Carboot Sales

Carboot sales are amazing. Recycling your unwanted items, making money, as well as finding some fab vintage finds. We always earmark a sale in our diaries a week or so before our holiday, to save a bulk of spending money for our holiday.

I tend not to let myself look around too much at Carboot sales, as it defeats the object of selling your old stuff if you come home with more than you took! But I also love the buzz, the feeling of selling something you no longer use and it going to a good home. There is also lots of bartering and good banter to be had!

Sadly, the weather you get is the luck of the draw and the last carboot we did suffered from a total downpour. Such a shame as we had a lot to sell but the die-hard carbooters were still out and we managed to make £300 from selling old clothes, shoes and homewares!

Top carboot sales around London:

Hemel Hempstead – recommended by a fellow bargainista, who regularly goes to pick up bargains rather than sell them. Apparently lots of good antiques and vintage finds but an early start (gates open at 6am). http://www.redbourn-carboot.co.uk/

Wimbledon – one of the biggest in London, be prepared to get up early for a long slog, but worth it. People come from all over and of all ages. Starts at 7:30am on weekends and you don't need to book.

Battersea – this is the one we do – it doesn’t open until 11:30am (so you get a lie-in) and you can pay extra to set up an hour early (rather than punters rummaging through your car!). You do, however, need to book a week in advance as it gets booked up quickly.

Pimlico – recommended by a friend. It also opens later (earlybird entry 10:15am), it is indoors and you can borrow a table. Definitely caters for Londoners who don’t have a garage to store their carboot gear. www.capitalcarboot.com