Boot Sale Anecdotes From Cheshire & North Wales

[Saving For a Space Ship]

I went to 2 big boot sales yesterday, one in Chester & the other in North Wales.

According to the regular stall holders I talked to, they had never seen it so busy, I can back this up with my experience of going to the same venues over the last year regularly.

Many potential stall holders were being turned away as there was no room to park left, which I'd never seen.

Many stallholders said that their sales were sluggish & people seemed more miserable or depressed than usual, sellers moaning about lack of manners.

From studying the ebay sellers boards I see complaints about drops in ebay sales as well, with some categories like clothing getting swamped, making selling unviable.

I wondered if anyone can remember what happened in the 2nd hand market at the last crash, I certainly sensed an air of discomfort & panic at the boot sales today.

I nearly put this in the off-topic, but thought it relevant here, as possible credit crunch evidence, with credit drying up for the overstretched and boot sales being an obvious potential cash raising option.

Edited August 8, 2005 by Saving For a Space Ship

[frugalista]

I went to 2 big boot sales yesterday, one in Chester & the other in North Wales.

According to the regular stall holders I talked to, they had never seen it so busy, I can back this up with my experience of going to the same venues over the last year regularly.

Many potential stall holders were being turned away as there was no room to park left, which I'd never seen.

Many stallholders said that their sales were sluggish & people seemed more miserable or depressed than usual, sellers moaning about lack of manners.

From studying the ebay sellers boards I see complaints about drops in ebay sales as well, with some categories like clothing getting swamped, making selling unviable.   

I wondered if anyone can remember what happened in the 2nd hand market at the last crash, I certainly sensed an air of discomfort & panic at the boot sales today.

I nearly put this in the off-topic, but thought it relevant here, as possible credit crunch evidence, with  credit drying up for the overstretched and boot sales being an obvious potential cash raising option.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What sort of stuff was for sale? Was it just the usual bric-a-brac and chipped toby mugs or were people trying to offload plasma TVs and other such other trappings of an over-MEW'd consumerite?

frugalista

[StainlessSteelCat]

What sort of stuff was for sale? Was it just the usual bric-a-brac and chipped toby mugs or were people trying to offload plasma TVs and other such other trappings of an over-MEW'd consumerite?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My guess it will be something between the two - people won't quite be ready to shift their expensive plasma TV for under a ton yet. I would expect lots of clothing, DVDs, mobile phones and possibly last years MP3 player.

I've noticed similar trends on Ebay. I collect DVDs and film props. The bottom has totally fallen out of DVDs of a particular type - those that were hugely popular or sleepers a few years ago. I have recently picked up Hulk, Spiderman, One hour photo, Mummy, American Werewolf in London etc for around a quid each (all cheaper than renting and it's posted to my door). And I've seen film props go for around a third of what I know the owner paid for it last year.

In the US, career sellers are moving away from Ebay in droves to sell on Amazon where the income is guaranteed (even if the fees are slightly higher).

Edited August 8, 2005 by greencat

[SarahBell]

North Manchester & Oldham boot sales seem to be busy but not as busy as in yars gone by. I guess ebay and freecycle groups have a lot to answer for.

It shows how insane the economy is when groups are set up to give stuff away.

[right_freds_dead]

i was at a steam fair the other week. i was snooping about about the stalls and overheard the conversation between stall holders. 'lots of people looking - not buying'

seems they were in danger of not making a profit after the entry fees were paid ect. they were bitchin' about the sales of tat stall merchandise. such as army surplus, tools and face painting.

still. its an indicator that people have cut back.

snack snack.

Edited August 8, 2005 by right_freds_dead

[Who Knows]

Bear in mind it was the first weekend of good weather in a while...

[Harry Sacks]

I wondered if anyone can remember what happened in the 2nd hand market at the last crash, I certainly sensed an air of discomfort & panic at the boot sales today.

I nearly put this in the off-topic, but thought it relevant here, as possible credit crunch evidence, with  credit drying up for the overstretched and boot sales being an obvious potential cash raising option.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember well, working with a friend doing house clearances, sept '92 (black wednesday) I was 20.

We would sell furniture, glass, china etc, in the auctions, the nice stuff I took to a big sunday boot sale, it was booming, I was selling stacks of it very cheap. The antiques business was hit quite hard but quality items sold well at auction.

Car auctions were the place to be, I was flipping £200 bangers for £4-500.

IMO the real black money at the time was made dealing E , I saw alot of young lives destroyed by that scene.

As for discomfort and panic, yes, loads. My mate bought a one bed flat in '87 for £42k, by xmas '92 he had taken a pay cut and was living on about £20 a week after bills, serious neg equity. My sisters business went bust and my parents had to sell their house to reduce the mortgage. At the time I was renting a five bed house and sub letting the rooms, I partied all the way through it. Grim times for others.

[Marina]

Its a bit obvious really but last time round I was struck by how quickly the economy changed. All of a sudden people like M&S, Next, etc - who are used by the middle classes - were selling bugger all - where companies that owned chains of pawn shops saw their turnover double etc.

Not sure we are in desperation territory yet - where people will be selling their plasmas (balance still on the credit card) at boot sales - but all this is to come.

[Bear Goggles]

I noticed that there were some squeegies (sp?) on the A40 a couple of weeks ago. I haven't seen them since the early 90s. Don't know if it was a one off or part of a trend. But I think they'll make a comeback if times get hard again.

I remember seeing a TV prog about squeegies at Vauxhall cross in the early 90s. Most were men that had lost their low skilled jobs in the building trade. A couple of 13 year old kids decided they'd give it a go to get some pocket money, and promptly got chased away by the grown men! Dog eat dog!

[Saving For a Space Ship]

What sort of stuff was for sale? Was it just the usual bric-a-brac and chipped toby mugs or were people trying to offload plasma TVs and other such other trappings of an over-MEW'd consumerite?

frugalista

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It seemed like a large increase in low value stuff, like toys, vids/dvds, old mobile phones, clothes, bric a brac.

I saw a few more big regular tv's than usual, but no plasmas yet. I go to at least one or 2 booties every week so I think i might start a regularly updated post in the off-topic forum as it would be interesting to see how things develop as the economy /credit squeeze gets worse. I used to run a community based re-use project so have some interest / experience of this area.

There was also a large increase in the amount of potential buyers visiting, but as reported elsewhere, a lot of lookers not buying.

I think ebay has taken a lot of the older & 'obviously' collectable stuff out of the boot sale market.

There seems to be an increase in dealers trying to make a living out of buying stuff at boot sales & selling stuff on ebay at the like, but I imagine a lot get disillusioned & give up as they find its hard work & very difficult to get enough rare or high quality goods to do this fulltime in my experience.

One advantage of the boot sale over ebay is that its seen as a tax free (no audit trail by comparison) instant payment income.

I just discovered this Freecycle free material exchange type thing, has anyone else tried it? www.freecycle.org

uk groups - http://www.freecycle.org/display.php?region=International

Edited August 8, 2005 by Saving For a Space Ship

[thunderbird900]

Next time you go to a boot fair look at the cars the sellers have come in. Quite often it's a brand new car or a newish 4x4. Then look at what they are selling. Usually it's kiddies clothes or second hand videos. It does not add up.

The chances are they have Mewed their property to the hilt "nouveau rich chav" and now realise the party is over.

What, you mean we actually have to pay this mortgage off. Well, not really, as the chances are it's an interest only mortgage.

It really is quite pitiful seeing the stuff on display that they expect people to buy. Me, I have a good laugh at these saddos.

[StainlessSteelCat]

One thing I was struck by last time was how the middle classes suddenly started shopping in charity shops.

My sister's credibility amongst her so-called mates (their parents were working, rather than unemployed) doubled over night as charity shop finds became trendy and they stopped lording themselves over her.

Not so sure this will happen this time as many charity shops are nearly as expensive as new for some items (eg compare Primark with Oxfam clothes prices).

(There are a lot more people on Freecycle nowadays)

Edited August 8, 2005 by greencat

[200p]

Its triggered by the media again

Shows like bargain hunt, Money spinners, Flog it, Car Booty have made it trendy to sell your unwanted belongings or ornaments in the loft and convert them to ££££££ via car boot sales or auctions.

In the next census there should be an option:

Which religion best describes you?

Christian [ ]

Protestant [ ]

Catholic [ ]

Hindu [ ]

Muslem [ ]

Jedi [ ]

Buddism [ ]

Non religious [ ]

Television [ ]

Edited August 8, 2005 by trev

[khali]

Next time you go to a boot fair look at the cars the sellers have come in. Quite often it's a  brand new car or a newish 4x4. Then look at what they are selling. Usually it's kiddies clothes or second hand videos. It does not add up.

The chances are they have Mewed their property to the hilt "nouveau rich chav" and now realise the party is over.

What, you mean we actually have to pay this mortgage off. Well, not really, as the chances are it's an interest only mortgage.

It really is quite pitiful seeing the stuff on display that they expect people to buy. Me, I have a good laugh at these saddos.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hmm... i suppose it's just possible that some of these folks in their 4x4s have realised that they're running out of space to keep all the junk (kids grow very fast and are severely over indulged with space consuming toys that will never be played with or that go out of fashion, grow out of clothes etc) and paraphenalia of the consumer society. i'm not a parent myself, nor am i in debt, but i do look around the house (in particular the attic!) and think "i must get shut of some of this stuff one day"

[wtc]

I have similar anecdotal evidence that would suggest the same thing. My gf's parents have recently split up and divorce is looming on the horizon for them. My gf's mum wants to get shot of the old family home as soon as she can so that she can move to a new area a start a new life elsewhere, so this weekend my gf, her sister and their mum set about clearing out the house of all the accumulated clutter and old stuff that collected in the attic and took it all to a car boot sale.

Apparently so she informs me, there was a hell of a lot of sellers and quite thin on buyers and what buyers there were seemed reluctant to actually buy anything. Now I'm not a die hard car boot enthusiast, never have been and never will be, but this seems to be a imbalance to the way car boot sales should work(i.e. many more buyers than sellers). Of course this second-hand anecdotal evidence as I wasn't there myself. I was much too busy with the important business of playing GTA:SA to be messing around up lofts and wandering around car boot sales.

Though this also means both parents will need a smaller house thus reducing the supply of smaller properties to FTB's, but at the same time increasing the supply of family houses.

[SE1]

Car auctions were the place to be, I was flipping £200 bangers for £4-500.

IMO the real black money at the time was made dealing E , I saw alot of young lives destroyed by that scene.

...

At the time I was renting a five bed house and sub letting the rooms, I partied all the way through it. Grim times for others.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Blimey. When's the book out?

[Saving For a Space Ship]

I have similar anecdotal evidence that would suggest the same thing. My gf's parents have recently split up and divorce is looming on the horizon for them. My gf's mum wants to get shot of the old family home as soon as she can so that she can move to a new area a start a new life elsewhere, so this weekend my gf, her sister and their mum set about clearing out the house of all the accumulated clutter and old stuff that collected in the attic and took it all to a car boot sale.

Apparently so she informs me, there was a hell of a lot of sellers and quite thin on buyers and what buyers there were seemed reluctant to actually buy anything. Now I'm not a die hard car boot enthusiast, never have been and never will be, but this seems to be a imbalance to the way car boot sales should work(i.e. many more buyers than sellers). Of course this second-hand anecdotal evidence as I wasn't there myself. I was much too busy with the important business of playing GTA:SA to be messing around up lofts and wandering around car boot sales.

Though this also means both parents will need a smaller house thus reducing the supply of smaller properties to FTB's, but at the same time increasing the supply of family houses.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the imbalance you mention is telling of a society swamped with cheap throwaway goods, which does not reuse enough & has a slave labour force in China.

They pump out stuff so cheap that it destoys 2nd hand value for a lot of goods and makes them an uneconomic repair.

What ever happened to all the local tv repair shops ?

Hopefully the rising cost of oil will redress the enviro cost of shipping stuff halfway across the world. IMO Probably not enough to make a serious dent or resurrect local manufacturing though as the wage difference is so enormous between China & Europe.

I've talked to a couple of charity shop managers who are swamped with donations & don't have enough display space. They don't do themselves any favours with high prices though.

Glad you got your priorites right re: GTA S/A Maybe we can expect a Sims 2 boot sale expansion pack

[khali]

I think the imbalance you mention is telling of a society swamped with cheap throwaway goods, which does not reuse enough & has a slave labour force in China.

They pump out stuff so cheap that it destoys 2nd hand value for a lot of goods and makes them an uneconomic repair.

What ever happened to all the local tv repair shops ?

Hopefully the rising cost of oil will redress the enviro cost of shipping stuff halfway across the world. IMO Probably not enough to make a serious dent or resurrect local manufacturing though as the wage difference is so enormous between China & Europe.

I've talked to a couple of charity shop managers who are swamped with donations & don't have enough display space. They don't do themselves any favours with high prices though.

Yes, and in addition to this, I know plenty of fools who whose snobbery won't allow them to entertain the thought of buying anything pre-owned. Youngsters who've got to have new everything from furniture, car, house, the lot. Let 'em drown in their debts, I say. I'm still cooking on an ancient gas oven gifted to me by a friend when I bought my first house nearly 6 years ago. It gets hot and cooks things. So what if it's brown? Not from lack of cleaning I might add!

As for repairing anything, it quite upsets me that it's so acceptable to many people to just bin the video/telly/microwave when it blows a fuse and buy a new one, but it is SO damn cheap to do so. Still it's contributing to someones economy somewhere in the world. hmph!