12:10pm
Saturday, 16th June, 2007
Great Yarmouth market
Norfolk, UK

We decided it would happen then and there. There were discussions of splitting off into five different swappers, but a couple of people thought, "nah, I'm too scared to talk to strangers", so we were put into a team of three and a team of two. We had one hour.

Just thought I should mention: there were five collaborators, but one person (George) doesn't want to join SF0 (curse him) and so only four are marked out on this here document.

Team 1: Tom, Ben - beginning items: a small 6-sided die and a broken pencil
Team 2: Kieran, Daryl, George - beginning items: depleted AA battery and a non-broken pencil

12:11pm

We split off, Team 1 heading off towards a market stall. After a short half-a-minute walk, they found Team 2 at that EXACT SAME market stall. Tom suspected sneakery.

Team 2 trade: depleted AA battery for a cigarette filter

Team 1 continued on, and went into the small British Heart Foundation charity stall. After a short discussion with the people behind the counter regarding our little contest, Team 1 made another trade (which is suprisingly similar to Team 2's).

Team 1 trade: 6-sided die for a full pack of cigarette papers

Team 1 returned to the original stall (Hostile Records) and managed to trade YET AGAIN!

Team 1 trade: full pack of cigarette papers for a small British Heart Foundation pin, a voucher for a drink at a club, a Sid Vicious tartan patch and a business card with the stall's contact details on it.

Meanwhile, Team 2 went off gallivanting to ToteSport (a betting shop), and convinced the man behind the counter (how they got in there in the first place is beyond me) to make them another trade.

Team 2 trade: cigarette filter for a ToteSport pen

Team 1 went to another market stall, searching for possible tradees, and after a short burst of "No, we don't do that sort of thing round here," they encounted... The Russian Man Of Hope And Dreams. After half-understanding what Ben had to say, he decided to trade Team 1 a 20W halogen lamp (very dusty, but nonetheless very usable)... which he called "Woop-pro". On examining the filthy package, it was apparent that the makers of this OLD lamp were "WPRO". It was also clear that it cost £2.95! He didn't know any better, bless him.

Team 1 trade: broken pencil for a 20W halogen lamp

Team 2 remained idle for this time, but Team 1 were stuck with their items for a while.

Team 2, after a short break in WH Smiths', went to the British Heart Foundation shop, and after a bit of kerfuffle (with cheatery), they made a trade - that didn't last long.

Team 2 trade: ToteSport pen for a discarded bus ticket

The trade was quickly changed in the same location, as the bus ticket was traded for something unbelievable.

Team 2 trade: discarded bus ticket for Team 1's die

That's right, Team 1's die was in the possession of their enemy!

Team 1, back in the trading mood, made a swift exchange with a driving lesson company.

Team 1 trade: Hostile Records business card for a driving lesson company balloon

So, Team 1, with a balloon in hand, and "woop-pro" in pocket (this was made fun of a lot over the trading period), went up and down the leading market street (Regent Road) in Yarmouth. It was only when an Asian man came to the rescue and traded two objects of golden beauty.

Team 1 trade: driving lesson company balloon for two golden coathangers

Team 2 (actually, Daryl), however, purchased lots of batteries for "proof" that he had traded the die for them (for shame, Daryl, for shame), but this was later confirmed by George that this was all false.

Time was ticking, and with 5 minutes to go, Team 2 called Team 1, as they were at base camp, saying they'd finished, because with the batteries, they'd made another trade.

Team 2 trade: pack of batteries for Argos catalogue

Team 1, in a flurry, because they'd not got anything big or bizarre (other than the "woop-pro"), so they rushed to a large market stall entitled "DadIWantThat.com". The following was said:

"Right, we're in a competition, what's the biggest and best thing you'd trade us for all this stuff?"

He reached in the back sections of the stall, and something monumental was unleashed.

Returning to base camp, Tom made quite an entrance with his plastic beauty. A green plastic beauty.

Team 1 trade: everything they had for a green plastic chair

So, I think Team 1, the victors, provided the bigger and more bizarre item, but Team 2's was probably better.

It was a fun time.