Battered and bruised

I purchased this satchel from a recent boot sale for £2.00. I had seen the sellers at the boot sale each week, I'm assuming they were having a huge clear out as each week they always have something different to rummage through. The thing that strikes me most about this particular satchel is that scrawled inside it has a date saying '62 and the name Sally along with a surname and other scribblings. The following week I saw the same sellers at another boot sale and one of the women answered the phone as Sally! Amazing! The satchel belonged to her when she was a child, which makes it even more special that there is so much history behind it. The only unfortunate thing about this is that it's very battered and bruised, I've cleaned it a bit but I am not sure what else I can do? Does anyone have any tips for cleaning this type of leather? Obviously I can't really chuck it in the washing machine. I'd love to revive it a bit.

My boot sale Yves Saint Laurent belt

Can you believe it's mid-August already? To be honest it feels as though summer hasn't even begun. This month me and Mike have been on a major budget, a ton of bills all at once and pretty much everything we own breaking at the same time is never fun. Lucky for me I shop at boot sales eh?
I was going to save the best till last but I can't help myself. I found this YSL belt which I assume is vintage at one of those stalls that do house clearances. As I picked this beauty up I was scared that the woman was going to say some outrageous price, but when she said 50p I was overjoyed and bought it immediately. The shorts I've paired the belt with is also a boot sale purchase which I bought for £1.




This scarf by Celine Paris was £1 and from the same stall. I don't really know much about this designer but from what I've read I have found out that Celine without the accent above the 'e' is vintage. Not too sure when they started introducing the accent.


Next up is this Carvela bag which cost 50p.

As you all know I love sailor style clothing. My wardrobe consists of many sailor style dresses so here is another. This cost £1.50 and it is actually a top but it's quite long so can be worn as a mini dress/tunic.


And lastly, I purchased this St.Michael bag for £1.00 (not that I need anymore bags). I have another different bag with the same pattern as this so I'm adding this one to the collection. It's big and spacious so I can chuck everything in this one when I'm in a rush.

Penny's Lane Vintage Fair

So yesterday me and Julia had a stall at Penny's Lane Vintage Fair which was in Rochester in Kent. I'm not very familiar with the area itself but it has a very strong vintage feel to it. The streets are filled with antique shops and independent stores with a cathedral close by.

Here are some photos from the day.


Our stall.



Me and Julia.

Penny's Lane Vintage Fair

I've been super busy recently planning the last bits for the Vintage Fair me and Julia will be selling at on Sunday. It starts at 11am, but I am determined to fit a quick boot sale in beforehand. And a quick shameless plug for our stalls Facebook page, just click on the photo below of our stalls bunting.

Outfit of the day

This is what I wore on Saturday. Me and Mike went to a small boot sale which wasn't very good and then we collected an Ebay item, which I later ended up returning, grrr.

Lace peter pan collar top-boot sale, River Island polka dot dungarees- boot sale.

I'm a sucker for a peter pan collar. They are so versatile and this particular one goes so well with these River Island polka dot dungarees which I got from a boot sale last week. I actually tried on this exact pair when they were being sold in-store so when I found them for a mere £1.00 I bought them without hesitation. Correct size and everything, it was meant to be. At 22 years old I don't think I will ever grow out of polka dots. I even have another pair of polka dot dungarees in a similar style from Topshop which I purchased when I used to work for them.

Boot sale haul

Yay for Liberty. This beautiful floral print Liberty blouse was £1.50. I haven't had a chance to wear this yet but I'm so glad to add it to my slow growing collection of Liberty items.

These acid wash shorts were originally jeans which I bought for £1.00. I love these so much, I always struggle to find nice acid wash items so these are perfect.

Now, brace yourself for this amazing hoop skirt. It was 50p. Need I say more to why I purchased it? Obviously it's not going to be something I am going to wear out but you never know when a hoop skirt might come in handy...ok I admit it was a odd purchase but hey 50p!!

These two satchels are so cute. I managed to get the larger leather one for £4.00 and the tiny satchel for 50p.

Who doesn't love a freebie? Walked past a lady who was pretty much getting rid of everything for free so had a rummage and came away with these items. Seaside themed chalk board (I love the seaside), floral pillow, brand new body lotions and brand new Ted Baker mini perfume.

 

Tips for selling at a boot sale

Boot sales are a great way to make quick money. Here are a few tips for selling at them.

• The best way to find out about boot sales is through your local newspaper, there is usually always a section dedicated to free time and leisure, and through this you can find out the address, time and price for selling.
• Boot sales on a Sunday are the best ones to sell at.
• Make sure you bring a wallpaper table, a blanket or sheet to lay items on and a clothes rail.
• Try to fill your car up as much as possible, this is to ensure you make the most of paying £12 or however much it is for your pitch. I always fill the car up to the top.
• I recommend to try and sell with a friend or family member as then you have someone to guard the stall if you want to have a look round or use the toilet. It's also a good idea because it can get extremely busy and you don't want anyone stealing from your stall when your back is turned.
• Speaking of toilets, they are always gross! So make sure you have gone to the toilet before you leave and if you do need the toilet make sure you bring tissue and some hand sanitiser. A lot of boot sale sellers bring flasks of tea or something but I personally wouldn't recommend it because you'll be peeing 10x an hour. Just make sure you have a small drink and food as boot sale food prices are expensive.
• Upon arriving at a boot sale you will be bombarded by people tapping on your window asking if you have any mobiles, jewellery, perfumes, electricals etc. They are very annoying and can be quite intimidating.
• The best time to have a gander round the boot sale is at the beginning once you've set up. This is because it is still quiet and also you will find all the good stuff before anyone else has got to it.
• Most stalls price their clothing for around 50p/£1.00. Obviously if it's worth more then the price will be a bit higher.
• One persons trash is another persons treasure. You'd be surprised at what people buy so it's always worth trying to sell it before chucking it in the bin.
• Bring shoe boxes and put little bits and bobs in. I usually have a few boxes of things that are 20p each which are generally hair clips, keyrings, random things that aren't really worth anything. 
• Bring some little sticky labels and make some signs to try and draw people in.
• DO NOT SHOUT PRICES OUT LIKE A MARKET STALL. It puts people off.
• Make sure you bring enough hangers, plastic bags, plastic sheets incase it rains, paper and pens. Oh and don't forget the spare change, you'll need loads!
• Don't leave the boot sale early. I never understand why people do this? I stick around till the very end to get my moneys worth. What's the point in paying £12 to sell at a boot sale if you're going to leave halfway through.

Hope these tips help!