Car boot sales - expect the unexpected!

If there is one thing I have learnt from doing a few car boot sales it's that you should expect the unexpected.

I stand by the shortlist I compiled in my very first blog post but I do have two more items to add: 

• do not forget to take a sunshade in summer to protect you from the Algarve sun;
• do not "take" someone else's spot even if that person is nowhere to be seen and has not made sure we know it is someone's spot because he has not taken anything out of a parked van to show that it is "a taken" spot (if you know what I mean).

If you do decide to stand your ground and stay put in a disputed spot, anything can happen. The disgruntled neighbour may decide that it's OK to spread his goods about and even plant some of his stuff in front of your spot. He may put his music on at full blast in the hope of upsetting you or maybe it is just to make sure the whole village knows he sells old records. 

Anyway, his music wasn't bad, the wind was blowing favourably so the fumes from his generator bothered other sellers but not me and it seems we both made some successful sales.

Car boot sale at Algoz, Algarve, on the first Saturday of June

Customers also behave oddly. I was certainly not expecting a young man to come up to look at my items of cheap custom jewellery and silver earrings. I realised he was a professional when he took out his eye piece and inspected the items thoroughly. It was quite startling when he actually bit one pearl in my imitation pearl earring! After all that, I didn't think he'd just walk off without buying anything! But he did.

I wasn't disappointed for long because a few minutes later a woman came along and promptly bought two pairs of earrings (including the bitten pearl one) without haggling or in-depth inspection. I nearly laughed because she paid immediately and only checked that they were in good working order afterwards.

So, I repeat - expect the unexpected, and you may have some fun!