Americans have driveways and garages to spare, but in the UK these things are not as common for the average property. Need to sell off your junk?
Enter the wonderous: Car Boot Sale.
Very similar to flea markets, a ‘vendor’ can load up a car, pay a stall price and empty out all kinds of god-knows-what onto a blanket for people to rummage through. Some are ‘professional’ sellers — you know them because they have proper tables and price tags, change for a £5 note, etc. — but most look like very disorganised yard sales.
I think Neil may have intentionally kept me away from these things for fear I’d load up on all kinds of crap, but even though I haven’t gone proper junk shopping in years, I was sensible and came away with only a handful of vintage postcards, a cocktail shaker, two boxes of incense, a small silver-tone tray, a pocket-sized fold-up slide viewer (vintage), and a tripod camping stool. I spent about £10 for the lot.
We went to two separate sales– one in Ascot (a bit of a rubbish sale) and one in Taplow (ENORMOUS!). We’re actually thinking of loading up the car and having a sell off of our junk too, but we might be too late in the season for it. We’re awfully busy for the next couple of months, so looks like we’ll just have to Freecycle and donate to charity shops to get rid of our clutter.
As for the photo above, I really wish I’d bought that gloriously hideous pink duck. You just don’t see that kind of kitsch every day…
7 Comments
Hahahahaha. I’ve been passed that awful one in Taplow, it looked like my idea of hell! One of my friends refers to it as ‘Scumfest’, take from that what you will.
Believe it or not, the Taplow one was fit for the queen compared to the Ascot sale! Crazy…
I was amazed at the number of diver’s flippers available at the Taplow sale.
Knowing you, and having been junk shopping with you numerous times, it absolutely amazes me that you passed up that horrible duck! You’ll regret that decision. Trust me. I know. I’m still sorry that I didn’t buy that small, multi-colored llama statue at St. Vincents in Madison. It was so delightfully useless, yet, somehow appealing!
The Taplow one is pretty good fun, a bit scummy, but good fun. Me and Mrs Mattr had a great sale there some time ago, made a lot of cash money for a holiday by selling loads of clutter.
The only problem is the traffic chaos it creates, if the weather is good the traffic snarls back to the M4 at J7 (next to where I live).
I’ve sold a load of old tut at a carboot sale in Bristol, both from my own life, and while emptying my parents’ house.
I have to say, the sale I attended in Bristol was… a Scumfest. But kinda fun.
Jen, if Neil has kept you from these things then he truley is a wise man.
Colored llamas, pink ducks? It must be a genetic thing.
Neil, I feel for you man. Hang in there and no more garage, um car boot sales for Jen. You’ve got to save her from herself. Unless of course you’re the same way, then both of you should gleefully roll around naked in the treasure you’ve accuired…I need a beer.