Spice Girl dolls, £5, at Wimbledon
Car boot sales in London
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By Maggie Davis
Posted: Tue Aug 1 2006 -
Once car boot sales were about as glamorous as a night out in Homerton, but 26 years since the first one was held on a Kent farm, nabbing bargains or selling junk from the back of a motor has become a credible way of spending a Sunday morning. Time Out gets up at dawn to set up a wallpaper pasting table off the Holloway Road
It’s 7.59am on a very hot, hazy Sunday morning and I’m standing on the Holloway Road with some other waifs and strays who include: two Japanese students in homemade T-shirts and skinny jeans; a crumpled old couple with a plastic tartan-print shopping trolley; a smackhead with a dog, a bike and an ominous Morrisons carrier bag; and a line of cars full of chairs, plants, cardboard boxes and general junk. Is it too late to go back to bed, I wonder.
This is the world of the hardcore car-booter, a strange breed who are quite happy to start queueing at the crack of dawn to ensure a good ‘pitch’. I’m feeling nervous and out of my depth. Will anyone want my flower-print mini Polaroid or the four cocktail shakers I have somehow accumulated? And surely not my muddy old Nike walking shoes? Feature continues
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Quality pop classics going (very) cheap at Holloway car boot London car boot sales certainly lack the quiet glamour and grace of Portobello Market on a Friday morning with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting from Cafe Lisboa. And they’re nowhere near as laidback as sitting at your PC uploading pictures of your wares on to eBay. But then that’s not the point. Car boot sales are about freeing yourself of years of accumulated clobber, emptying your spare room and, of course, making a bit of extra cash. Over the past decade I’ve accumulated all manner of stuff, from a Stella McCartney sunvisor to Burberry perfume, floral wellies, scented candles, T-shirts and cheap costume jewellery. Why get paid for getting rid of it all?
There’ll be plenty of likely buyers, I assure myself. Apparently Britons now spend approximately £1.4 billion a year at car boot sales; that’s an average of £10 each, nationwide. That makes for a lot of potential customers and London turns out to be the most profitable place to hold a sale, with the average Londoner making almost £100 a time (in Wales it’s only £80). In the same way that shopping in Topshop is seen as cannier than shopping in Harvey Nicks, buying at a car boot sale is considered cleverer and cooler than a trip to IKEA. Why face the hell, the ubiquity and the flat-pack assembly when you can find a one-off bargain that none of your friends will have?
Cheap as chips: what looks like old tat could be worth as much as £8 As it turns 10am, my car is directed to be lined up in the school playground. First step: unload, set up table and unpack. Easy enough I think, until I see the swarm of shoppers heading my way from all directions. Before I’ve even unpacked the first bag, about half the population of N7 – hooded kids, Arsenal-shirted twentysomethings and eagle-eyed old ladies with violet-coloured hair – have descended on my pitch and are rummaging through my bags. ‘How much for this? How much for this?’ ‘£2.50. A tenner… Jesus! Waaaaait a minute!’ I frantically sell a pair of Orla Kiely wellies for £8 to a posh bloke who has pulled them out of a box and barely stops to ask what size they are. Result. One of the Arsenal shirts has spotted the Burberry perfume. This garners a lot of attention and suddenly there’s a bidding war going on. ‘How much, how much?’ he asks. ‘You can have it for £20,’ I respond. Another pipes up, ‘I’ll give you £15.’ Another with gelled-back hair and box-fresh Adidas trainers yells: ‘I’ll give you £16.’ I sell it immediately in an attempt to gain some order and control.
This doesn’t happen for three hours within which time a feeding frenzy has occurred. ‘It’s because you are new,’ says the man next to me, who gave up his full-time job eight years ago to make a living from car boot sales. He now spends his time collecting antiques and junk from house clearances and skips. ‘People know that you will have some genuinely good bargains.’ He’s right, my ‘boot’ has been attracting more attention than the regulars simply due to the novelty factor.
Retro radios at Wimbledon By lunchtime I’m absolutely frazzled. This is turning into one of the most exhausting, exhilarating and hilarious days of the year and I am loving exchanging what I consider to be my rubbish for hard cash. I’ve learnt a few things too. Like that in car boot world Burberry is considered more prestigious than Balenciaga (though Chanel perfume goes down a treat) and my rather lovely Cacharel top is ignored while River Island is revered. Indeed, there is no room for subtlety and sophistication in the car boot car park. And sometimes labels don’t count at all. A fellow car-booter tells me how a lady was interested in a tracksuit she was selling, but only offering her £2. When it was pointed out that it was a brand new Reebok tracksuit, the response was: ‘Don’t come at me with your fancy labels.’
As it approaches 2pm, the stall is looking empty and the need for a very large Sunday lunch and beer is intensifying. I’ve made £228 from nothing and even got rid of the muddy Nikes. Then I realise I haven’t sold the Stella McCartney sunvisor that’s been shielding me from the sun all day. I decide it will be my final triumph. ‘Anyone for this beautiful, practical and most wonderful sunvisor?’ I yell. A 4'9" Indian man who was eyeing it up earlier returns. ‘I’ll give you £1,’ he says. ‘£2,’ I bargain. We agree on £1.50.
‘Stella McCartney… is that you?’ he asks. ‘No, she’s a fashion designer. The daughter of Paul McCartney…? The bloke that used to be in The Beatles…?’ He still looks blank, but wanders off happy into the sunny afternoon with the plastic lilac visor, designed for teenage girls, perched proudly on his head. Final takings? £228.
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112 comments
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
I called up Battersea Boot sale yesterday and not only is the txt but dont call rule a bit long winded but the price has gone up like another person said from £10 to £20 and you have to pay over the phone using your CREDIT card or DEBIT card!!!! I simple said NO! What a joke!! On a good note i found another one in hackney at Princess May Primary school, Barretts Grove, Hackney which is £9 ( for cars) and you pay cash on arrival, staring at 9pm-2pm sellers have to arrive at 7pm. I also found the following other one's too:
1. Collier Row, Whalebone Lane, North every sunday. 9-2pm 07956312131 cars £9
2. Banzer (on thursdays) 6-2pm Warren Farm, A12 Romford, near Mobey dick, RM6-6RB cars £12 02085014090
3. Forest Farm, Forest farm road, Barkingside ( oppisite Fairlop water pitches) £10 for cars 02085014090
All the car boot sales that i have mentioned require payment on arrival only and are on a first come basis. :-)
I've also been to the Brentside High School car boot sale (just last week in fact). It was overflowing with traders & loads of people. It's easy to get to in Greenford Avenue, W7 1JJ (local buses stop right outside!). A real mix of stalls, I bought some antique plates from a stallholder who packaged them with Cath Kidston soaps and wrapped them in sellophane - lovely for gifts. I've got the phone number if anyone needs it - 07805 602842 - and you get a voice at the end of the phone - what a pleasure!!
Here we go again! The slagging off of what is clearly the BEST car boot sale in London! Sour grapes combined with other less successful boot sale organisers hoping to poach some trade it seems.
Do you people know what extortion is? It is gaining money through threats/force etc. equally a 'rip off'... trying to get more than something is worth.
Have either of you heard the phrase "supply and demand"????
The organisers of Battersea Boot sale receive 500 requests for pitches every week (they have space for 100) They don't even advertise for sellers, haven't done for years and yet still the requests for pitches increase and increase. That is the power of word of mouth and EXCELLENT customer service.
I'd strongly suggest you think very carefully about what you're saying and who you're slagging off and why before you do it. Opinion is one thing we are all entitled to, slander is not.