Clearing Out the Clutter: Car Boot Sales

Language fascinates me, so of course I'm intrigued by the language of organizing. I've already mentioned how my vocabulary expanded when I read Sorted! by Australian organizer Lissanne Oliver.

But Sue Kay's book No More Clutter also introduced me to some new words, including car boot sales; these seem to resemble some flea markets in my part of the world. Time Out London says, "Despite the rise of eBay and its ilk, the car boot sale is alive and well, and still a good place to bag a bargain, potter about or just laugh at tat."

In July 2008 the Telegraph noted that "car boot sales have seen an unexpected boost in popularity from people choosing to reign in their spending during the credit crunch." But it's not just about saving money, as this quote illustrates:

David Lewis, the market manager for Exeter City Council, said: "People are much more conscious of recycling and car boot sales are basically a massive recycling exercise. I think people are appreciating that more and more and it's made them more popular."

Finally, it was fun to see that car boot sales can also be found in Singapore.

[car boot sale photo by kamshots / Kamyar Adl, licensed under Creative Commons]