There is a vague stirring of Spring here in London after a long cold winter. Now seemed the ideal moment for a good clear out. It is amazing how much “stuff” we seem to acquire over the years that remains in some dark corner of our abode unloved, unused and gathering dust. So before adding any more to our already overflowing home I decided to have a good clear out. First the garage, all those odd bits of electronic equipment that sometimes we don’t even know what they are or their supposed function, books that have not seen the light of day for many years, That is before we even start on our wardrobes. Ruthlessness is the name of the game. My criteria is if it is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, has no relevant function or has not been worn for about two years it has to go.
It is always more fun to do this chore with a friend so yesterday morning at 6.00 am (having got out of bed at 5.00) we packed the car up to the roof and fortified with a thermos of strong coffee we headed to the nearest car boot sale. A poor relative to the fantastic Brocantes we go to in the South of France more like a vide-grenier.
It was a bun fight at the beginning, we were hardly able to unpack the car before the eagle eyed and strong elbowed bargain hunters descended to trap the best bargains. It was a long cold morning but we managed to sell nearly everything except a few books and I have a nice “kitty” to kickstart my new Spring purchases.
A worthwhile if tiring day, the whole house now feels fresher and cleaner and less cluttered.
Off to the shops to spend my ill gotten gains.
Au revoir.
PS. Due to spam overwhelm I have turned the “anonymous function” off my comments. If this proves a problem for any of my readers please let me know. Open ID is still available.
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Every Blogger I know is currently having issues with spam...such a nuisance!! This looks like such a fun time..i love these types of sales. have a great week!!
I'm sorry the spammers are hitting you too. We have so much junk in the garage we need to get rid of, but no real location for a "boot" sale, so we'd have to do a "garage sale" ourselves.
Ah the car boot sales, the thunderdome of predatory little old ladies. The best feeling in the world was when I expatriated and had to get rid of about 95% of my stuff. It was so liberating but also embarrassing. I've always been draconian in my buying habits, so how did I get so much STUFF?
How fun! Being in the States I had never heard the term "car boot" sales before ... I learned something new today :) Sounds like you had a successful day. Congratulations on clearing things out and making some money too!
How fun! Being in the States I had never heard the term "car boot" sales before ... I learned something new today :) Sounds like you had a successful day. Congratulations on clearing things out and making some money too!
Oh, dear, how déjà vu"ish" this post is. I have just done the same, but not nearly so successfully. Truth be told, I could have been a bit more ruthless in my culling.
I'm now packing up some old turtleneck sweaters for the Good Will.
Onward and upward
There's something about spring that inspires a good clear out, isn't there?. I started well, and managed to sort out the house itself (Yay!). But now I have a garage full of stuff (boo!). Wish it was worth anything,but it really is just rubbish. Your post has inspired me to hire a van to take it all to the tip. Off to do that now!