Roll out the green carpet, get the tea earns full to the brim, drum roll, first boot sale of the season few weeks ago. Never mind big fancy celebrity premiers this first was so full of it, real life , the type of public gathering Martin Parr would of wanted to photograph until his hearts content. Since being with my fella in the burbs (vintage retro heaven) and him being fully converted to shopping alternatively (he was half way there before I met him) I have noticed a cycle to finding and buying vintage clothes and retro home wear. It’s all about the charity shops in Autumn and Winter and boot sales in Spring Summer. Although its a double edge sword in the Summer the weekend booty’s may be full of finds galore but the empty space that occupies Sunday early evening without the Antiques Road show is to much to bear.
Never mind, moving on, for me boots sales are fab because they are unpretentious and democratic. Everyone has the same size pitch and I sense it’s what life must have been like in the olden days (love that saying) at markets before we had shops and shopping centres. I love snooping and rooting through what people don’t want anymore and guessing their lifestyle. Also how they display their finest goods and what prices they ask, their homemade graphics and how they decide to label goods or not. The fact that you can buy something and if your lucky enough to get offered a carrier bag the brand advertised on the bag is insignificant and doesn’t relate to the item inside, anti branding, love it ! As well as the mix of goods on sale or for free, yes for free I spotted one stall with everything on a plastic blue sheet with homemade signage saying “Everything Free”. I missed out on a free big Roland Rat costume head, don’t ask me why but I am sure it could have been used for something somewhere in my life .How could a big brand compete with this sellers generosity and green heart? I have been informed by my fella in the last couple of weeks he has noticed how physically bigger boot sales have got expanding into the farmer’s next field or the next car park. With more boot sellers since last year it’s a clear sign that austerity is going to be so very in for the next few fashion seasons!
Just heard about the coolest concept for a boot sale at Vintage at Goodwood, it’s a car boot sale with class as the cars have to be classic to get a pitch. The Festival is 13, 14, 15 August 2010 and the first music and fashion led celebration of creative British cool from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s, featuring the leading DJs, bands, collectors, purveyors of vintage clothing and vintage vinyl from each decade, as well as contemporary bands and brands,Oh my! Many fabulous happenings sounds like and festival and beauty of booty not to miss.
My first boot sale of the season had a mission attached as I started a blog in January this year called whatkarenfoud documenting my fashion and lifestyle items I find and buy in a year (fuys) from Charity Shops, Boot Sales and the good old Jumble sales. Trying to keep up with the blog has started to kerb my buying a little, darn! I am realising even more about my style and what I am drawn to since blogging my finds. Secondly we had friends stay and entertain they like a good booty so I asked them if I could document what they bought to for my blog and they were up for it. We free styled at the booty with the photos and it helped that they can both do photography as well a many other talents. So here are some of the photos from our finding and buying extravaganza at the first boot sale of the season.
Wimbledon Boot sale - 21 Apr 2010 - 31 Dec 2010
Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium Plough Lane Wimbledon London, SW17 0BL
Public admission before 8.30am Cost: £2 after 8.30am Cost: £1
www.vintageatgoodwood.com
Hand made signs such cool graphics , real!
More books , costume for my history of fashion shelf and a picture book 50p each
Anything that says cocktail glamour I am in ! 1960s drink mixer £1
Iconic flying ducks £2 , bad buy the one of the birds beaks was missing, never mind , win some , loose some.
Fab yellow pint glass , love the frosted effect and looks like such a girly pint glass 50p
Pink bottle with stopper , great for storing bubble bath adding a bit of glam to the bathroom, star buy 20p
Pool ceramic shell , great buy collectible bought for £3
Hand made rug sold to me for £4 by the lady who made it. She told me it took 2 weeks to make, I asked her if I could photograph her for the blog as she looked great a very elegant older lady but she declined. I wish you could of seen her.
What a buy , very 80s Lady Diana, its a big size but looks great with a big belt, love it worn it lots already £1
Love the shape of this vanity case and has a laptop look to it to , a good school bag.
Keith in action finding those retro bargains.
Keith doing his display of finds.
Marinas check dress very Hoxton
Marinas amazing vintage straw hat , I wish I had seen this first , but got to admit it looks fab on her.
Marinas 80s style leather woven top very tribal.
Marinas plates
Love this plate of bits and pieces for 20p each
Mikey in action buying his lamp.
Mikeys tanker, very cool !
Mikeys lamp
Mikeys picture
A stall featuring a British bulldog as its star item !
Red white and blue girls , fab !
"Everything Free" was so impressed with the lady that did this, had a good chat about nothing with her.
Gutted I didnt take this home it was on the "Everything is Free" sheet !
A full car boot full of our booty !
Photos : Karen Savage. Keith Ellis, Marina Perez Fuchs,Mikey Chestnutt
