Bid for new market

By Ed Merrison
ARTISTS and entrepreneurs, has Craig Sampson got just the deal for you.
Mr Sampson is calling on stallholders to support his bid to give Boronia all the fun of the fair by creating a new Sunday market.
About 30 stallholders have already signed up for Boronia Sunday Market which Mr Sampson hopes will open for business at 8am on Sunday, 29 October.
The market will need a minimum of about 60 stalls in order to go ahead but Mr Sampson hopes to attract 100.
The next few weeks are crucial in determining whether the market will go ahead and he is keen to tap into the creative talents of people in the Hills.
“There are a lot of people up there who are clever with their hands and have a lot of skill with crafts,” he said.
“I would love to get some organic producers to put their hand up and give the market a go. It’s the sort of thing people will come back and buy every week.”
Although Mr Sampson dare not hope for too much, he harbours visions of a bustling market atmosphere with business pouring into the Foothills from far and wide.
“The geographical location is exceptional,” he said.
“We’re well placed to meet tourists who would be going up into the Dandenongs for a Sunday picnic or for Devonshire tea.”
Mr Sampson has been a retailer for 20 years. He owned the Boronia Mall Newsagency from 1987 to 2002 and has cherished his market dream for many years.
It has taken two years of discussions with Knox City Council and plenty of hard work to reach this stage.
But Mr Sampson loves the person to person contact of markets as well as the promise of hunting for and finding handcrafted goods and unique gifts.
He is a regular browser and buyer himself, with a particular eye for anything that might add colour to his garden.
“I buy most of my plants at the market, as well as honey and organic fruit. And a punnet of strawberries never goes astray,” he said. Mr Sampson is so keen to establish a roaring trade that he will plough the first few weeks’ takings into promoting the market.
He wants visitors to have access to a broad range of goods, while stallholders will be able to feed off each other’s success.
Just about anything goes, in fact, but Mr Sampson said he would not allow junk.
“We want quality merchandise,” he said. “If we’ve got the right product, everyone will be a winner.”
Prospective vendors can obtain an application form by contacting Mr Sampson on 9762 4694 or at boroniasundaymarket@hotmail.com