Tuesday 17 June 2014

Captain's Blog - star date 17/6/14

Week Four - Jumble Sales, Skips, Tips and Vide Greniers

For our last week of treasure finding tactics I'd like to talk about jumble sales, Vide Greniers and skips. These beauties are not your common or garden shopping experiences and be warned they do require some commitment and/or stamina.

So let's start with the easiest one - jumble sales.
Most people remember jumble sales from being at school and selling off your old toys and football boots and to some extent they are still the same type of thing. But the real joy is finding something amazing for a rock bottom, ridonculous price; like the jug I got for £1 and found out it was worth £80?! Totes amaze, etc.

Most jumble sales are on a Saturday morning and start at around 10/11am. Get there at least twenty minutes early to get a good spot in the queue. It will be handbags at dawn when you get in there so be prepared for a scrum. Jumble sales make the busy times at a car boot look like a gentle tea at the Ritz. It's ruthless and you'll need to get those elbows ready to dig through the mass of bodies and mobility vehicles.

Prices are low, low, low. Expect to pick things up for between 10p and £1. You'll rarely see anything cost more than that unless it furniture or newer electrically. It really is the most barginous place to be.

Check out school fetes as well as they usually have a jumble table. I once found a bag of Clinique products on sale for £1.50!?

My second top tip this week is skip or tip diving. Go to your local auction house and you will find a skip somewhere on site. If you ask them nicely they will often let you take whatever you want from it. Best time to dive in is the day after an auction when they throw away anything that doesn't sell and is not wanted back by the owner.

If that's a step too far for you then go to your local tip or recycling centre and find out if they have an area for items for sale. People throw away the best stuff and usually there's nothing wrong with it. They won't sell you electrical items but you could get pieces of furniture, DVDs, games, bathroom suites, bicycles - the list is endless. I found a three piece folding screen for my bedroom for just £5 at our local tip, plus some 1960's egg chairs for £10 the pair!

My final recommendation is for the serious bargain hunter who wants a taste of the continent. Vide Greniers are held every summer in most french towns and villages. Roughly translated it means attic sale. The villagers literally empty their houses out into the street and have a party selling to friends and neighbours.
The more remote the village usually the better the finds. I've picked up crocheted bedspread for a couple of euros, a giant tapestry for €15 and Louis XIV chairs for not much more. If you love shabby chic these are the places to go. There's something far more romantic about a French attic find than a uk one somehow, n'est ce pas?

So there it is. The Captain's speedy guide to bargain hunting, wombling and says to get rich (not so) quick. I hope you've enjoyed reading my ramblings and I look forward to hearing about your finds. Mail me and share your successes!

xx The Captain

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