Fun Times at the Carboot

Car boot sales are a great British tradition and there's nothing better than getting up ridiculously early to rummage through other peoples stuff. I seem to have spent an awful lot of my summer doing just that this year so I thought I'd share our most recent visits.

Usually it is just myself and my friend Sarah, but recently our troupe has expanded to include my boyfriend Gareth, my brother Andrew and my niece Ruby. The weather has been particularly nice lately too so I took the opportunity to photograph some of the stuff that I would have bought if I had infinite money and space in my house!


I love any kind of vintage kitchenalia so i made a bee line for these trays. The lady told us that her father had made them! They were only £1 each, but sadly I left them where they were, I have way too many trays as it is!

Another thing I have plenty of is mirrors! I really liked this gold framed one, a bargain at £3 and thought it would go perfectly with my starburst clock. However, I was sensible and left it where it was!

There was lots of furniture on offer today and particularly coffee tables. We usually see a few G Plan tile top ones but I really liked these two, the first a 50's Formica topped beauty with lovely spindly legs. If only the Formica had been yellow and not wooden! The second was a really nice 1970s teak and smoked glass table which would have gone perfectly with my G plan sideboard, if I needed a coffee table! I didn't ask for prices as I knew I'd be too tempted if I did!

And now onto one of my favourite stalls, they are regulars and always have loads of stuff to rummage through. I've bought a few things from them previously but didn't purchase this week. They had this gorgeous sewing machine, in perfect condition complete with it's instruction booklet. He wanted £15 and that was more money than I even had on me, but still a bargain!

This is the rest of the stall, just boxes and boxes of stuff!! Loads of tea sets and kitchenalia to rummage through, just how I like it!

We all have our own things we like to look for at the carboot, Sarah and I like fabrics, kitchen bits, vases and anything pre 1980s. Andrew and Gareth spend most of their time with their heads in boxes of records. There are literally thousands of records so it takes quite a while but they do insist on looking through them all!

Another one of my favourite things to look for is suitcases! I have way too many at home anyway as I use them for storage, however they had some beauties today, priced from £2 upwards here are a few:

One of my favourite things about carboot sales, even if I don't end up buying anything, is just being really nosey and seeing the random things people have. I loved this Blind Date game! Took me back to Saturday nights in the early 90s!

I could have taken hundreds of pictures over the weeks, but here are just a few more things I spotted then regretfully left behind. A beautiful pheasant tapestry (very similar to one a certain Miss Berger picked up for me at a carboot!), lots and lots of costume jewellery and some very retro kitchen jars:

So that's what we didn't buy, here's a look at some of the things we've picked up today. Records, records and more records! All bought for £1 or less, they included a Beatles Sergeant Peppers, Stone Roses Waterfall Single, Blondie Parallel lines (All Andrews), David Bowies, Frank Sinatras (Sarah) Thin Lizzies (Gareth), Gary Numans (Andrew), and my brothers favourite purchase of the day, Portishead 'Dummy' for 20p! I came away with Petula Clark and the Mary Poppins soundtrack!

I was only on the look out for a new dinner plate for work (mine had suspiciously disappeared!) so how could I resist this spectacular Charles and Diana one for not such a bargain at £1.50. But I do have a soft spot for the Royals! As proved by my next purchase, a commemorative coronation paper for 50p. Full of images of the Queen dressed beautifully and lots of vintage adverts. Finally Sarah and I spotted these amazing curtains, original 1970s bird and floral print, never been out of the packet! Really wide and long, two pairs for £5, £2.50 and a pair each meant we were both happy!

Not forgetting super bargain hunter Ruby, she got this beautiful Princess horse and carriage for £1!

Not bought this week, but last, I had a bumper haul of one of may favourite things - 1970's German Pottery Vases! The lot for £7, all in perfect condition. It was a bit over my usual limit but I couldn't resist, they would fit right in at home! I also got the lovely original 1950s plant pot for 50p!

Only trouble is, when trying to photograph them, the cats like them a bit too much, Harry kept jumping into the shot!

And when I put my plant in it, Misty wouldn't leave it alone. Perhaps they're hinting that next time I should bring something back for them!!

Well the carboot season is drawing steadily to a close, we will be going again next week, weather permitting, so I shall update you with anymore bargains!