An Empty Boot Sale, a Garage Trail and Our First Live Show
Some weeks in this business go exactly to plan. This was not one of them — and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best weeks we've had in ages. Come behind the scenes with us. There was an empty-handed morning, a brand-new kind of sale we'd never tried, jam, gardens, and something that properly terrified the pair of us.
If you're new here, this is Our Week in Vintage — the honest, week-by-week story of what it's really like to buy and sell vintage and antiques for a living. No highlight reel. Just us.
Week in Vintage
We've filmed the whole thing, so grab a cup of tea and watch this week's episode here — the empty van, the chaos of the garage trail, and our very first live show, all of it. The story below will give you the highlights, but the full week really comes alive on video.
The Sunday boot sale where we found nothing
Crystal jars at the car boot sale
Sunday morning is our big sourcing day, every week. We have these lovely intentions of arriving early, ahead of the crowds — and, as always, we rolled up about an hour later than planned.
We walked the whole thing. And we came away with nothing. Not a pot, not a plate. Absolutely zero.
To rub it in, we bumped into a friend who was having the day of his life, arms full of treasure, grinning at us. Brad started muttering that the business was finished and we'd never sell anything ever again (he does this every time). I started quietly wondering whether I even know what I'm looking for anymore.
Here's the honest truth, and it's worth knowing if you're just starting out: when you source every single week, you cannot have a brilliant day every time. Empty days are part of the job, not a sign you're bad at it.
Plan B: our first ever garage trail sale in Tiptree
Because we were already up and out, we had a Plan B — our first ever garage trail sale, over in Tiptree.
If you've never come across one, a garage trail sale is where everyone in a village opens up their garage or driveway on the same day and sells the things they no longer need. You drive from house to house having a rummage, a bit like an American yard sale. They're few and far between down our way in Essex, so we'd genuinely never been to one before.
It was gloriously chaotic — us nudging a van down narrow residential streets while everyone parked wherever they fancied, hopping out, having a look, hopping back in. (You can see the full comedy of it in the video.) We went in with no expectations, which turned out to be exactly the right frame of mind. It was mostly baby clothes and toys, but we picked up a few little bits, and it was lovely to see a whole community out enjoying themselves. Coming away with something after a morning of nothing felt like a small win.
Jam, tea and a wander round the gardens
The Tiptree Jam Museum tearoom
We rounded off the morning at the Tiptree Jam Museum — the company behind those little jars with the silver lids you spot in every hotel, café and garden centre going. They've been at it for around 150 years, which we think is rather wonderful. We had afternoon tea (genuinely lovely), poked round the tiny museum in about four minutes flat, and called it a good day.
The next day I slipped over to RHS Hyde Hall while Brad worked — a few hours wandering the gardens, admiring the flowers and watching the bees, coffee in hand. We almost always end a sourcing trip with a cup of tea and a slice of something, because otherwise, what's the point?
Arriving at RHS Hyde Hall
We share this bit because it matters: the find is only ever half of it. The looking, the being out, the tea afterwards — that's the joy, not just what ends up in the van.
The thing that genuinely scared us
Then came the big one. This week we did our first ever live selling show — something we'd never done, never really pictured ourselves doing.
Behind the scenes of our first live selling show
We were apprehensive, to put it mildly. We ran cables round the house, panicked that the internet wouldn't hold, convinced ourselves no one would watch. We did a handful of nervous rehearsals — which we'd honestly recommend to anyone, just to sort your lighting, your sound and how the space works — and then we went for it.
And it was brilliant. Far better than we ever dared hope. What surprised us most wasn't anything to do with numbers — it was how much we loved actually talking to people. After years of the same steady rhythm, just the two of us, it felt new and exciting in a way we hadn't felt in a long time.
A few of the pieces that sold on the night
The reason we're telling you is this: two people who've been doing this for fifteen years were still nervous stepping into something unfamiliar. So if you're stood at the entrance to an antiques fair feeling like everyone in there knows something you don't — that feeling never fully leaves, even for us. You just learn to walk in anyway
We've put the behind-the-scenes of it all in this week's episode — the nerves, the last-minute panic and the moment it all clicked.
What's coming next
We've decided to give live selling our all for the next three months, alongside our core business of sourcing beautiful pieces for the shop. We're planning some special shows for the things we really love — a mid-century one, and an art show (though I warn you now, I struggle to part with the art). And there's something planned for Halloween week that we're both far too excited about, so keep an eye out.
Watch the full week
FAQ
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Yes, completely. Even full-time dealers have mornings where they come home empty-handed. When you source regularly, a great find every single time simply isn't realistic. An empty day isn't a sign you're doing it wrong — it's a normal part of buying vintage and antiques.
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A garage trail sale is when everyone in a village or town opens up their garage or driveway on the same day to sell things they no longer need. You travel from house to house having a rummage — similar to an American yard sale. They're less common in the UK than car boot sales, so if one's happening near you, it's well worth a look.
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The Tiptree Jam Museum is in Tiptree, Essex, home of the well-known Tiptree jams that have been made there for around 150 years. It's a small museum with a shop and tearoom, and it makes a lovely stop if you're out and about in the area.
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Go in with curiosity rather than a fixed shopping list. Give yourself permission to look, pick things up, ask friendly questions and walk away without buying. You're there to enjoy the day and train your eye, not to prove yourself — confidence comes from turning up, not from getting it perfect.
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We make the day about more than the find — a wander, a good cup of tea, some fresh air, seeing the community out. Once you stop measuring the day only by what's in your bag, a "bad" sourcing day stops feeling bad at all. And there's always next time.
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