I have never ever seen the car boot sales as busy as they were yesterday. And yet, there wasnt a lot there to buy. Or maybe there were just too many stalls and not enough time.
Anyway, I picked up my first miniature house(s) - David Winter cottages - Pilgrims Rest and the Bakery for £4 each and found this cute Beatrix Potter baby's box for £2 too.
Lea is almost rooted. Not totally happy but OK, I guess
I won this 1/12 house (have since spent twice what it cost on rugs, books etc!) which was made by an engineer so is very good quality and spot on decor-wise - it has 6 rooms, a separate conservatory (needs finishing) and full lighting.
I want to do it properly and not fill it with cheap chinese rubbish - but likewise not spend silly money on it. So I am not planning to rush things and will add to it bit by bit
I think I want a eclectic modern sort of house. 1970s-2009. So there will be a fitted kitchen and a TV and computer but it wont be ultra modern nor very old fashioned.
I also would love to do up 'character' properties such as small cottages, beach huts, shops and so on.
To keep the kids grubby mits off this I found them a smaller version at the car boot sale this morning with furniture for just £4! Bargain or what?!!
Also found around £400 worth of like new wooden train track, bridges, airports, firestation, box of trains and wooden cars and much more - filled my car boot! That's for Fred's birthday next month and it was £60 which is a lot for a car boot sale but considering what it is, it's a real bargain and I cant wait to see his face.
I also found this Mrs Chippy cat which looks real (but thankfully isnt as the hamsters wouldnt like her!) for 50p amd 2 karaoke machines so no one has to fight for the mike now.
The 'others' are due back from Butlins late tonight so I am making the most of the peace and quiet here.
Searching through old uploaded pictures I came across this. We only had 5 children then and I had just had my second ectopic pregnancy - and then the Mirror contacted me which, at the time, really helped my very low mood. Back in those days the internet in the UK was not used too much for online shopping. How times have changed!
When I first started selling online no one in the UK bought online. I remember paying AOL £9.99 a month and 1p a minute to surf the net. Ouch!! How I love Broadband!
I found selling on my own children's outcasts hard as we live in the sticks. But I like to recycle and use money from selling on what I dont need to buy more things I dont need. I am a die hard bargain hunter and love designer children's clothes - nothing pleases me more than finding a top label kids outfit at a car boot sale in a box of Primark stuff and getting a real bargain!
I listed my first thing on ebay USA. Ebay UK's kids clothes pages were not even that. ONE PAGE of kids clothes of all ages and styles and that was it! In the US people seemed to shop online and so that seemed a better bet.
I had no camera so put a good description. It sold!!!!! I was ecstatic and spent days trying to find the right wrapping paper for it as I had not sent parcels by post before. In those days there was no paypal in the UK and so I had to wait for $ cash.
I saved up and bought a camera and let leash on ebay UK. Since not many other people were selling and Australia and the USA had many online shoppers prices even for run of the mill things rocketted. For example, a Next petticoat dress which I would now sell for £3.99 would fetch £15-£30. Smocked M&S dresses went for £18-£30 each regardless of condition
It was fun - addictive fun! But then Ebay started charging to list as things caught on and so my US friend suggested a website. The rest is history and a story for another day
But twice this week because I have just been to some small local car boot sales.
I dont get anything for christmas and so cant write about what I got - so will have fun listing some of today's finds
Brand new Karen Millen evening cardigan for me £4 (now just need an evening occasion!) Some nice cardigans for summer £1 each Wallis dressy top £1 M&S white embroidered lined summer skirt £1 Black wool tailored jacket (size too big but still fits) 50p Loads of white linens - ideal for embroidery and picnic mats. All from the 60s and 70's - 10p each 1960s pair of cat clothes brushes £1 Loads of children's books -20p-£1 each 2 boxed hard back large Alan Titchmarsh gardening for beginners books £2 the set Sack of polly pocket castles and large cinderella castles etc with people £14 the lot Large box of lego with electrics £10 Old 1970s sindy oven £1 Old fisher price plan 50p Dressing up sets - Disney cars, ELC cowboy, Sportacus, skeleton, nurse dress all £1 to £2 each set Large plastic tub of McDonalds food and tills and money £2 the lot Pink ready bed for Caitlin £2 Large bag of 5 Bratz dolls and clothes £5 Large metal box of make up full of unused everything you need (for 15 year old!) £1.5 For me a gift box of unused small Boots No 7 things incl nail varnish, day cream, lip liner, hand cream etc £1 Plastic car mat £1 Tapestry very old embroidery/sewing basket £1.50 Approx 10-12 new embroidery threads £1 the lot Boxed pram toy £1 Pen and pencil set 50p Large box of enormous paperclips 50p Joe Browns hooded sweater for me £1 Lovely Ramie short sleeved top (wearing now) 50p
And more
Very happy. The sun is out, people are smiling. It's happy weather and I love it!
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