Boot Fair experience.

[Cranfield]

I did a Boot Fair this morning , with some camo gear and other asstd fishing/shooting accessories to shift.

From a 7am start, I had sold everything by noon, so was very pleased.

It was quite an experience, but two things will stick in my mind.

One item was a large ice cream container full of various plastic and wire feeders (freshwater fishing), on the lid it said "20p each".
Late in the morning a young lad, about 12-14 approached me looking like the Artful Dodger, weasel face, check shirt, neck scarf, waiscoat and a flat hat.
He looked at the box and clapped his hands (market dealer style) and said, "the whole box ten pounds cash".
I replied, " well, errrm".
He interrupted with another hand clap, "all cash right now".
I replied, "well, errrm".
Another hand clap, "full and final, ten pounds all cash".
"OK" I said, handed him the box and took the ten pound note. He strutted off with the box under his arm.

The lady at the next stall said, "he was a bit of a lad, wouldn't let you get a word in edgeways".
"Yes" , I said, "I was trying to tell him that there were 30 feeders in the box and at 20p each he could have the lot for six pounds".

 

We also saw a tall , skinny lady with yellow and green hair swept up on top of her head like a pineapple and she had a large tattoo across her forehead.

The lady at the next stall said she thought it was a map of Australia.

 

Five hours at a Boot Fair is a true sociological experience.

[Me matt]

😂 yes they are funny old places, full of funny old people.

[ditchman]

hhaaahha..............that is funny liked that... ...i dont often go to car boots im always frightened of coming home with more carp..

[amateur]

At the last boot sale that I went to (about 30 years ago), a middle-aged chap was selling off his collection of beautifully constructed all to scale control-line model aircraft - all at stupidly low prices.

 

I invested £5 and went home with a Spitfire, to the bemusement of my wife and young daughters.

 

I should have kept it as an ornament, but instead I found the nearest field, gave it about 5 seconds of flight and comprehensively stuffed it in a nose dive - ah well!

[Lord Geordie]

The experiences I had are the non UK type wanting everything for nothing! It gets rather annoying!

[Cranfield]

The experiences I had are the non UK type wanting everything for nothing! It gets rather annoying!

..... and all wearing track suits, there were loads of those.

[team tractor]

The last one I did over 15 years ago was full of foreigners fresh over here. Couldn't speak any English and kept stealing my stuff.

A lady came up and offered me 5p for a carrier bag of baby clothes . I said I'll give it the charity shop.

[marsh man]

The last one I did over 15 years ago was full of foreigners fresh over here. Couldn't speak any English and kept stealing my stuff.

A lady came up and offered me 5p for a carrier bag of baby clothes . I said I'll give it the charity shop.

Things haven't changed much except now there are as many foreigners setting up a stall and selling stuff they have either been given or bought for 50p as local people .

[islandgun]

I once saw a mini boot lid for sale at a car boot sale, which was apt

[Lloyd90]

The stall holders are the worst, trying to go through your car boots before you've even set up.

[oldypigeonpopper]

The experiences I had are the non UK type wanting everything for nothing! It gets rather annoying!

hello, i could not agree more L G that is why i stopped doing them a few years back,

[Mice!]

My misses goes occasionally not sure why because she hardly ever comes back with anything, but reading this to her she said it does make you feel better about yourself 😄😄

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, i could not agree more L G that is why i stopped doing them a few years back,

around here all the local dealers pay to get in early and buy any thing of interest so by the time they have been and gone only TAT LEFT

[Dellbert]

i have done a few and found that a box of things to rummage through attracts more interest than carfull neat lines of stuff ,and im amazed at people buying broken tools .......

[clakk]

Got a £50 sausage stufer for a fiver ,the Polish chap selling it "haggled "me down from the £8 price tag he had on it ,dont think he,s enngleesh was upto much that day

[vmaxphil]

Last time I went I found brand new bodems for £2 each so I bought 4 ...............coffee anyone?

[timmytree]

I did a few many years ago when I had access to loads of gear from the local dump.

I loved the way people didn't work out prices! I had thousands of Xmas and birthday cards, for a joke I priced them at 20p each or 4 for £1. Sold most at 4 for £1.

Best of all was a holiday park on saturday afternoons. I would sell a van load of bikes, scooters, pogo sticks, skates etc then go back early the next saturday morning and find them dumped around the caravans, pick them up and sell them again in the afternoon. Some of those bikes got sold 3 or 4 times!

The best earner was just by chance when I visited my sister and partner in a village near MK, I had the van so got asked to take some rubbish to the local tip. Got talking to the bloke in charge and ended up taking away a van full of TVs and lawnmowers dirt cheap. One of my sisters neighbours wanted some peat for the garden so I went up 2 weeks later with a van and trailer, off loaded at 300% profit and returned with another load from the dump. I did that for a year or so but packed it in when I couldn't get the stuff from the tip any more.

[Cambsman]

I did a few many years ago when I had access to loads of gear from the local dump.

I loved the way people didn't work out prices! I had thousands of Xmas and birthday cards, for a joke I priced them at 20p each or 4 for £1. Sold most at 4 for £1.

Best of all was a holiday park on saturday afternoons. I would sell a van load of bikes, scooters, pogo sticks, skates etc then go back early the next saturday morning and find them dumped around the caravans, pick them up and sell them again in the afternoon. Some of those bikes got sold 3 or 4 times!

The best earner was just by chance when I visited my sister and partner in a village near MK, I had the van so got asked to take some rubbish to the local tip. Got talking to the bloke in charge and ended up taking away a van full of TVs and lawnmowers dirt cheap. One of my sisters neighbours wanted some peat for the garden so I went up 2 weeks later with a van and trailer, off loaded at 300% profit and returned with another load from the dump. I did that for a year or so but packed it in when I couldn't get the stuff from the tip any more.

 

The tax man must be gutted at his sudden loss of income!

[keg]

Some of them are a thieves charter, Bro in law bought his drill back from a stall,he reported them to the police but the old "no proof" excuse was used.

 

 

School uniform sales are even worse!

[pinfireman]

We do one a year to get rid of stuff that would normally go to the tip, or a charity shop...we average around £175 for a mornings outing. It goes towards our cash spend when we visit the States every 2 years. I usually leave the missus in charge after the first rush, and wander around. Picked up a Steven Davenport Spaniel print, for £10. From a dealer £1200.....at a small boot in Notts, bought a Viners canteen of designer 70,s cutlery, unused, for £10 ....worth around £250. But the best was a ta boot at Harrogate, where I bought a small, battered metal wine case, containing 5 bottles of a Bordeaux, dated 1879, label inside was a Chesterfield wine merchant supplier to "His Grace the Duke of Devonshire"...you could not drink the stuff it probably was tainted by the lead around the cork, but it sold at Bonhams for £800. Not bad for a wander around. Mind you, I,ve succumbed occasionally to buying carp!