaar, Dec. 6 & 7
This is just a quick reminder to all of you bargain hunters and collectors out there that the Games Workshop customer flea market, Bizarre Bazaar, is this weekend December 6 and 7.
As I mentioned in my article last week about Bizarre Bazaar, it’s a great way to find current items at significant discounts and maybe rare collectibles too. If you’re looking to start a new army or bulk out an existing one, Bizarre Bazaar can be a convenient and inexpensive way do so.
As an example of how helpful these events can be, I once purchased $340 retail worth of models for $100 flat at Bizarre Bazaar not long after trading my large collection of Man O’ War ships in exchange for a hefty Games Workshop gift card. I even picked up a set of those rare Skullz program Mechanicus models at Bizarre Bazaar earlier this year.
Each Games Workshop store handles the details of these flea markets a bit differently, so you may wish to contact your local GW store for specific details and guidelines for that store. Personally, I’ll be at my local Battle Bunker both days as soon as the doors open. I wouldn’t want to miss any great deals or the chance to get rid of a few superfluous items too.
For me, trading at Bizarre Bazaar is much more satisfying than selling off items in online auctions. There are no hassles with shipping, the personal interaction is fun, the chances at trading and dealing in person are much more flexible than online, and you’re assisting your local community. For example, I sold a lot of old unused Orc and Goblin items at the first Bizarre Bazaar last year to a young man who turned out to be a regular at the Battle Bunker. I later saw those models painted up nicely and being used on the game tables in the store. It was very satisfying to see that I had helped a young gamer build his army and it was nice seeing models I never had time for being enjoyed. After all, toys shouldn’t sit around collecting dust, they should be played with and make people happy!
Bizarre Bazaar also helps support your local GW store as well. A lot of the money made at Bizarre Bazaar goes right back into the cash register at the store. When people buy large amounts of something they usually have to charge it and this means buying the seller a GW gift card, which then likely gets used right in that same store either that day or in the near future. When people buy a bunch of models, even at a bargain from another customer, this may help them get an army started inexpensively, but they often then go buy some new product to supplement the bargains they got at the flea market. Bizarre Bazaar is win-win-win-win for the sellers, buyers, the GW host stores and the hobby!
The key to making these events a success is for people to show up. That means buyers, sellers and traders. Due to the nature of flea markets, the odds of seeing something personally useful to you or of selling or trading something to someone else depends on having a good turnout. Without a lot of people and a lot of product, the odds of finding what you need in models or customers is greatly reduced. As with any other aspect of our hobby, the key to success is participation and support.
There are a ton of great new Games Workshop releases coming in 2009, so I hope this Bizarre Bazaar is a good one. Whether you’re looking for a rare out-of-print miniature, seeking bulk bargains, or just looking to raise some cash to get that special model you always wanted, I hope Bizarre Bazaar is good to you. Happy hunting!
