Perth Royal Show set for exclusive Bertie Beetle show bags in 2024

This year’s Royal Show will be “extra special”, with a range of Bertie Beetle show bags available exclusively to Perth fans, offering a mouthful of nostalgia that has lured punters to the stall for 60 years. When the Perth Royal Show takes over Claremont Showground between September 21 and 27, seven different Bertie Beetle bags will be available. Carnival Amusements show bag organiser Mark Marinovich said after a heartbreaking hiatus last year because of supply issues, the fan favourite would make a “big comeback”, with something on offer for everyone. “There’s a whole new range of merch that Perth has never seen before, exclusively at the Perth show,” Mr Marinovich said. “This is going to be a special year at Perth. A lot is happening at Bertie Beetle, and we have made sure we will have enough supply. A special 60th birthday celebration bag, priced at $18, is among the options available, and will include 20 chocolates and either a pair of ceramic egg cups or special Bertie Beetle birthday cards. There will also be a retro show bag, featuring original branding from the 1970s, that will come with a Bertie-themed collector’s tin, a bucket hat and socks. The cheapest option at this year’s show will be the Bertie Beetle Blue bag, which will cost $5. It includes two Kit Kats and five chocolates. Organisers are expecting the biggest year of sales for the bag since its debut in 1963, with more than 70,000 bags packed. All are expected to sell at the Perth Royal Show. “We’re expecting it to be a big show with a big attendance, especially as kids get in for free,” Mt Marinovich said. He said bags were created with the goal of providing something as “value-packed as possible” for consumers. But the enduring popularity of the Beetle is “a bit of a mystery”. “It’s a bit of mystery as to why people love it,” Mr Marinovich said. “But I think it’s the nostalgia. Bertie Beetle is one of the show bags your grandparents used to buy, and then that tradition was passed down through the generations, and now those grandchildren are buying the show bag. “People remember buying it at their first show and people can experience the same thing from different generations. “I mean, have you even been to the show if you didn’t buy a Bertie Beetle?”