Is there anything I should look out for(bargains) at crufts. I've only been once and didn't have a dog then now I have and was wondering what's worth looking for and what's over the top. I was just mesmerised the first time I went and I missed so much.  Any advice on the best way to go about this wonderful visit

Have a look on the crufts website,it gives details of all the trade stands with stand number and hall number. Then just write a shopping list lol. Take a trolley if you intend buying a lot,it's a long hard slog when you are loaded up with bags.

Have a look on the crufts website,it gives details of all the trade stands with stand number and hall number. Then just write a shopping list

Keep on eye out in Magazines and dog papers for either stands giving freebies (not as many as there used to be) and any money off coupons :-D

Take a trolley if you intend buying a lot,it's a long hard slog when you are loaded up with bags

after 2nd years visit we always take one each.  The first time friend (C) came with us she looked totally puzzled when we got the trolleys out in the car park
By the time we went back to the car she looked at a couple walking in front of us and said 'Is that ALL they have bought'..................We had some of her stuff dangling from the trolleys ..........and she doesn't even Have a dog

There's usually good offers on for worming tablets and similar -much cheaper than from the vet. For me though, shopping at Crufts is always about picking up the items you cannot get anywhere else. I always look out for good quality collars and leads -they simply do not exist in petshops and although the stands are at the usual championship shows over the years, the selection is never as good. If I spend just £100 on collars and leads at Crufts I've done well LOL. I buy toys I've not seen elsewhere. Then for the little extras I like the goody bags the magazines do, a quid or two for the latest issue of the mag and some dog treats and samples etc. Many places sell bags of treats cheaply so I stock up there -I don't train using treats made for dogs, too boring, but I use dog treats for quick rewards during walks to get good recalls -the dogs all know my pockets are always bulging with treats so ekep running back to me to get one, and as sausages and similar isn't suitable for stuffing in your coat pockets, I use dog treats. Battersea has good cheap ID discs, but you can get these via their website at any time, no postage costs either. Sadly the days of lots of freebies at Crufts are long gone.

Don't buy food and drink if you can help it - you need to remortgage your house after a day of tea and coffee!!  That said I would recommend taking a few pauses to stop and reflect on the sorts of stalls you're seeing as you're walking around and to reconsider your shopping list.  I find that if I don't jot things down as I think of them I come home with 20 things I don't really need and vital things got missed.

Crufts is great for research too so do remember to pick up cards and website addresses from the stalls.  It's worth knowing the 'normal' price of things before you go to be sure you're getting a deal, there's no point carrying it for miles around the NEC if it's cheaper online...

Like Marianne I like food samples for pocket treats so I always buy those as well as the deals on fish skins and food from Fish4Dogs.  I always visit Dorwest Herbs to save on postage, ditto Aromesse/PetNat for Dermacton and I'll pick up ear cleaner, worming tablets and look for Piriton this time too.  I'll also buy a big bottle of Yard Clean and look for interesting things I can't possibly live without.  Oh and I'll sling the pooch to Equafleece for a fitting as I'd like to know what would fit, even if I don't buy just yet.  Finally, finally I do confess to having a bit of a bed fetish.  We don't need one (I have 8 beds for 3 dogs) but I can look :)

If Barjo are offering a Crufts deal this year (sometimes free postage) I may finally get around to ordering the tailgate guard

I hardly ever get to shop at Crufts but would never buy anything heavy or bulky. The walk to the car afterwards would reduce a grown woman to tears.

If you see something and you decide to go back and buy it later make a note of the stall number.

The walk to the car afterwards would reduce a grown woman to tears.

I send hubby to the car on his own before we leave, if we have too much stuff.  Then he comes back and helps with the dogs and chairs etc as well. :)

Does anyone know if any stalls sell Thornit?

We are nearly always on a weekday, generally Friday Marianne so my 'strong man' can never come to lug. :-(

> We are nearly always on a weekday

At Crufts all groups rotate to the next day the following year.  We were Sunday last year, so Thursday this, will be Friday next year, Saturday the year after and so on.

Personally I feel that all championship shows should have to rotate the groups.

I feel it is grossly unfair, that some breeds are always on a week day (when many exhibitors can't get time off work), conversely for some people a week day is better, rotation would make it fair to everyone.

At championship shows we are very often on a weekday ( most likely they think toy dog owners are old ladies)..so I seldom have my husband to lug.

We are often with you, as we seem to get paired with toys, sometimes terriers, but rarely the other groups.

Does anyone know if any stalls sell Thornit?

There's bound to be one. I can't for my life remember what stall it was now, but I picked up some Thornit from Manchester and most stalls that are at normal champshows tend to be at Crufts as well. It was one of the stalls selling shampoos, grooming equipment, collars, leads and beds, they had the Thornit just by the checkout.

Bought mine from Ebay Approx £20 Lg size

Bought mine from Ebay Approx £20 Lg size
Sorry ,glitch with puter posted twice lol

Goldmali,

Thank you. I'll check when I'm there.

Do Crufts provide the trolleys themselves? Never saw anything like that last year but would come in handy!

No, you have to take your own.

Some people use a shopping trolley with the built in bag but I take a suitcase trolley with a rucksack bungeed on as rucksack has lots of extra pockets for drink cartons, munchies etc so they don't get lost in the depths :-D
Oh, if you take drinks use the oblong cardboard cartons as they are easier to 'stack' and lighter to carry than cans or bottles, if I want coffee I buy there as a thermos is big, heavy and non-disposable!

> Do Crufts provide the trolleys themselves

I bought one there a few years ago (like this) but the only freebie trolley I've seen was supplied by R&L Pets with their Yard Clean or Urine Off stuff (that one wasn't very robust but would allow you to strap a few extras on!)

Re Thonit

Hub international always have this on their trade stands

Excellent idea about the cartons! Never thought of that!

Shame Crufts don't provide them themselves. We took a large backpack last year to fit some things in and i guess that'as what we'll do this year too.

If crufts provided them, I am sure alot would go missing (unfortunatly not all people in the dog show world are trustworthy), and it would be a hell of an expensive outlay for them to have one for every exhibitor :o
Lea :)