Long Marston car boot sale

Haven't been to a car boot sale in a while and last week we went along with some of our friends to the Long Marston car boot sale in Stratford upon Avon.

It took us about half an hour to get there from our house but it was worth it. We missed a turn and got shouted at by a guy for parking on the grass in front of his house. Entry to the car boot was only 30p.

I hadn't planned on buying anything much but like always ended up with a car boot full of stuff. This includes the strimmer I was talking about in my previous post "Clearing up the front of the house".



There's also a aeroplane museum "Jet Aviation Preservation Group" nearby. However, didn't get a chance to check it out.




Here's the address: Campden Road, Long Marston, Warwickshire, CV37 8LL

The landmark is an old airplane covered with graffiti visible from the road.

Will be going to CJ's car boot sale in Leamington Spa tomorrow. It is their last week at the Rugby Club.

African daisies and dahlias

Took my mother-in-law and the kids to the Furnace End car boot yesterday morning. My daughter obviously enjoyed herself on the bouncy castle and the merry-go-round.

Saw these African daisies on sale and got three plants for £2/. Hopefully they will later look as good as the pictures of the flowers I look in Cornwall.



My mother-in-law liked these miniature dahlias and bought two of them as well.



Took the pictures yesterday evening. I had wanted to post them up as part of "Green Thumb Sunday" but couldn't as I slept early yesterday.

Of car boot sales and stupid traders

We haven't gone to a car boot sale for a few weeks and was really looking forward to going to the one at Lea Marston this weekend. Unfortunately the skies opened up and we were about to cancel our plans when I remembered that CJs at Stonleigh was held under cover (meaning under a roof).

So we set off for Stoneleigh. We haven't been there for a long time and was kind of looking forward to it. When we got there there was an enormous queue of cars. Apparently there was some exhibition or something going on over there as well.

The car boot sale was kind of disappointing. I guess we were too late and most of the good stuff had been sold. One thing I noticed was that overall, it seemed that stuff were costlier here and the sellers were not really into bargaining. One incident really spoiled my day. There was a trader selling a used Sony CD player that caught my eye. As I normally do, I tried to bargain and you won't believe it, this guy actually told me to "Fok Off!". For a minute I was shocked which was taken over by feelings of anger.

"If you don't like bargaining, you probably shouldn't be selling at a car boot sale Ar$£&*!e".

I guess there are stupid people everywhere. Someone told me that traders really spoil the atmosphere in a car boot sale. From my experience, the car boot sales I really liked were those with a lower percentage of traders. If you want to enjoy your car booting experience, stay away from them.

Car boot at Lea Marston

Yesterday we drove to Birmingham to Mozard and Nana's place who then took us to their favourite car boot at Lea Marston in North Birmingham. Check out the North Birmingham markets and car boots site here for more details.


I have to say that of all the car boot sales I have been to, this is probably the best so far. Lot of choices and real bargains. Take a look at some of the stuff we bought there:


After the bargaining, we were really hungry. So off we went to Mozard and Nana's house where they quickly cooked up a few delicious dishes for us. We also learnt how to drink (and appreciate) tea the Chinese way.


Here's Mozard playing his new toy and my son was totally impressed (well, his daddy too actually).

The kids loving the pool

It has been a great week - bright and sunny. We had bought an inflatable pool from a car boot sale sometime back and never had the chance to use it. Finally got the chance.

It turned out to be much bigger that I thought it would be. It didn't take that long to inflate the pool using the electric pump. However, it did take much longer to fill it up - almost an hour.

My son is turning into an aquatic animal and refuses to come out of the pool. I have to literally force him out it screaming and kicking. I guess it's a wonderful experience for him.

Last car boot for the month of April

We look forward to every Sunday and our favourite weekend pastime - car booting. Yesterday was no exception and we made our way to the Furnance End car boot sale. CJs has moved to the Rugby Club in Leamington Spa and will only open in Stoneleigh Park later this year.

As I have mentioned before, the car boot at Furnance End is huge. I have never had the chance to go over the whole place. Because of the slope and rough paths, pushing a pushchair can be quite a challenge. One of the main reasons we bought a Quinny Speedi push chair over eBay.

Bought a lot of stuff this Sunday as compared to the last. Probably because my wife was there too and she always spots some nice stuff.

Here are the stuff we bought this time:

- 2 Ikea Smila lights: £1.50 One hasn't even been opened yet.
- 2 Jigsaw puzzles : £1 These are for my daughter.
- Table lamp:£1 Later found out that the bulb was not working.
- Tomato and Marrigold seedlings: £1
- 4 seed packets (carrots and courgettes): £1
- Toothpaste: 50p
- 3 Uplighters: 50p
- Paper shredder (manual): 50p
- Air bed (as new, single with foot pump): £2.50. A real bargain.

Total: £9.50. Not bad and we got some real good deals.

Related posts:
- Furnace End car boot
- Car booting March 18
- Rainy carboot day
- Car Booty in Coventry
- Cheapest books ever

Tags: Car boot sale CJ's Car Boot

Furnace End car boot

Last Sunday we were introduced to the Furnace End car boot sale, which is believed to be one of the biggest in the entire UK. It was the first time we had been there and we were left awestruck when we first got there - it is huge.

When people talk about car boot, the first thing that come to mind are used unwanted items. However, half of the pitches are of traders - selling first hand stuff at way down prices.

Getting in is slightly costlier as compared to CJs at Stoneleigh. 40p for adults and 20p for kids above 7 years.

We didn't buy much and we covered only about half of the place in nearly 3 hours.

Here's the list of stuff we bought that day:
1. Matsui HiFi system - £2
2. Kitchen tissue holder - 20p
3. 2 Duvets (double) (new) - £10
4. 3 jigsaw puzzles - £1.25
5. New Junior Encyclopedia set (16 copies) - £2
6. 2 pillow covers (new) - £2
7. 2 Bed sheets (double) (new) - £6

Grand total: £23.45

Rahil had fun on the plane ride and even though she was scared at first, she wanted to go on it for a second time round afterwards.

Was a bit worried about the HiFi as it was too cheap, I mean it was good to be true. Only £2. The first thing I did when we got home was plug it in and put it on. I was surprised to find that there was already a CD in "Simply the Best - Love Songs." It worked perfectly OK. One of the best bargains ever.

Car boot sale online

I am sure that most of my regular readers are aware that going to car boot sales has become our favourite family weekend pastime. iBootSale.com is UK's online version of Car boot sales, where sellers put up their unwanted possessions on their pitches. Buyers can browse, haggle and purchase the items just like in a real car boot sale.

The only difference is that this is one car boot sale is open 24/7 and is not affected by rain, snow or sleet.

If you have unwanted stuff stored in your attic or garage, just go over there and register. Right now the charge for pitches are currently FREE! This is for 90 days and 25 items. However in the future, there will be a simple charge for each pitch.

Just checked and found out that there are a lot of items at incredible prices. Better hurry before they are gone.

Car booting March 18

I have posted a few posts about our favourite pastime here in Coventry - searching for bargains at car boot sales. From today I am going to post a list of stuff we bought at every car boot sale we go to over here starting from today under the label: booting.

Here is the list of stuff we bought at the CJ's car boot at Stoneleigh sale last Sunday:



1. 3 books:
i) Bag of bones by Stephen King. 30p
ii) The sigma protocol by Robert Ludlum. 40p
iii) The reality dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton. 50p

2. 2 folding camping stools. £5

3. 3 jigsaw puzzles. 50p

4. A frying pan. 50p

5. Pair of rubber gloves. 50p

6. 4 framed drawings of classic cars. £2

7. A Mothercare framed baby carrier (not in picture). £3

Total spent: £12.70

Related post:
- Rainy carboot day
- Car Booty in Coventry

Tags: Car boot CJ's Car Boot

Snow maybe

Was coming back along the A46 after another great CJ's car boot sale at Stoneleigh (they should probably give me a free pass for giving them free publicity), listening to the radio, when I heard that there might be snow on the way.



"Rubbish!" I thought.

We have been enjoying fine weather for 2 days now and it was bright and sunny today. However, after nearly 4 months here in the Uk, I know that their weather forecasts are usually correct. So, looking forward to some snow on the way.

Tags: Car boot CJ's Car Boot

Rainy carboot day

Today is Sunday and CJ's car boot was on - the first this year.

Unfortunately it was raining and we got off bed late. By the time we reached there at Stoneleigh, it was already 11am. There were not many sellers today and not many buyers either.

There are advantages and disadvantages of going late to a car boot sale. The disadvantage is that most of the great stuff have already been bought by other punters. On the other hand, you can get a lot of stuff at real bargain prices because the sellers don't want to take the stuff back home and just want to get rid of them.

Rahil was a good girl today and so we got her a toy baby pram (Mama & Papas brand), together with a baby doll in diapers and toy cassette player, all for £5. We also bought her a fairytale book for 20p.

The other stuff we bought:
Brand new M&S stole (£4)
Dan Brown's Novel: Digital Fortress (50p)
Brand new anorak i.e. raincoat for me (£3)
Teapot (£1)
2 packs of Sainsbury's biscuit collections (£3)

Looking forward to the next car-boot 2 weeks later.

Related post: Car Booty in Coventry

Tags: Car boot sale CJ's Car Boot

Cheapest books ever

I am slowly but steadily building up a small collection of books again. Yesterday I just put down Tolkien's The Hobbit.

For those who are not aware, this exciting story is the prequel to the Lord of the Rings and also tells us how Bilbo Baggins (the main character) found the One Ring. There are some rumours that Oscar winning director Peter Jackson is going to shoot the movie adaptation of this book soon.

I bought this book along with Frank Herbert's Chapter House Dune, the final book in his series of six Dune novels for a mere 50p (approx. RM3.48). I also bought a limited edition Official Annual 1981 issue of Superman (hard cover) and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows (hard cover) for 50p each. Where did I get this amazing deal?

Well! I bought all of them last Sunday at the car boot sale in Stoneleigh. The best part is that all of the books, apart from The Hobbit, are in pristine condition. Looking forward to next Sunday and some more great deals.

p.s. I just realised that my daughter has a bigger collection than mine.

Related posts:
- Car Booty in Coventry
- Led Zeppelin and the evil one

Related links:
- theonering.net
- theonering.com

Tags: Car boot sale CJ's Car Boot Dune Hobbit Tolkien

Car Booty in Coventry

A few days after we arrived in the UK, we were introduced to the favourite weekend pastime of most Malaysian families here in Coventry (and non-Malaysian families too, if I dare say). The famous car boot sales.

Going to a car boot sale is always an exciting experience – find something you fancy, the bargaining, etc. You will be surprise at some of the stuff you find at these sales. As they say, “someone else’s junk, another man’s treasure.” Our favourite is CJ's Car Boot Sale - Coventry at Stoneleight Park. Here is the address: B4113, Stoneleigh, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV8 2LZ.

Last week was a disappointment as it was held in a open air field (usually they hold it in a covered place). The place was muddy and with a chilly wind blowing in our faces. Also we reminded ourselves not to bring the kids along. Rahil was in a bad mood. Also this time there were fewer sellers as compared to the week before.

As I mentioned before, Malaysians (mostly students) love to visit the car boot sales and it becomes something like a small get-together – you will bump into at least 6 different families at each sale. Their houses are stocked with stuff they bought at great bargain prices - “Got that mini Hi-Fi at £5!” “The entire Royal Dalton bone china dinnerware set for £6”.

We too got some great bargains. For example, a portable Sony Trinitron TV for £4. A brand new Ikea clock for 80p, unused Cristal d’arques 6 glass set (with the box and stickers) for just 50p among others.

However, we learnt a few lessons along the way. What we thought was a great deal for an entire dinner set turned out to be a disappointment when we found out that several of the plates and bowls had chipped edges. Also found out that a Lucent phone (£3) isn’t compatible with our line. It is always a gamble but we never come back without buying something. However, we are more careful now. We are learning a lot from the car boot professionals here on how to bargain, how to check the items, what brands to look out for and so on.

Looking forward to the next Sunday car boot sale. The weather forecast is sunny but we never know.

Tags: Car boot sale CJ's Car Boot