Dannevirke junk seller: 'If things get quiet, always be the dickhead with a big hat and a feather, banging two bits of metal'

Dennis Wraight is surrounded by the various bits and pieces he uses to make all kinds of novelty items. Photo / Leanne Warr

Dannevirke's "junk" junkie Dennis Wraight reckons he knows the secret to selling his novelty items.

"You've got to get something to entice people," he says.

"And if things get quiet, always be the dickhead with a big hat and a feather sticking out of it, banging two bits of metal.

"People will come over and see what you're doing."

The Dannevirke resident, who has made a hobby out of taking bits of old junk and turning them into something else, will be part of the Market Day on October 22.

The day is part of the annual Spring Festival and is one of the few events that are still going ahead this year.

Wraight has had a bit of experience at doing markets. He used to make jewellery and sell it at the markets in Tasmania.

He says he used to travel for six months and go up to Mission Beach in Queensland, where he would beachcomb and make jewellery out of what he found.

"It took off from there," he says.

Then he got side-tracked when he started repairing sewing machines.

Some of the machines would be too far gone and he had seen something on a website which inspired him to turn the machines into tractors.

He says if they were too rough he would sand them down and paint them in different colours to denote the different makes, such as green and yellow for John Deere.

The tractors are a bit of a draw at his stalls.

"If there's something (people) can come and look at, that's what they'll gravitate to."

They do create a lot of interest, Wraight says.

"Not everyone wants to buy one but there's a lot of interest in them. Everyone wants to have a look at it because of the uniqueness and the difference.

"It's good in that respect."

Wraight not only makes tractors out of sewing machines, he enjoys taking bits and pieces from various things in a similar fashion to steampunk design, a movement which has taken off over the past few years.

"(I've had) weird and wonderful bits and pieces laying around, that I could make all sorts of steampunk gear."

He says he's made various garden art, like birds out of shovels.

He also likes to take old bicycle frames and twist them around to make things like fence panels, or plant holders.

"There's nothing that can't be used, really.

"The world's your oyster.

"You can keep it as basic as possible or you can just go berserk and make all different sorts of things."

While he has done a few night markets, as well as other festivals and markets elsewhere, the street market will be his first in Dannevirke.

Many local retailers will also have their wares available for sale.

Market Day will be on High Street from 9am to 4pm.