Melbourne Bird Sale 2012

[Myzomela]

Sorry to hear the news Paul.

Hopefully another venue will become available. At least the committee are keen to follow up after your legwork.

[thewaxbill]

Having read all the posts on this subject the first thing i would conclude is the present committee do not want to be questioned publicly by its own members which is certainly not the way to go to run a succesful society. Personally i would go to the old venue at the showground and try and get a substantial reduction on the rates maybe ask if you can have the venue for free and then split all the profits. You can understand them not wanting to change things though as they are making a profit on the present show and probably do not want to risk making a substantial loss as they are entrusted with society finances which is a big responsibility and comes before the wishes of a small number of members. The question i would really ask is do you really need a large sales day in Melbourne? just because it was a great event in its heyday of yesteryear does not mean it would ever be the same again,all good things come to an end at some time and get replaced by others maybe that time as come. In 2004 we lost our National Exhibitio due to the venue and other things as well, it was said we would never have anything like it again but in 2007 a new National Exhibition took place at a new venue with new people running it and it gets better each year, total birds at the show including sales birds number around 40,000 with around 6,000 visitors on the day.
Bob

[AMCA26]

Thats some BIG numbers thewaxbill.

[thewaxbill]

Yes it is a big event, the exhibition birds number less than 4'000 but this is increasing year on year, sales tables for breeders number 600 in total plus all the different trade stands and aviary displays. This is nothing compared to the Zwolle sale in Holland though, i have never been but they say it is around 3 times bigger.
Bob

[TomDeGraaff]

My understanding of the National closing was that there was pressure from the animal libbers on the venue. Or so I gleened from the Cage and Aviary Birds Newspaper, Bob.
I wondered how the Parrot Society was able to maintain its show then expand it as it has.

[thewaxbill]

Yes you are right about the libbers putting pressure on but there was more to it than that, basically it came down to money. Although C & A ran the National in name they actually paid some kind of facilities management firm to run it and C & A were making a loss, the N.E.C where it was held was superb but it was costing too much. They did find another venue for 2005 but the venue changed its mind due to a variety of reasons but the bird flu scare was ripe at that time and that was the end of it. The Parrot Society was big enough and financially well off to be able to fight the libbers in court and won. One individual libber challenged the legality of these shows and sales and was given legal aid to do so, thats how the libbers work over here, they do not bring legal action about under their organizations name and use their own finances but use a member of the public to do so. The courts ruled against the libbers in the main and confirmed these events were legal and could continue as long as there were no commercial traders selling birds and no pet birds could be sold at these events,only breeding stock. Going back to the libbers, every year at the National you would see the same dozen or so faces with the same placards year after year, the plackards would have a picture of a African Grey in disstress, this picture had been took probably in the sixties when import regulations and welfare was minimal. I noted people keep refering to the good old days of the 80's its pretty much the same here really, i reckon the 80's were the halycon days of birdkeeping.
Bob

[TomDeGraaff]

A fascinating background story,Bob!
Back to the animal libbers. How can you get it into some buyers', sellers' and organisers' heads that people have phones and take pictures. Instead of trying the impossible and banning photography in sales, people need to display their birds humanely and clearly with proper food and water and no stress !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One day, the wackos will wack the sales by teeting photos that are not complimentary and we will all be unfairly put in the poo.
I am not singling out any sale. But I have heard stories.....