Everyone else was crowded round the big stalls in the middle. I went to the one right at the end, and that's where this week's five pound find was waiting.
The journal
What Actually Makes Me Stop At A Market Stall
I walk past hundreds of stalls every Saturday, and I know within a few seconds whether I'm stopping or moving on. Here's what actually makes that decision, from someone who has never run a stall in her life.
My honest pricing advice for first-time stallholders
After a couple of years of Saturday mornings on the other side of the table, I've worked out what makes me stop and buy, and what makes me walk straight past. Most of it comes down to a few small pricing decisions.
Her Find: The R2-D2 Mug That Followed Me Home From the Market
A stall I nearly walked past on a Saturday morning market trip in Hastings, and a mug that has not left my hand since. This is the story of how it found me.
Sunday morning at Hastings Old Town market.
A market diary from Hastings Old Town: three hours, no plan, and the small finds that made the morning worth it.
Ten things worth buying under £20 at a summer fair.
Ten cheap gift ideas under £20, all the kind of thing you'd actually find at a summer fair or craft market, not a gift shop.
The woman who's been making linen bags since 1994.
A seller story from a Rye craft fair: an independent maker who's been hand-stitching linen bags for thirty years.
Car boot season is properly back — here's what that means.
Car boot sale tips for the summer season: when to arrive, what to bring, and why the quality genuinely dips in winter and bounces back in June.
Ceramic things that aren't trying too hard.
Handmade ceramics from UK markets that skip the trendy chunky-imperfect look in favour of the genuinely good stuff.
A Sunday in Battle, East Sussex — three stops worth making.
Three stops worth making on a day trip to Battle, East Sussex: antiques shopping, a proper coffee stop, and a small town with a big antiques scene.
The £3 thing I bought on a whim that lives on my shelf now.
A cheap vintage find from a car boot sale that turned into the whole point of Lucy's £5 Find rule.