vide grenier stall form

I have never taken part in a car boot sale in my life. There are so many questions that go through my mind: how do you know what will sell and what really should go to the dump? How do you go about pricing? For instance, for Iona’s old bike, how much? I have no idea.

As I don’t really know anybody who can give me some pricing advice, I have decided to label the tables at 0.50, 1, 2, 3, and 5 euros, then I can move the stuff down a table to a lower-priced one if it doesn’t sell!

In France, organising and taking part in vide-greniers is restricted and fairly official. The Présidente of our vide-grenier popped over earlier as I was sorting Iona and Joey’s old toys into the 1 and 2-euro boxes, and she gave me a letter to sign. If you want to be a seller in a French vide-grenier (or car boot stall) you need to be aware that you are only allowed to take two of those a year. The organiser of the vide-grenier has to collate a letter and a copy of their passport from each stall holder and send it to the local prefecture (tax office), in our case in Vannes. If you want to have more than two stalls a year this is deemed as a professional activity and the taxman will want a cut! Nothing is ever simple.

Want a car boot stall 1
Books at vide-grenier

As the Présidente left our stall and I went back to my sorting, I couldn’t help but think just how much administration this would cause. There are so many vide-greniers across France. Having said that, France is well known for its heavy administration and love of forms and paperwork!

Now, I am on my own again and allowed to proceed with my sorting, I take a look at the toy pile. I am sure there were more toys here before the Présidente arrived. Funny that: I think some have been squirrelled back and hidden in bedrooms! I wonder who is responsible?

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