Even Bertie Beetle bag not immune to inflation this year — see how much the price has risen
You’ll find nearly 400 different showbags at the Melbourne Show — some which will set you back a packet — but fortunately some old favourites still cost under $5. Here are some of our top picks.
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Whether it is Barbie, Bluey or Bertie Beetle that floats your boat, a showbag catering to each taste and budget will be available at the Melbourne Royal Show.
A whopping 395 different varieties of showbag will be for sale at the Showbag Pavilion, selling everything from lollies to lifestyle and everything in between.
Show-goers – more specifically, parents – can expect to cough up anywhere between $4 and $100 for a showbag this year, with most novelty and brand bags falling in the $30-$35 range.
Not even Bertie Beetle is safe from inflation, however, with the classic showbag bumped up to $5, up from $3 in 2022.
School student Raf, 10, said his top choices of showbag were the Pocky and Cadbury bags.
“The Pocky one comes with a lot of varieties and there are seven of them in there so it’s really good,” he said.
“The Dairy Milk one comes with tonnes of chocolate which is pretty cool.”
His younger sister Camilla, 8, favoured the Curly Wurly bag while Billie, 10, opted for the Nerds bag.
General manager of Showbags.com.au Samantha Atkinson said coming off the back of a strong showbag year in 2022, the upcoming show would have “a lot of newness and freshness”.
“We’re covering all age groups and have more range than ever before this year,” Ms Atkinson said.
“We’re tipping the Barbie showbag to be a top seller, but we’re also really excited to bring in the Wednesday bag which has been really popular.
“Of course, we’ll also be back with the classics – family budgets were a really big consideration for us in the cost of living crisis, so we’ve also introduced a lot of deals.”
One such deal will be with the Cadbury showbags, offering five for $20.
“The great thing about the deals is that if you have a budget of $20 per child, for example, they can still walk away with several showbags and feel really good about the value and quantity of what they’re taking home,” Ms Atkinson said.
The cheapest showbags available will be the Wizz Fizz Lil Fizz bag, Rip Snorter Brain Blaster bag and the Rip Snorter Little Ripper Bag – all costing $4.
The dearest bag will be the Bendigo Brittle showbag, putting you back a dizzying $100 for a taste of the famous and delectable nut brittles made in Bendigo.
Taking out first place for the best value will be the Marie Claire showbag, costing $30 but weighing in at a retail value of $486.59.
A focused effort on sustainability has also been upheld for the incoming show, with nearly all of the showbags either reusable or made from paper.
It’s in the bag
Cheapest showbag:
Wizz Fizz Lil Fizz Bag $4
Rip Snorter Brain Blaster Bag $4
Rip Snorter Little Ripper Bag $4
Most expensive:
Bendigo Brittle Showbag 4 $100
Best Value:
Marie Claire $30 (value of $486.59)
Tipped to be most popular:
Barbie $32
Wednesday $32
Don’t miss your free 44-page Show Guide in the Herald Sun this Saturday (Sept 9).
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