WHEN you think of Warrington, you probably think of rugby, Pink Eye and Ikea - but do you think of car boot sales?
Well, early in the morning on Wednesdays and Sundays, people flock to one area of Warrington ready to sell and buy trinkets, clothes and toys.
Warrington’s Favourite Car Boot Sale has been running since 1999, and this year is its 25th anniversary.
I paid a visit on Wednesday morning, equipped with £10 in my pocket, to see what bargains I could find.
Upon arrival at the Winwick Quay site, each car is charged £1 for parking before you can make your way through to the car boot sale.
Cars and vans line the area, with tables filled with a variety of items ready to sell, including shoes, coins and tools.
My first purchase was a copy of Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt, which is a book popularised by the BBC series of the same name.
Despite new copies going for £9.75 on Amazon, I manage to pick up a second-hand copy in good condition for just 50p.
Then, I made my way over to look at the extensive range of vinyl’s being sold at another stall.
Remarkably, the vinyl I picked up for just £1 can be sold for up to £40 from HMV.
Getting in the festive spirit, I spotted a twinkle of tinsel in the corner of my eye and grabbed three garlands for £1, a deal offered by the seller who was otherwise selling individual pieces for 50p.
Arguably, the most exciting find was the board game Articulate, which is sure to cause chaos with my family this Christmas.
The game, which involves trying to communicate a key word with a teammate without saying it, is typically worth upwards of £18 when bought new.
However, with all the items included in great condition, I bought the game for £1.
Though some objects were being sold for more, the most expensive item I bought was a model of a Leyland PD2/12 Orion double decker bus.
This 1954 miniature can be worth close to £15 and was sold in its original box for £5.
I walked away from the sale satisfied with all of my finds, with 50p still sitting in my pocket and excited to go again.
On Wednesdays, the car boot sale starts at 7am and runs until midday – and be warned that the best bargains do go quickly.
If you can’t make it during the week, the car boot is also open from 5.30am on Sundays, where it is open until 1pm.
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