Leeds Jumble Sales - Do they still happen?

Your favourite days out round Leeds
jonleeds
Posts: 717
Joined: Thu 31 Jan, 2008 4:59 pm

Post by jonleeds »

Hi Book, I have seen some jumble sales advertised even quite recently. Spring fairs / school fairs etc are similar events where they might have other things like a raffle table, home made baked goods stall, tombola etc as well as having a bric-a-brac table selling all manner of stuff, some fairs even have book stalls / clothes. Actually some of the school fairs have a very good selection of jumble. Most of these events are organised by the school / PTA etc to raise funds for the school and its a way of getting parents involved with helping out. They can be a good earner for the school. I regularly go to the school fairs at Abbey Grange C of E secondary school and they have some good second hand stalls full of items that pupils and their families have donated. As well as picking up some bargains its good to spend your money there as its all going to a local cause. Mind you I have been to other school and church fairs where they've not had any bric-a-brac stalls or there was just a small table with a few items for sale which was disappointing. Also you will sometimes see 'Table-top sales' advertised in church halls / community centres etc. These are more like an indoor car boot sale where you might pay £5 for a table to sell your own items from. About a year ago I decided to try my luck selling at a 'Vintage Fair' organised by St Gemma's hospice, they've been running these events for a couple of years. Unfortunately it didnt go too well. The fee to stand (sell) was £25 per day and the event was meant to carry on through Saturday and Sunday which would have amounted to £50 - just in overheads! Anyway I took along a large selection of my vintage collectables and stood there from 10am until 4pm and at the end of the day I'd made £30! And that was largely because I'd sold an original Stylophone, still in the box with the flexi-disc 7" record for £25, and a Nintendo Game & Watch electronic game for £5! I'd actually made a loss on these items which would have fetched more on EBay, but if I hadnt sold them then I'd have made nothing. So for 6 hours work, not to mention the couple of hours it took to set up my stall / dismantle it and drive there and back I was £5 in profit! And they were expecting me to return the next day (Sunday) for more of the same! Anyway I didnt return. Infact the so-called 'Vintage Fair' was more of a craft fair with a few other sellers selling handicrafts and artwork, there was a seller with some vintage glassware, and a few stalls that St Gemma's had organised selling charity shop fare. I was actually the only real vintage collectables seller.I've made more money in the first 5 minutes at the airport car boot sale and not had to pay £25 for the pleasure of standing around selling nothing for 6 hours.... Sorry to ramble on so much, it still irks me that I wasted my time and money at that fiasco. Plus none of the other sellers were making any real money. There were hardly any buyers so its not surprising...
Have your fun when you're alive - you won't get nothing when you die... have a good time all the time! - Chumbawumba!

And no matter how things end, you should always keep in touch with your friends - Dave Gedge

Jogon
Posts: 3036
Joined: Wed 21 Dec, 2011 1:28 pm

Post by Jogon »

Tasa wrote: I still have one item which I bought for 3p in 1971 (yes, just after decimalisation so at 7d probably cost me half a week's pocket money!) at St Margaret's Church in Cardigan Road (now known as Left Bank Leeds) - a small hardbacked road atlas of Great Britain, 3 miles to the inch. It isn't dated but is pre-motorway (and pre-Beeching so it has all the old railway lines and stations marked).     TasaSounds a good book whatsit called and did they have ISBN's.Well you bought it after 15th February anyway:- I've still got mine+I blew my first decimal money in Lewis's, though I'd prefer not to say which department.    

Tasa
Posts: 826
Joined: Mon 08 Oct, 2007 11:11 am

Post by Tasa »

Jogon wrote: Tasa wrote: I still have one item which I bought for 3p in 1971 (yes, just after decimalisation so at 7d probably cost me half a week's pocket money!) at St Margaret's Church in Cardigan Road (now known as Left Bank Leeds) - a small hardbacked road atlas of Great Britain, 3 miles to the inch. It isn't dated but is pre-motorway (and pre-Beeching so it has all the old railway lines and stations marked).     TasaSounds a good book whatsit called and did they have ISBN's.Well you bought it after 15th February anyway:- I've still got mine+ We bought one of those sets of decimal coins as well but it's long lost. We also had a card game which was supposed to teach you how to convert "old" money to decimal - I think it was called Sum-It.There is no ISBN on the book but it was printed and published by W. and A.K. Johnston Ltd, London & Edinburgh. Here are a couple of shots of the front cover and the page which includes Leeds and West/South Yorkshire (also attached in larger size).    

Tasa
Posts: 826
Joined: Mon 08 Oct, 2007 11:11 am

Post by Tasa »

Larger size page attached - it was too large to attach to the previous post and I couldn't edit it to re-attach the photo once I resized it.    
Attachments
__TFMF_iyfmtu45j5va4i5520pjca34_9caea752-4746-4c1c-a47b-dfc6e72329ea_0_main.jpg
__TFMF_iyfmtu45j5va4i5520pjca34_9caea752-4746-4c1c-a47b-dfc6e72329ea_0_main.jpg (623.14 KiB) Viewed 3269 times

User avatar
Leodian
Posts: 6478
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Post by Leodian »

I like old atlases. It does look odd now without any motorways. No M1, A1(M), M62. I have a a copy of 'The Reader's Digest AA Book of the Road' Second Edition Third Revise 1968 which is said to show motorways "from May 1968". The M1 is shown but it did not reach into Leeds. The M62 is just outlined and only from near Huddersfield. There is no A1(M). Not just maps though as it has lots of things like car maintenance, identifying wild flowers, mushrooms and toadstools, birds, butterflies and moths, sea shells, pebbles on the beach and loads more. It's been well worth the £3.3.0 (old money) that I paid for it when new (it's a little bit tatty now).
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

Tasa
Posts: 826
Joined: Mon 08 Oct, 2007 11:11 am

Post by Tasa »

I have the Reader's Digest AA Book of the Road too, but from the 1970s. It has foldout pages, with tourist information on the foldout flaps. I also have the Road Book of Europe from the same series. I don't even drive!

User avatar
Leodian
Posts: 6478
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Post by Leodian »

On page 6 of today's YEP it reports that on Saturday March 17 "More than 70 residents from Calverley are setting up stalls in their own front gardens for a village-wide yard sale". Money raised from buying a stall will be donated to two local schools. On page 19 the YEP reports "Garforth Amateur Dramatic Society is holding a spring jumble sale and coffee morning tomorrow at Garforth Miner's Welfare Hall. The event starts at 10am."
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

jonleeds
Posts: 717
Joined: Thu 31 Jan, 2008 4:59 pm

Post by jonleeds »

Nice one Leodian, I already knew about the Calverley garage sale but I wasnt going to mention it on here until it had happened as I didnt want all this lot on here turning up and snapping up any bargains! Heh he heh! I've enquired with the organisers about obtaining a map of the participating houses and so far I've not had any response from them so I dont know if its fallen through or not, seems strange that they've advertised it in the YEP if it has. I dont know what they expect people to just turn up and wander the streets looking for open garage doors... sounds a bit dodgy if you ask me.
Have your fun when you're alive - you won't get nothing when you die... have a good time all the time! - Chumbawumba!

And no matter how things end, you should always keep in touch with your friends - Dave Gedge

User avatar
Leodian
Posts: 6478
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Post by Leodian »

In the YEP report it also states for the Calverley event "Organisers have created maps signposting visitors to the various sales" and that "there will be sales on nearly every street".
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

User avatar
BarFly
Posts: 525
Joined: Sun 06 Nov, 2011 3:39 pm
Location: In t' pub in Leeds (see picture).

Post by BarFly »

I grew up on Calverley so I'm tempted to go and have a look even if it's just so I can have a look at my old haunts. I have a feeling things have changed a lot since I lived there but I wonder whether there will be anyone I recognise.

Post Reply