Car Boots-Dealers-Stories-People i meet and more-you can join in.Your story.

[Guest]

hi tawny,

yep, the inavasive diseases affecting the trees. note that a v recent eu environmental directive measure was proposed (and taken on eu board) by the uk to help tackle such invasive species. (i think i posted about that elsewhere in one of yr threads.)

 

was surpised to read that conkers may fend off spiders. those 'house' spiders are ok though imo. dont mind them.

 

have just planted one in the wild, sshh (i might get nicked)

[Tawnyowl]

Well two weeks into my inside car boot challenge.

First thing i noticed was the temperature inside.Layers of clothing had to be removed,ended up in shorts and T shirt.

But really the two weekends have been quietish as the weather has been fair outside and perhaps many outdoor boots still on.

Also the dealers did not turn up.

 

I spotted people with bargains galore but only a few customers over 6 hours or so.

My takings were destroyed to put it mildly.Weather perhaps was to good outside

I have to adapt but how,will i,50-50 chance.

My Craft items were well received and people say they will come and look again,we will see tomorrow.

I do not give up easily and will give it another few weeks.But it is bad news when only ten or 20 pounds is taken and ten goes on standing.

 

My online empire has disintegrated and am really struggling.

Getting the prices right for time taken making is puzzling.To dear and no sales.

So i am probing away.Here and there looking at people who are getting sales and trying to compete.

Sometimes i see things that are not 100% what they say they are but sell well.

 

Mixing description but only using 10% of an article which is genuine but passes even though the other 90% is not.

Clever use of words that i will get to grips with.

I will have to find my way through,of that there is no doubt.Time is running out you can only try so much.

I do not know if i will but will give it one hell of a go.

Things are on a knife edge.

 

Oh well,i have been to the woods and shoreline once again for another plan.

And am just making some trees that suit this time of year.

My first prototype needed some adaptations so i took it off line.

I will put a picture on soon.Not trying to sell it anyone just to show and maybe you will smile.

Off i must fly to my shed.Feeling like an Elf whittling,cutting and trying to come up with something.

You sit there in your chair and you just never know what will turn up next.

 

Here is one that just swam up.3 feet long and made of Driftwood.

Not finished yet,working on plinth.Bye for now.

Tawnyowl.

[Guest]

looks like a cross between a whale (front) and a fish/shark (back). good work.

[citizenB]

TO, that is really quite lovely. Very clever indeed.

[Tawnyowl]

My research and trying out car boots is nearly finished.

After months of outside trading going every week to make a few pounds these are my latest thoughts.

If you are planning on hoping to make enough money to live from car boots it is going to be very difficult.

If you drive round all week looking for bargains to sell it is costing you petrol and other expenses such as stops for refreshments etc.Although you could take your own.

When you break down these costs v money made it can give you a shock.

I would perhaps suggest the money is in running a car boot not selling but you would need to be clued up.

 

Perhaps going to a few auctions and buying the cheap items that they have,many times a heap of junk and look that way to.

As people are looking for bargains you may struggle to find many as many will end up on auction sites,but a few are there if you look hard enough.Especially if you go early to the Car boot.

You must go early of that there can be no doubt.

 

I suppose it then breaks down to time taken looking v profit to be made.

I worked out the time spent selling v the minimum wage and the minimum wage won,in my case anyway.

But if you do not have many options in the work place you have to find something to get by.

 

My craft projects are in the early stages yet and take time to get going,putting in the right places so as not to sell at a loss,comes down to time taken v minimum wage which i use to check out how i am doing.

Obviously we want more for our items than the minimum wage but when choices are minimal i take the money and hope someone gets a little enjoyment out of them.

 

So i am not finished yet but i am beginning to move in a different direction.I have been to the car boots early myself and make more by buying a few items and selling than standing for perhaps 6 hours or so.

Although i enjoy meeting people and selling.

Perhaps if you got a van full of items you may make a little more as you would obviously have much more stock,but i did have 3 tables,full to the brim.

 

So at the moment i now class the car boot as a place to try perhaps once a month when stock builds or if you just want a clear out perhaps from your house a good chance you will do well.Especially if you have useful items.Pots,pans,things like that.

I will carry on for a couple of months to check out my experiences of winter car booting but in my case as i say it is perhaps drawing to a close.

We will see.Perhaps i am suffering from winter depression,not enough vitamin D and need to move to a warmer climate for the winter and return as summer draws near.

I feel in my limited experience this is a truthful summary of where i am up to right now.

 

Latest from my adventures on the Shoreline.Pulled some branches from the shoreline and have my modern tree ready for the coming festivities.

Making a 6 foot one next.This is only 3 feet high.Star to fit or fairy,i have not decided.

 

 

 

 

 

More news soon.

Quick tip,someone i know is making a good few pounds from the old Christmas Decorations.50S 60S 70S.

Bye for now.

Tawnyowl who is off back to my shed to shock the world with a invention or two,i can hope.

[Tawnyowl]

May interest someone.I will put a video on soon showing one of my adventures on the Shoreline as Some of the winter storms arrive from the Atlantic Ocean,complete with sound effects.No use talking as you would not hear a thing.So you can check out what collecting Driftwood is all about.And will give me something to do.And i do make a few pounds every now and again from this.

A flavour.

 

[Tawnyowl]

It is surprising how things can change around.

All summer long spent on one car boot and of course being my first season learning all the time.

I did not realise where everyone had vanished to,where they were now standing for the winter season.

So i tried one but was not very successful.

A absolute disaster to put it mildly.Up at 4-30am to get there for 6,set up ready for the public to arrive.

I made a loss,can you believe it.The Great Depression of 2016 arrived.Utter shock descended on the owl.

 

Had to try something so had a week away from it all,thinking about things.And was a little down to put it mildly.

I came up with the idea,a kind of twist or bust,last chance saloon,all or nothing idea.

Decided to throw my craft ideas out there for the public to see.Mix everything up.

So today it was car boot items and a full table for my craft work.And a few plants.Took the small tree and some other items and set up elsewhere.

I was surprised when i got there to see many people from the place i had been standing all summer.

This is where many had gone or decided to set up for the winter.

Oh well it was 7 am when i got there weather was dry so decided to stand outside, you had the chance to be inside or outside.

The public started flowing in about 8 am and i thought here we go what is going to happen.Everything was on a knife edge it seemed.

You can probably tell by my last posts i was clearly sinking on a par with the Titanic,no clear cut way out of this situation.

A few things were selling on the car boot part and raised a little hope,and it was still early in the day.

 

Also noticing how many people looked and were commenting on the craft items which were priced individually.And talking for a while.

The odd person asking me what drugs,medication i was on to create these kind of items.In a nice way.

The other day i sold some rechargeable Driftwood magic wands to somebody and they emailed me to thank me and guess what they were a real witch,can you believe this news.I said could you throw a spell this way please.

 

Then a chap bought one,a small Whale i had carved out of wood and cut a slit in the back so a photo could be held.Which pleased me no end.

People said they liked the tree which really can be used for Christmas or just kept for any time of year,inside or outside.

It did not sell but a chap gave me a deposit and asked me to make him a six foot tree to stand outside his mobile home.Year round.

Which will give me a few days of work.Which is vital.

Well with this news my spirits rose quicker than the ghosts do on most haunted and i was beaming from ear to ear.

 

As the day wore on some other items on the car boot dept were selling and a good day was had.

Beginning of the day i thought i was having Spam for dinner,which i cannot stand after living for a while on the damn stuff when i lived in a cave on a tropical island 20 years ago.

Cold spam,grilled spam,horrible stuff,even the resident Octopus got sick of it after a while.And the dinner plate sized crabs that i tried to catch also scuttled away in disgust.

 

So it is not over yet,failure number 966 has not happened yet.I have a strange feeling the odds have changed a little.

We will see,one step at a time.Having to learn and try things fast or else.

Bye for now

Tawnyowl, just about to tuck into a nice stew.Then no doubt will go out like a contented cat for a few hours.

I hope you have all had a good weekend.

[citizenB]

I am pleased to hear you sold your whale and have taken an order for the tree - another clever TO invention.

[Tawnyowl]

Hi citizenB.

I have to admit it,this idea was copied from out there on the web.

If this was one of my ideas i would say so.I liked the idea and went for it.I do have many ideas and articles of my own though.Hundreds of them.Thinking of a five pound line.This can mount up.

I feel maybe there are some out there who would perhaps like one of these trees.You can make them any size,for a office,a house,inside or outside and i feel they look pretty cool.

Slap a few cones here and there,dip them in glue and glitter,tie a loop round the cones,hang them,even make your own decorations,it is not to hard if you take your time.And so enjoyable.

 

And sometimes the mistakes made turn into other things,decorations,inventions etc.

Take your time,buy the things you need and go for it.All my stuff,tools etc are from car boots.I have no electric tools apart from a drill,vital.

And be careful,it gives you a nice feeling when you make something,but think safety,i nearly drilled a hole through my leg.My jeans were nearly part of the decorations,totally shredded.But a new design.

If anyone wants the link for making one just shout,i will send it you v message.Keep it top secret though.We here in the forums have to find ways of making a few pounds.

Must fly i have just hear a ka ching sound,i have sold something somewhere,so exciting.

Bye for now

Tawnyowl.

[Tawnyowl]

Well a quick update.

Things change so quickly,getting used to this car boot business is no easy task.

You cannot plan,just see what people and the dealers want.And hope you have something they like.

 

Two weeks now at my new place of standing on a Sunday.Stood outside again as inside costs 50% more,not that i am tight,just seasoned to being outside.

Taking some of my craft items mixed with some good car boot items.

1st week a good job i took my craft items as i received a order for a six foot Driftwood Christmas Tree.

Pictured below but soon to be outside a mobile home in the country.

 

 

120 Feet plus of Branches,a six foot steel threaded rod for the spine,half a Sleeper and weighed quite a bit.

As i found out when moving it from the kitchen where it was built to the customers car.A huge estate car,just fitted.

Neighbour said what the hell,i have never seen anything like that before.

I had numbered the branches and made it easy to dismantle just in case.

It certainly is strong and moves slightly when pushed.Slightly did i say,not half it dances in time to music.

Will look good when the wind hits it,a rocking Christmas Tree but certainly will not break.

Customer is going to send me a picture when it is set up with lights and other decorations and plans to use it all the

year round.

I think i will put a tune on,it reminds me of the tree.And how near we are now to the bearded chap appearing down the chimney.

Mel & Kim - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

 

 

Back to the story.

I went inside the car boot and asked around to see how people were doing.

It is surprising how many people are just happy to be selling a few bits and pieces each week to pay a few bills,help out a little.

And enjoy the few hours they spend each week talking to each other and the public.

Of course everyone wants to make a couple of hundred but feel that seldom happens.

We perhaps are talking in many cases no more than 30 or forty pounds sometimes less.

In summer in the field i used to work while there making a few things,i got known as the wood whittler,but i have to admit it is a little cold to be doing this at the moment outside anyway.

 

Today spent all morning on the beach restocking on branches,heavy when wet and a cool wind blowing.

Hardly anybody about but enjoyable.Arrived at Dawn roughly 7 am in these parts.

After a while looking around and thought pretty lucky to have this life,doing what i want,although tough at times.

Looking into the distance a huge wind farm far out at sea,and the sun rising shining on the Lake District mountains making the snowy peaks shine like diamonds.

I should think in the next week or so there will be many more branches as the rivers have been swollen by the tremendous rains of late,and everything is flushed out to sea where it ends up on beaches.

 

Strange how people like my craft items but generally do not buy them.But one or two selling can make a difference.

They stop and chat,touch the wood and seem hypnotised at times.Sold another tree i took with me.

I now believe there is something about wood that people like,but cannot yet explain it.

The organiser came up and said to me as well as a tradesman carpenter with over 37 years experience that they liked the Driftwood.

Also mentioned that i should try a Craft Fair as people on a carboot are usually only looking to spend a pound or two.

Though i have sold things many times for the crisp old folding stuff that is seldom seen in my pocket nowadays,ah i can hear you saying.

 

Also i am trying to work out how to open a website of my own.Experiment,usually i look around for one,read it then fall asleep.

Wordpress is the one i am looking at the moment,if my eyes stay open long enough.Computers have that effect on me.May as well have a bash.

So you can probably tell i am mixed up at the moment not sure which way i am going.Which as thinking about things is how i usually end up.

Multi choice,Carbooting,going to Carboots buying then selling online.Craft Fairs,opening a website,such choices.

But meet such interesting people when out and about.If i gave that up i would miss the people made friends with.

It is not always just about money,though it helps.

 

Met a chap aged 84,who was looking at the Driftwood.

Told me lad, for the second time this year,as usual do not forget i am 60,ok 61 back in the day i used to have a horse and cart and used to collect wood from the beach to burn.

This was a time when people did not get credit,times were tough and five pounds was a lot of money.

Well i nearly went into shock,but understood.

He told me what size pieces he used to haul off the beaches.Once he was stopped by a chap who wanted to buy some of him.

He offered him five pounds for some,a lot of money in those days.Asking him after grabbing the five pounds he asked what are you going to do with it.

Make coffins he replied,what else.Even the horse blinked twice he said.

Well i said what did you do with the money.Well he replied me and the wife ate very well for a good while.

 

Just a few tales,and as i have now forgotten what has been written, will post this then check .

I hope someone enjoys these little tales of the unexpected.

Bye for now.

Tawnyowl.

[citizenB]

Strange how people like my craft items but generally do not buy them

 

 

I rather suspect that some people seem to look on this type of craft item as a luxury - which is quite sad for the maker. I popped into a craft fayre last Sunday - held in our local garden centre. It was interesting to see what was and wasn't selling.

 

Recycling has become quite popular so I would have thought that your Christmas tree idea would have gone down well at this Fayre.

[Tawnyowl]

Hi citizenB.

I was going to message you last night as i had not heard from you for a while.

Perhaps you have been posting elsewhere in the forums.

I hang around a lot in the Bear Garden these days.So maybe miss your posts elsewhere.Though i do take a peek elsewhere every now and again.

Interesting threads everywhere.

 

Early days yet for my craft ideas and hundreds more to bring out.

I will try the craft fairs sooner or later and see how things go.

No idea at all what people charge though some have told me you may be shocked.

But when you work out time to make things,well a price has to be worked out.

As you say,perhaps a luxury these days.

When i sell things online it is strange to see how many things head south.

Central London,Kent,Wiltshire,Oxfordshire,sent one to Noahs Ark the other day,even i had to look twice at the address.

That really was my vision with Driftwood items,hanging on a wall perhaps with a country theme,rustic,thatched house,hall perhaps somewhere.Olde Worldy theme.

Or beach home,cabin etc.Well that really covers nearly every home.Yes every home should have a piece,ha.

We will see,i do not give up easily.I have now plenty of new branches and feel these trees if made correctly and marketed could be sold all year round.But sure takes some wood.No wonder i do not see many 6 feet trees.

Maybe i started a little late with this idea.I will have trees everywhere next year.Made and ready to go.

 

At the moment i have stopped the car boots till after Christmas,going to refresh my stock and take note of warnings of inflation next year and start selling useful items.Things people can use .

Pottery does nothing for me and you have to be so careful not to chip it.

But animal figures and salt and pepper pots sold well this summer.

It aint over yet.

Of course this could change at a moments notice and off to the car boot i will go.

Thanks for posting citizenB