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First-time buyer, Chris Taylor |
Meet the carbooters!
The first-time buyer
Chris Taylor, financial advisor, Wimbledon Stadium, Saturday morning
‘We came along to do a bit of a recce because we’ve got a load of junk
in the house (in Tooting) and I just wanted to suss it out. It’s
surprisingly good actually. I ended up buying this chair for a tenner.
I needed something to fit in the corner of our living room and this is
just perfect. I like the shape of it – the fact it’s quite angular and
small – yes, it will fit quite snugly. We’ll definitely come back to
flog all our junk.’
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Veteran seller, Martin McManus
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The veteran seller
Martin McManus Wimbledon Stadium, Saturday morning
‘I used to be a hairdresser in the 1960s and then had an antique shop in Camden Town, but had two families to support so packed it in when business wasn’t doing so well in favour of this. I do about three sales a week. It’s mainly house clearance stuff – anything from old chandeliers and oak tables to Victorian travelling wardrobes. I’m finding the 1960s stuff that I used to chuck away is selling now. Funny how things change. It’s been tougher since 9/11 as we don’t have as many American buyers and they were good – they just aren’t coming over so much. On a day like today I can expect to make a hundred quid or so, other days a couple of hundred or more. It all depends on the weather, what I’ve got and how much money people are feeling like spending. Still, I manage to get by.’
Feature continues
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| Katie Dailey (centre) sells at Holloway |
The stylish sellers
Alyn Horton, PR, and Katie Dailey, fashion writer Holloway Road, Sunday morning
‘We started doing car boot sales about a year ago. We had lots of old fashion samples and some junk I wanted to get rid of, so we put a load of stuff together and got a cab to the Holloway Road one. You just need a DIY table and that’s it. We were both a bit strapped for cash at the time, so thought we’d see how much we could make. We had initially been put off by the early start, but if you’re selling on foot, you can turn up to some (like Holloway Road) at 10am. One thing we learnt quickly was don’t let your own personal taste stop you from bringing something. We sold a half burnt-down pineapple-shaped candle within minutes of putting it out for £3 and a dodgy 1970s dress with a giraffe appliquéd on for £7. How we laughed! We ended up making about £50 each and have been doing them about once a month ever since. People tend to love anything with a big designer label on it and unused makeup and perfume. You always get a real mix going, from trendy people looking for vintage bargains to DJs on the hunt for obscure records and mums and kids out shopping. We’ve never found it to be a chore or trauma.’
115 comments
I'm a seller and I'm going to Brentside car book in Ealing this Sunday. i heard the weather is going to be good so I'm looking forward to a good day, i've been before and it was good.
Thanks Steve - that's all good to know - see you Sunday!
Hi Flic,
You need to arrive at Princess May Primary School on Princess May Road, London N16 8DF from 7am onwards. It doesn't matter if you don't have a table or a car. People sell their stuff on the ground ontop of a blanket or ground sheet. The cost is £8 for a walk-in pitch, which you pay on the day.
See you there!
I would like to find out about the Princess May Car boot sale - I don't have a car or a table (!) to sell my stuff out of or off - does that matter? Do I just turn up before 8am on Sunday to sell stuff? Please excuse my dumbness - I am new to this and a lillte unsure of what to do!!!
Any advice I would muchly appreciate.
Cheers
In response to L Parker's complaint about the Princess May Car Boot Sale in Stoke Newington N16 the organisers would like to say the following:
This Car Boot Sale is a relatively new car boot sale in the heart of Stoke Newington and is open every Sunday all the way through the year providing a much needed venue for local people to gather and is a vital part of the community at the same time providing funds for the school for various projects. It is open to the General Public from 9am-2pm with an entrance fee of 50p. There is an option for the shoppers to enter the Bootsale prior to this for a fee of £3 when the vendors are entering and setting up for the day.
These few shoppers are mainly traders and the reason we don't advertise the bootsale to be open at this time is we have to be sympathetic to our neighbours and to have hoards of shoppers arriving early in the morning could be detremental to the area. These traders who don't mind paying £3 to grab the early morning bargains (usually to sell on at a premium) all know the set-up.
On the morning in question Mr L Parker pushed his way into the Car Boot Sale after verbally abusing a member of my staff on the gates and proceeded to march around the bootsale. I approached Mr Parker and informed him that Traders paid this premium and if he did not wish to pay it, he could wait until 9am. Mr Parker became aggressive and rude and demanded my name and stated that he was going to report me and my Bootsale to the Tax Man and other authoritive bodies.
I gave Mr Parker our Business details and then asked for his details, which he refused. Mr Parker then tried to continue to walk round the Bootsale, I called my colleague and we both asked Mr Parker to leave. Again he refused. On our gate we have notices displaying the opening times and entrance fees and also management has the right to refuse entry.
This is because we don't allow drink to be consumed at the venue or undesirable and agressive people who cause an upset to the Car Boot Sale. Mr Parker's behaviour was THAT of a dictator in a small third world country who wanted his own way and is now hell bent on trying to destroy an atmosphere where local people both well off and not so well off come to sell their unwanted goods and gather at this local meeting point. Mr Parker only left our Bootsale when he was told that if he didn't leave the Police would be called.
We didn't know that you could 'Threaten' people with the Police the way Mr Parker said. We thought they were there to help and provide assistance?!
On that note, Princess May Bootsale welcomes everyone except Mr Parker to come and enjoy Princess May's weekly trendy Bootsale ! ! ! !
If it still leaves a question, i'm not an organiser i'm a carboot stall holder that has done stalls at different london car boots including princess may. I don't take it as a personal attack i am simply having my own opinion in relation to someone elses stereotypes and personal attacks of people who are just trying to run a fare car boot with rules that apply to all.
Agree to disagree :-)
Lets agree to disagree- your reaction also makes sence now as you have revealed that you are a carboot organiser as well. But it still leaves the question why you feel someone's opion of how they were treated was wrong or even a personal attack, (thats just their view) maybe you are one of the workers from princess May?? Regardless like you said, everyone Enjoy. and keep posting your feelings and opions about London Boot sales. The good and the Bad! :-)
Exactly, its about voicing opinions on car boot sales and that's what i'm also doing but in defence of the booters who are again being made out again to be money grabbing thugs who commit benefit fraud and handle dubious goods. I am simply disagreeing with the things being implied here, all because of an entry fee. Sorry if L Barker is offended by my disbelief or different point of view. I'll be doing another car boot sale soon and don't agree with what has been said and i am far from the descriptions mentioned. Believe me i am also not rich from doing them! Maybe not every car boot sale has a higher early entry charge but in my experience most do and have done for years. Car booters have fun doing stalls and do not set out to rip people off and and the majority of people have fun coming to them and getting some good deals by haggling! Enjoy everyone!
The end of L parkers note did sound a bit harsh but i have to admit that the thought did run through my mind only beacuse of how intent the booters are to make money on every little thing. And just to add.. most car boot sale's ask for the early entry fee but not all, so Maybe princess May was the first boot sale that L parker went to that asked for this so in his defence it would be a bit of a shock. And having a sign up indicating the early entry fee to me is just being polite and they should have it up whether or not it says it on the website! However this site is about voiceing opinons about CAR BOOT SALES and whether i agree with L parker there is nothing worse than another person making someone look or appear nasty or untrue when they are just voiceing their own opinon about their personal experience whether or not you agree.. beacuse you and i might have gone on a good day!
L Barker - are you for real?! (I don't know) But I can't believe you are making such a fuss and calling people "thugs" and "dubious characters" because you were being asked for the early morning entry price which most car boot sales ask for? Its £3.00 before 9am and you went after 8am? so that makes sense. I don't get what the problem is? If you google 'princess may carboot' you'll find websites that clearly state the price - they don't need a sign up and i think accosted is a slight exaggeration! Fact is they weren't in the wrong, you were.
And as for investigating benefit claimants?! Enough of the sterotypes please! Pure snobbery and nothing better to do!
i went to the princes may car boot in hackney sale and for me it its the best nice people nice food and a lots of bargains very trendy and very cheap ! 3 pound til 9clock after 0,50 pence ..
I went to the boot sale at Princess May School on Sunday 20th September 2009 at just after 8am.
I entered the gate on which a sign indicating that 50p was charged after 9am. As I walked through I was accosted by the gate guard for three pounds!
I argued that it did not say that on the gate and that I would not pay as that was extortion.
He called someone on his mobile handset and within a few seconds a rude thug approached me from the direction of the tea enclosure and was soon accompanied by a woman who I presumed to be his wife, or what ever.
I was threatened with the police when I objected to the way he spoke to me and he refused to identify himself or the company that is responsible for the running of this boot sale other than to say ' Kilburn Giants'.
He did refer me to the school as they are entirely happy with the set up that is and has been a long term arrangement at this venue.
Despite the dubious characters and equally dubious source of the various items for sale at this site, I will be investigating over the next few months to identify exactly the extent of the organiser' profit declarations along with their own identities and that of any benefit claimants, who seem to frequent the site religiously week after week, in search of their undeclared earnings.
Hi Sam, Brentside Car Boot in Greenford Avenue, Ealing W7 1JJ is a great car boot to look out for. They are open every Sunday throughout the year from 9.30/3.00pm (hardstanding). I have the telephone number of the organisers 07805 602482 and there's always a friendly voice on the end of the phone. I was there today and it was packed out with sellers and buyers. Hope this helps. It is well worth a visit.
EAST LONDON BOOT SALE:
I'm going to sell this weekend, hopefully everything goes well!!
@ Hackney at Princess May Primary school, Barretts Grove, Hackney.
im a first time car booter...i would like any infomation on car boots sales in and out of london...i have an estsate car and loads and loads of stuff i want 2 sell 2 raise money...any info would be much appreciated....thankssssssss