Boot Sales

Following my aborted attempt at the Flea Market in which (see previous blogs) I didn't sell very much much but came away with a useful piece of knowledge: How to fight off a would-be attacker. This was courtesy of the ex-bouncer running the next stall who wasn't selling much either and in his boredom decided to teach me some moves. I then decided to try my hand at boot sales.

And I found a whole new genre of customers: The rabid bargain hunters and the I'll-buy-any-piece-of-tat people. The latter was well-evidenced by the lady at the stall next to me, who had an tatty, old piece of rope for sale. 'Found it on the beach,' she giggled when she saw me staring at it with disbelief. But lo and behold, not two minutes later, I saw a woman walking away with the rope swung over her shoulder and my fellow stall holder with a grin on her face.

The rabid bargain hunters won't take any item at face value. If it's £1 they want it for 50p. If it's only 20p they want it for 5p. I've learnt to deal with them. Just price everything a lot higher. As long as they think they are beating you down they are happy.

And then we have 'boot divers' - horrible, professional booters who attack your car and try and buy things off you for peanuts so that they can put it back on their stall for a fat profit. The man on the stall next to me at one boot sale said he once drove into a field and couldn't understand what was wrong with his car, it was jumping all over the place. He looked over his shoulder to see the doors of his estate had been flung open and boot divers were into his stuff before he'd even had the chance to stop!

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy booting and, save for the fact I've run out of things to sell, would happily do it every week. My home-made Welsh cakes sell like -- hot cakes. People actually come back for more. So I am thinking of branching into baking. I fancy seeing myself on a stall surrounded by cup cakes and bara briths. It may be a while before I hang up my Marigolds but at least I now see light at the end of the tunnel - albeit a very distance glimmer.