[Humour] Weird And Wonderful Stuff Bought A Car Boot Sale

[el punal]

I would imagine many of us have been to a car boot sale to either browse, buy or sell. Within the tons of tatty crap there is also an absolute gem that is absolutely perfect for some bargain hunting individual. And this, dear friends, leads me onto my cool story :

A few years ago a work colleague came up to me to announce that he’d picked up a fantastic bargain at the local car boot sale.
“ What was it?” I enquired.
“ A typewriter.” he replied.
“All in good working order I take it? ”I asked.
“ Um, sort of. It types really well but unfortunately the ‘E’ key is missing.”

It was only after five minutes that I managed to pick myself up from the floor following a laughing convulsion. All true, I assure you.

 

[el punal]

Mods pliss corrict my thrid titul with ‘At A’. Churs

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

I managed to get myself a violin and a desk. I took them to an expert and he confirmed that they were a stradivarius and a Chippendale. Unfortunately for me it turns out stradivarius make a crap desk and Chippendale were useless at making violins.

 

[Chicken Run]

Many years ago when I just bought my first home I went to the Carden School boot sale and came home with a bath panel and matching toilet seat, both second hand and neither fitted, to say my then wife wasn’t impressed would be an understatement

 

[seagullwedgee]

When in Iceland for a family reunion about 18 years ago, we went to a flea market because we thought there might be some interesting and different stuff. I bartered the seller down on two decorative brass table oil burners, from what was about £60 at the time to about £20. Turns out they were handmade by a famous local artist metalworker, and they are worth a LOT more. I mean like, 30 to 40 times more. Feel guilty, might have to fly back to Reykjavik and give the seller the £40 I cost him.

 

[Driver8]

My brother in law bought a pair of motorcycle boots. Unfortunately when he got home he realised one was size 9 and the other size 11.

 

[seagullwedgee]

My middle lad lives near Albert Park in Melbourne, rents a place there. Moved to a new rental a couple of weeks ago, and the mattress in the new place was sheight. Cycling home from St Kilda one day he saw a belting almost new high end brand king mattress in a skip, someone doing a full refurb. He took his bike lock off, chained the mattress to the skip hook, hurried home, hired a van for $20 for the hour, went round, loaded up the mattress, took it home. Reckons it’s worth $1500. Clever work.

 

[Bodian]

At college, I set off to a boot sale with the sole intention of buying a new turntable. I did (and still have it 30 years later.

However, I also bought two speakers, which I hadn't planned on. Getting them home, balanced on my handlebars - with my chin on top, was quite some feat.

I also bought a Parker 51 pen at a boot sale a few years back for under a fiver, sold it on ebay for £50. Likewise a perfect condition Waterman 12 1/2 Pocket Self-Filler (made in 1916), with extra fine flexible nib - again for less than a fiver. Still have it, and use it - but similar sold recently on ebay for £186

 

[Cotton Socks]

My mum has banned my dad from going to car boots due to the random crap he comes back with. But he is really good at getting stuff you need if you send him on a mission.
You can literally say to him on a Sat night that you're after an office chair, Sunday afternoon you'll have one. Bedside cabinet, you'll have one. I asked him for a garden tool that I described to him as 'it has 4 prongs, you stick it in the flower bed twist it and it turns the soil and lifts up the weeds' (I don't know the name) & a hoe. Sunday afternoon he dropped them both off! I don't know how he does it, I could go to car boots every week for 2 months until I give up trying to find the item I need & buy new. If he wasn't so good at getting what I ask him to get, he could go more often and buy random crap, it's a happy medium if he goes for me. Writing that I've annoyed myself that I could've sent him on a mission to buy something random that I've just paid £25 for new. I would've been a 'really' big test of his ability!

 

[BN9 BHA]

Many years ago when I just bought my first home I went to the Carden School boot sale and came home with a bath panel and matching toilet seat, both second hand and neither fitted, to say my then wife wasn’t impressed would be an understatement

A second hand toilet seat?

 

[The Grockle]

As a teenager I used to buy art deco style lighters and never paid more than a couple of quid. I sold the whole collection when I was a skint 20 year old for around £300, probably more than £250 profit.

 

[Arthur]

Several years ago I was driving to Eastbourne with my then Australian girlfriend. At Golden Cross there was a sign saying something along the lines of Boot Sale Here Sunday. She quizzically looked at me and asked what a boot sale was. I asked well what do you think it is? She replied people meet up in a field to sell shoes?

I’d just about stopped laughing by the Boship Roundabout and put her right.

Which begs the question does any other nation have boot sales?

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Several years ago I was driving to Eastbourne with my then Australian girlfriend. At Golden Cross there was a sign saying something along the lines of Boot Sale Here Sunday. She quizzically looked at me and asked what a boot sale was. I asked well what do you think it is? She replied people meet up in a field to sell shoes?

I’d just about stopped laughing by the Boship Roundabout and put her right.

Which begs the question does any other nation have boot sales?

Our boot sales are the same as the american yard sale.........only they have 3 feet

 

[Happy Exile]

In the late 90s at the Brighton station car boot I bought a piece of very old, very hard cake in a commemorative box saying it was a piece of Queen Victoria's wedding cake. It cost £5 and I thought it was quite interesting. An ex-girlfriend binned it on a house move. They sell at auction from time to time for around £1500.

 

[POSKETT AT THE VALLEY]

Several years ago I was driving to Eastbourne with my then Australian girlfriend. At Golden Cross there was a sign saying something along the lines of Boot Sale Here Sunday. She quizzically looked at me and asked what a boot sale was. I asked well what do you think it is? She replied people meet up in a field to sell shoes?

I’d just about stopped laughing by the Boship Roundabout and put her right.

Which begs the question does any other nation have boot sales?

Germany has Das Boot sales.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

In the 90s I think there was a weekly car boot sale at the back of The Market in Brighton. The office “character” came back one lunchtime having visited said car boot sale in the height of Summer, having bought a 4 pint container full of cream. I doubt he found it in the chilled section of the car boot sale.

 

[Eric the meek]

Many years ago when I just bought my first home I went to the Carden School boot sale and came home with a bath panel and matching toilet seat, both second hand and neither fitted, to say my then wife wasn’t impressed would be an understatement

At that very same car boot sale, my wife and I came across a stall with a crate full of dildos and other sex toys.

There are some things you shouldn't put on a car boot.

 

[Ronnie]

I managed to get myself a violin and a desk. I took them to an expert and he confirmed that they were a stradivarius and a Chippendale. Unfortunately for me it turns out stradivarius make a crap desk and Chippendale were useless at making violins.

 

[portlock seagull]

Some of the stuff people are trying to sell is extraordinary. Once saw a man selling one of those hotel mini shampoo bottles. For 10p. But it was half empty, and had a hair sticking out of the screw gap. FFS, let it go you tight bastard! Put it in a BIN!

 

[el punal]

At that very same car boot sale, my wife and I came across a stall with a crate full of dildos and other sex toys.

There are some things you shouldn't put on a car boot.

Or anywhere else I would imagine.