Those showfair stalls

[comfortablynumb]

Attending a number of shows, obviously not recently, I’ve often seen the type of stall where they try to get you to buy something like drill bits, usually demonstrated drilling into old brake discs, breezeblocks and so on, but there is always an absence of a displayed price, which puts me off
So has anyone bought something from one, how much was it, and was it any good?

[cjj]

I bought a little tool for a drill chuck that gripped a screw and did all sorts of faffy things from the Gadget Show Live a few years back.

They did the whole patter of how it was a special price etc and I bought some, but have never used them to this day.

[cortinaman]

I bought a box of drill bits that supposedly can drill through anything and never get blunt from the Grand Designs show (or something similar). I have used them loads and they are really rather good - certainly at drilling into masonry.

[mr2fc]

I was once interested in a "one-size-fits-all" socket, the stall had a railway sleeper (IIRC) with loads of different size bolts screwed into it, and indeed the "one-size-fits-all" description did appear to be true. Before I could ask "how much", my dad asked if they were strong. The guy snorted and said "you won't break that, fella"

Turned my dad could break it, he wasn't a big bloke by any stretch, but under the cardigan and combover he was quite muscley.

We didn't buy one of those!

I was always impressed by the "Mer" stalls, they'd polish a mini bonnet and set light to it, things like that. I can confirm Mer did give a shine, it also lasted a long time because I never bothered to clean my cars very often so it lay on a shelf gathering dust for about twenty years before we chucked it out!

[Darkspeed]

Jun 11, 2020 14:23:08 GMT mr2fc said:

I was always impressed by the "Mer" stalls, they'd polish a mini bonnet and set light to it, things like that. I can confirm Mer did give a shine, it also lasted a long time because I never bothered to clean my cars very often so it lay on a shelf gathering dust for about twenty years before we chucked it out!

LOL - Been sorting the garage out and on the shelf is a 3L bottle of MER still with 2L left in it that I bought probably 30 years ago at Knebworth Classic car show ! - Yep not a polisher...

[mr2fc]

That'll be on my gravestone...

"Here lies MR2FC...
...not a polisher"

[stealthstylz]

I bought one of those kitchen knives that cut through anything/don't blunt off a stall at Tesco. Had it about 10 years now and it's still sharp, and I used it to cut through the roof skin of a scrap car once lol.

[droopsnoot]

Jun 11, 2020 14:23:08 GMT mr2fc said:

I was always impressed by the "Mer" stalls, they'd polish a mini bonnet and set light to it, things like that. I can confirm Mer did give a shine, it also lasted a long time because I never bothered to clean my cars very often so it lay on a shelf gathering dust for about twenty years before we chucked it out!

I remember those, too, and have been through a couple of bottles of the stuff. It's pretty good, but there's so much more choice around then - back in they day, they'd have a pile of bottles of other stuff and claim that Mer would replace all of them, which wasn't quite true then and would be much less so now. I haven't seen their display for a while, I don't know if the stuff is still around.

I was once told that the reason the "setting light to a mini bonnet" trick worked was because they pour petrol onto the bonnet and then immediately set light to it - so what is actually burning is the vapour from when they poured it, there's hardly any burning on the panel itself. That was actually one of the things that caught my eye - my Firenza had recently backfired and set light to the air filter, which spread to the bonnet, so I was interested in preventing future events like that. For some reason I picked some fancy polish instead of a fire extinguisher.

I bought some of those magic cloths that soak up a massive amount of water from one of those stalls, they've worked quite well over the years. I did have some supposedly great type of superglue, but that just went solid in the bottle before I could use it. I mentioned it to the bloke next time I saw him, and all he did was quiz me on the packaging and when I couldn't quite remember it, he just said it must have been someone else's product.

[SPEEDMERCHANT]

Jun 11, 2020 14:23:08 GMT mr2fc said:

I haven't seen their display for a while, I don't know if the stuff is still around.

It is along with their range of other products like windscreen cleaner etc. but not in black bottles with a new logo.
Halfrauds & other places sell as well as online.

I liked the fact it could be applied straight after washing whilst the car is still wet.
You wait until it dries & then remove.

Used it on my black XR2 'many' years ago now regularly & the finish & shine was immense.

Still have a massive bottle that must be about 15 to 20 years old & still does the Land Rover proud![/quote]

[jim]

Jun 12, 2020 6:55:29 GMT stealthstylz said:

I bought one of those kitchen knives that cut through anything/don't blunt off a stall at Tesco. Had it about 10 years now and it's still sharp, and I used it to cut through the roof skin of a scrap car once lol.

I'm just having visions of you using that knife to hold onto a car like in Terminator 2!

Was John Connor in that car you cut the roof off?!

[caprijake]

Jun 12, 2020 6:55:29 GMT stealthstylz said:

I bought one of those kitchen knives that cut through anything/don't blunt off a stall at Tesco. Had it about 10 years now and it's still sharp, and I used it to cut through the roof skin of a scrap car once lol.

"Worlds sharpest knife?"

I bought 2 about 10 years ago also

One is in the kitchen for indented purposes, the other is on the workbench, for other uses.

Both still sharp and work pretty well, its more a saw than a knife blade, but it works for pretty much anything i need a knife for.

I bought one when the lad decided to saw through a hammer onstage in a Tesco, the misses at the time told me to buy 2.

Jake

[shin2chin]

I used to love Mer, really easy to get a good finish, will have to hunt some down.
We also have a worlds sharpest knife which I can say does not live up to its name, its good for hacking up a crusty loaf though.
I remember the drills mentioned, I always used to love seeing the guy drill through brake discs at Wellsbourne Market as a kid.
The only thing I've ever bought from one of these stalls was some upholstery cleaner stuff from the National restoration show about 7 years ago. The guy rubbed oil and grease into white carpet then used this 2 bottle stuff to remove the stains. I think we only ran out recently, was quite good.

[stealthstylz]

Jun 17, 2020 13:09:30 GMT caprijake said:

Jun 12, 2020 6:55:29 GMT stealthstylz said:

I bought one of those kitchen knives that cut through anything/don't blunt off a stall at Tesco. Had it about 10 years now and it's still sharp, and I used it to cut through the roof skin of a scrap car once lol.

"Worlds sharpest knife?"

I bought 2 about 10 years ago also

One is in the kitchen for indented purposes, the other is on the workbench, for other uses.

Both still sharp and work pretty well, its more a saw than a knife blade, but it works for pretty much anything i need a knife for.

I bought one when the lad decided to saw through a hammer onstage in a Tesco, the misses at the time told me to buy 2.

Jake

Think that's the brand. They're surprisingly good, still cuts soft bread without squashing it which from memory was one of the sales points.

[mr2fc]

Jun 11, 2020 14:23:08 GMT mr2fc said:

I was once interested in a "one-size-fits-all" socket, the stall had a railway sleeper (IIRC) with loads of different size bolts screwed into it, and indeed the "one-size-fits-all" description did appear to be true. Before I could ask "how much", my dad asked if they were strong. The guy snorted and said "you won't break that, fella"

Turned my dad could break it, he wasn't a big bloke by any stretch, but under the cardigan and combover he was quite muscley.

zoompod, thank you for liking this post, sadly dad passed away yesterday. This is just one of the stories my family and I have shared in the last 24hrs since he lost his battle with dementia.

When I got the notification that someone had liked it, I noticed I had sort of written it as if he'd died already, which is strange...

[Kron]

Jul 5, 2020 19:09:09 GMT mr2fc said:

Jun 11, 2020 14:23:08 GMT mr2fc said:

I was once interested in a "one-size-fits-all" socket, the stall had a railway sleeper (IIRC) with loads of different size bolts screwed into it, and indeed the "one-size-fits-all" description did appear to be true. Before I could ask "how much", my dad asked if they were strong. The guy snorted and said "you won't break that, fella"

Turned my dad could break it, he wasn't a big bloke by any stretch, but under the cardigan and combover he was quite muscley.

zoompod , thank you for liking this post, sadly dad passed away yesterday. This is just one of the stories my family and I have shared in the last 24hrs since he lost his battle with dementia.

When I got the notification that someone had liked it, I noticed I had sort of written it as if he'd died already, which is strange...

Sorry to hear this. 

Something I have yet to face, and I fear every day. 

I hope time heals quickly for you and the family.

K

[mr2fc]

Jul 6, 2020 13:15:45 GMT Kron said:

Jul 5, 2020 19:09:09 GMT mr2fc said:

zoompod , thank you for liking this post, sadly dad passed away yesterday. This is just one of the stories my family and I have shared in the last 24hrs since he lost his battle with dementia.

When I got the notification that someone had liked it, I noticed I had sort of written it as if he'd died already, which is strange...

Sorry to hear this. 

Something I have yet to face, and I fear every day. 

I hope time heals quickly for you and the family.

K

Thank you. The only saving grace is he went fairly quickly. Will post up pics of his Italy and Avenger soon...

[zoompod]

Jul 5, 2020 19:09:09 GMT mr2fc said:

Jun 11, 2020 14:23:08 GMT mr2fc said:

I was once interested in a "one-size-fits-all" socket, the stall had a railway sleeper (IIRC) with loads of different size bolts screwed into it, and indeed the "one-size-fits-all" description did appear to be true. Before I could ask "how much", my dad asked if they were strong. The guy snorted and said "you won't break that, fella"

Turned my dad could break it, he wasn't a big bloke by any stretch, but under the cardigan and combover he was quite muscley.

zoompod, thank you for liking this post, sadly dad passed away yesterday. This is just one of the stories my family and I have shared in the last 24hrs since he lost his battle with dementia.

When I got the notification that someone had liked it, I noticed I had sort of written it as if he'd died already, which is strange...

I'm really sorry to hear this, I lost my dad about 15 years ago so I know how hard it is. It's strange that I just read your post and an image of my old man came into my head, like yourselves we reminisce about things he did or said when we're together, memories are so important to share. Sending man hugs to you and your family.