Capital Carboot

Capital Carboot ruined my day a little today.

I was so excited to see the London Dungeons stuff being sold off, and really wanted to pick up some memorabilia for myself. It'd been advertised really heavily all week and was being made out to be the must-do event of the weekend. But it wasn't to be.

Time Out (and many other advertisements) listed it as starting at 11.30am, we got there bang on and found it had actually opened at 10.15am and everything London Dungeons was sold out. It was also described on Time Out as a "car-boot sale of severed limbs, false eyeballs, surgical implements and a whole range of eccentric and gory artefacts." Not according to anyone or anything we saw, more like a car-boot sale of a few pieces of chipboard in grave shapes painted black and covered in fake spiderwebs. Disappointing.

Aside from that there were some stalls selling old clothes from Asda and Primark and a few overpriced vintage ones selling fur coats.

Booking process it terrible;

- The website is not protected by HTTPS when making payment.

- Repeated calls to 0845 with no success.

- A female leaving me voice messages to keep calling her back on the 0845 & never answers, never agrees a set time to call via email.

- Web site states said you can turn up on the day if there are spaces, female said I could not, that it would be fully booked, but to still call her on the 0845 to book for that Sunday - ridiculous.

I felt it was unprofessional & unnecessary from my personal experience, maybe others have had better.

Oh dear. I saw this advertised in Time Out and had high hopes... Apparently it said you could find Isabel Marant, Mulberry and the odd Luella.. Alas. All I found was old tat (i.e. Primark warn a few too many times, and random dinosaur age electronic junk) sold by too few stalls, in an overwhelmingly large venue.

On the bright side, it's free if you become a fan of them on fb (it's definitely not worth paying entry fee), and there's quite a few non professional sellers.

Overall, I think Battersea is a lot better.

I just had so much fun a this boot sale (flea market). Vendors outside and inside. I really just wish that there were more!

It was grey out and we took a cab, but walked back for fun. There were tea and grilled sandwiches to keep you occupied, while not shopping.

I'm assuming since it was at a private school it was in benefit of the grounds and children's programs. (Beautiful by the way.)

I happened on this as I have friends living in nearby Dolphin Square, just across the road. I have been to many CB's but this one is one of the best - it's so....civilized.
Its split in two, cars in the car park, and other tables under cover so even if there's a bit of rain, its has been known in the UK, the show still goes on.
As regards the stuff for sale there I must admit I have nabbed a few bargains, mainly in the technology side of things, gadgets etc. but there really is something for everyone.
Jordan's multiple Biographies are much in evidence, as well as Cheryl Cole's so any fan's should look here first.
The sellers are mainly a really nice bunch, there are a few professionals flogging new knitted stuff for the winter etc but most seem amateurs and there is a massive array of bargains. I think the website for this one has a bargain of the week on the home page and some are really impressive.
Car boot challenge where are you?

Went along to see the Lomdon Dungeon boot sale which was widely advertised as starting at 1130. Got there at 10.50 paid £5 for early bird entrance only to find all London Dungeon stuff sold by 10.20 having opened their doors at 1015am

Very very disappointed and will now probably see much of it appear on eBay. Went round the rest of the car boot sale but it was utter tat

Complete waste of 5 hours getting there and back and the cost of travelling and entrance fee

Why didn't they they just advertise it as a 1015 start

Met dozens of people at Pimlico station who were still on route