The start of the Summer means only one thing in the SHS household; we get our thrifting skates on in earnest and hit the boot sales and yard sales with a vengeance. Last weekend was the first proper weekend of this for us, and we had a very good feeling about it, remembering last Summer where it felt as if everywhere we went we came home laden with fantastic finds.
The reality was a little disappointing this first time. But that’s secondhand shopping for you; it’s nothing if not unpredictable, and you’ve got to take the not-so-great trips along with the triumphs.
First up was a yard sale by a well known local mum, and last year we practically clothed our children from head to foot from buying from her at various sales. This year we bought a fair bit from her, but didn’t quite match the heady heights of before. I think our expectations were just too high as looking at it now it seems like a decent haul. The duvet was disappointing, but our own fault. Mr SHS proudly returned home proclaiming that he’d solved a problem, when it fact it’s way too small for a child’s bed and is probably a cot duvet. But we’ve popped a blanket at the bottom of the bed where A’s feet don’t yet reach anyway to make it look better and it will do for now while we remain on the hunt.
Next, an NCT sale (national childbirth trust) at Chorlton High School. NCT sales are AMAZING if you’re pregnant for the first time or have a tiny baby; you can literally buy everything you need from cos to buggies to clothes… everything. Now that my babies are growing they’re not so handy, but again I felt disappointed at first, then when I got home was ruminating that the three things that I bought for less than a tenner were great quality, high end kid’s clothes that would have set me back about £60. So actually, yes that was a good morning.
The most disappointing event was the boot sale in the car park of the Chorlton Irish Centre. Last year we went to a bring and buy sale at the Irish centre which we’re still coming down from the high of – definitely the event of the year- so the bar was set high for this one. Mr SHS got up at 6am on Sunday and whizzed out of the door full of joy and hope. He came home again at 10 with the demeanour of a popped balloon. There were 6 traders apparently, and nothing doing. Mr SHS contented himself with an egg barm and a bike ride – still a novelty in Manchester for him as he only recently bought a secondhand bike, for £30.
So all in all it’s been a lot of effort for now massive amounts of gain, but the Summer’s just begun so let’s see what happens.
