These were issued for travel at reduced fares to the Saturday Markets at both Douglas and Ramsey.  Eventually they were issued from all stations to Douglas (except possibly Waterfall) but to Ramsey only from Manx Northern stations Foxdale and Waterfall. 

The first reference to Market Tickets seems to be in the I.M.R. timetable of 1st November 1879 reading “....Third Class market tickets are issued on Saturdays from the undermentioned stations to Ramsey and back:

Market Ordinary

Lezayre 2d. 3d.

Sulby Bridge 4d. 5d.

Sulby Glen 5d. 6d.

Ballaugh 7d. 9d.

Kirk Michael 1/-... 1s., 3d

The earliest I.M.R. Market Tickets seem to have been those advertised from 28th June 1880, to Douglas from all stations, but not from any of the north line stations, although the five Manx Northern market tickets to Ramsey continued to be advertised; prior to the advent of agreed through trains is it not known what the arrangements were.

By 1st November 1884 (and possibly earlier) market tickets to Douglas from Sulby Bridge, Sulby Glen, Ballaugh, Kirk Michael and St. Germain’s were available, though strangely the market fare from Lezayre was now the sane as the ordinary fare. On 1st October 1886 the “Manx Northern & Foxdale Railway Companies” timetable showed market tickets to Ramsey from Foxdale and Waterfall at 1s./6d., and from St. John’s and St. Germain’s at 1s./3d., as well as from the previous five stations. The I.M.R. timetable of the same date made no reference to the new facilities although continuing to show the old ones. 

A new timetable was published by the Manx Northern and Foxdale Railways in May 1880 showing the same facilities; from June 1930 only one timetable, headed I.o.M. Railways appeared.  This still showed St. Germain’s to Ramsey but made no reference to Market Tickets from St. John’s or the Foxdale Line to Ramsey.  It has not yet been ascertained when the Market Tickets from Foxdale, Peel Road and Ramsey to Douglas became available because although the 1902 Whittaker’s Almanac lists some nine places in the only Market tickets to Peel yet found. 

This is the more surprising; One rather strange finding is a single batch from Kirk Michael to Peel, the island in addition to Douglas and Ramsey as site for the weekly markets, Peel is not one of those!  From archives held, all Market Tickets appear to be two-toned, buff for the outwards journey and red for the return, with some overprinted with a large “R” denoting return. The were only issued at Third Class and offered a discounted fare.

The colour of these tickets is constant throughout, return ahdl buff, outward orange/red.  They were similar in printing style to the contemporary ordinary issues and particularly to the excursions, except for the absence of any note regarding availability on the outward half.  The Greensills advert appears on the rear and the  “foreign” notice.  

Printing detail variations follow those of the ordinary ticket, for example, the early style of the small  “1” and “2”, with the “2” having a bracket after it.  Some are unusual in having "market ticket" above the “return”.  Other variations in typeface, spacing, etc., abound.  

Considering that Market Tickets were used for what one might expect to be well patronised journeys it is strange that so many examples have survived which are clearly early issues.  It seems that this facility was withdrawn upon commencement of hostilities in 1939.