Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Have You Heard The One About the Day I went to a Car Boot Sale?



The local school had a car boot sale last weekend and I saw it as an opportunity to clear away some of my unwanted vintage. I eagerly booked a spot.  It was a fantastic day and I hope the school has one every six months or so, after the success of their inaugural attempt.  Some funny things happened during the morning.  The first of which, was when the neighbours of the previous owners of this cane lounge identified it as having been on their verge for a  recent council clean up.  Yes that would be me who dragged it's vintage arse into the back of my car single handedly.  It was in pretty bad shape and needed a major overhaul, but I managed to get $35 for about 10 minutes work.

I am glad the Marilyn collage went to a good home too.  She has been with me since my university days, but she just didn't fit into the Beach House and I'm sick of hiding her behind the furniture.

The coke crate was probably a gift at only $5, but it did have splits down either side and I found her road side.  She did make someone happy though and it didn't come back home with me either.

The breakfast tray left me too.... I've used her in lots of shoots on here, but she was going off under the house in storage, so it was time. 


Those little wicker bedside tables, I could have sold many times over and they were probs too cheap as well, at $5 a piece.  The lady who bought those wants to match them with one of those wicker 70's bed heads in the same style, so I wished her luck and she was on her way.

I once had great aspirations for the little wicker rocking horse, another roadside find.  I have seen them priced upwards of $300 restored, and they look fantastic in a baby's nursery.  She went out for a song at $5 as well.  I had $15 on her for most of the morning.  There were lots of tire kickers, but no bites until I dropped her price.


The Poole Pottery was not a great coup.  I paid way too much for it at a deceased estate auction years ago.  But I wanted her to be gone, so practically gave the whole set plus, the chafing dish away for $25.


The funniest story of the day was inspired by the wily old dame next to me, who was a seasoned pro marketer.  I arrived at 6am, had her life story in the can by 7am.  She started buying some of my stuff too, saying she was going to gift it to various people.  She bought a large sailing boat wall hanging from me early in the piece.  So early in fact, that I don't have a shot of it.  The Beach House Brat no longer wants a red, white and blue nautical bedroom, much to my disappointment, so I am off loading the stuff I have collected for that.  She paid me $5, which is what I bought it for at a garage sale and put it on the opposite side of her car to me.  Well blow me down, if not half an hour later, I saw a guy walking off with it.  Yes that's right she had sold it for $15.  All part of the cut and thrust of market forces I guess.


So this is all I had left at the end of the event.  The vintage school desk went after this photo too, so I pretty much sold out.  I managed to sell my pram and a porta cot too.  They were in pretty good condition and although they were sold at about a 95% discount, it was better than throwing them out.  I have learned over the years that unless you sell things at bargain prices, you end up taking them home.  I can understand that, as it's how I like to buy as well.  I think it's better to sell out and make some money than make the same money by selling a few things, but still be left with lots of your unwanted stuff at the end of the day.


Towards the end of the morning, when I had not much left to sell, I dragged out the vintage money boxes, which I thought were pretty collectable when I bought them at a garage sale, but they are moving slowly.  These's a bit of AVON vintage in there as well.

It was such a great day and lots of people asked me if I had a shop, as I had such terrific stuff and was I a professional marketer.  The answer to both was no, just a keen collector, who likes to mix it up a bit.


So on the back of my enjoyment of the sale and in readiness for the next local event, I have been out scavenging this afternoon.  The car boot sale was coordinated with the regular council clean up so there are piles of junk out the front of lots of houses, all to be collected this week.

Here's what I found on a quick drive by.  I reckon there's well over $100 worth of junk here.  Not bad for half an hours work and you'll be seeing these again at the next car boot sale.


Hope you are all having a lovely week.  Happy vintage hunting.

Today I am linked up here

16 comments :

  1. I like your new finds, if I lived closer I would come and buy a couple of those things off you!

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  2. Oh Carolyn, that makes my heart sing (not the sailors). I am addicted to collecting stuff. I loved the vintage desk , wish I had known you had that hidden away. The sailor and I cleared out some junk last Saturday put it on the footpath and 5 mins it was all gone, Working from home on Tuesday I look out the window into the neighbours back garden and there I spied the wrought iron garden setting I put on the footpath, all sitting pretty with lovely bright cushions. Hmmmmm sweet!

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  3. You're so funny - sounds like you gave things away for bargain prices. You had some great things there! Didn't know you were a Marilyn fan (not sure if you read my post on her, but I'm a fan also). Had to laugh at your recount of the woman next to you who on-sold the art piece :)

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  4. Hi Carolyn,
    I am wiping away tears after seeing those round cane tables......;o)
    They could have resided happily at chez Scandi Coast......I forgive you ;o)
    Tania xx

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  5. The cane bedside tables!!!! Oh I could cry too.... where were you hiding those when I came to visit?! Fantastic finds by the way as well! xx

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  6. I was so tempted to drop by that sale - just didn't get around to it - damn! Can't wait for the 'junk' to start appearing round me. My boys hate it - the drive home from school takes twice as long. This time I'm co-ordinating a street garage sale with our clean up - who knows what I'll pick up! I can't believe you sold that cane lounge for $35 - what a bargain.

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  7. Hey Carolyn. Sounds like you had a pretty eventful day and I love, love your new finds!
    Cas x

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  8. Hi Carolyn, I love the vintage desk! Too funny that your market neighbour profited from your merchandise (wily indeed;).
    Nice haul, love the wooden box a lot!! Jo x

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  9. OH!!!! I *WANT* one of those elephant piggy banks!!!!! I used to have one when I was a child, and my first job out of school was at the Commonwealth Bank (which I believe is the bank represented by the elephant!)

    It sounds like you had a fun and successful boot sale!

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  10. What a cack - cheeky old bird! I would have had a couple of those things - loving anything bamboo at the moment! I could sell about ten boot loads of stuff myself - didn't know we did car boot sales here in Oz. My husband always talks of them in the UK.

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  11. very interesting day , I liked seeing what all you sold and the prices especially , most people don't say what they sold anything for , your prices were cheap but then again that is how to move things on

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  12. I was walking through our Paris 15th quartier with an Australian mate and came across a mirror thrown out on the footpath - a large old mirror. Then a Polish worker came out of an apartment building with another. "Very old" he says. I give him €5 and leave my mate guarding them while I go look for something to carry them back to my basement. You do know what a large 100 year old Parisian mirror is worth? They go for at least €150 in the "Brocante" and the market stalls. And I'd just scored two of them for €5.

    So I grabbed a pram out of the cellar and went back to get the mirrors. 'cept now there are 6 mirrors - couple of them with ornate gold frames - the rest rather plain. Not only that, my resourceful mate has offered a guy €5 to deliver them. So I now have 6 large 100 year old mirrors - the type that go over the fireplaces in those old "pierre de taille" Parisian apartments. (Pity I can't enclose pics of them) I figure there must be €1000 worth - but apart from that - they look great.

    I'm always finding stuff on the street. I open every large can of paint I find. I sometimes come home with 20 litres of perfectly good enamel. I bring home timber panels, lengths of "quad", antique toys, games..all sorts of stuff."Her indoors" is a bit embarrassed that I do it. But she was impressed by the mirror find. "Very old" (said with thick Polish accent) - Dude was very happy when I gave him €5 too.

    Boy that old bag next to you was cheeky eh?

    Oh yeah - I have an old - God knows how old - mahogany "piano" desk in the cellar too. Another "find" from the street. Solid but needs restoring. Like this one - http://www.antiquites-lecomte.com/fr/antique/547/bureau-piano-louis-philippe-en-acajou

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  13. We do not have car boot sales here in South Carolina, USA. We used to have an antiques mall that had them three times a year and I really enjoyed them. I cannot believe the deals on your wicker pieces. I really enjoyed reading your post - it was very entertaining!

    Distressed Donna Down ome

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  14. i love car boot sales!! I always find a good bargain

    Natasha @ www.serenityyou.com

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  15. I love that wooden couch skeleton, whatever watchamacallit:)

    Hopping by and following your lovely blog (FB, Pinterest, Twitter, instagram and G+).

    The Quiet Mom blogging:
    Recipe: Garlic-Parsley Fried Brown Rice
    Crafting: Skip-Counting Project: Count by Five

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  16. Love the idea of a car boot sale. How fun. Hugs, Marty

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