Latest news with #Spode
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Check your attic for these items to sell at your local car boot and make £100s
MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry shares the best-selling items for car boot sales ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend A summer clear out before the "back to school" feeling in September (which we still feel as adults, even without kids) feels great and is a perfect way to raise some extra cash. The bank holiday is looming, and that means one thing: lots of mega car boot sales. Car boot sales are perfect for clearing out your clutter. But what sells well – and what should you sell elsewhere? Check your attic for these items right now to find some hidden goldmines that could raise a bunch of cash. Books, CDs, and DVDs As people turn back to physical media, books, CDs, and DVDs always do surprisingly well at car boot sales, even though the individual prices are usually around 50p to £1 per item. If you have a large collection you want to downsize, this is one of the best ways to raise some extra cash quickly rather than donating to charity, thinking you can't get any money for them. If you have any special editions make sure to research the online resale price first, taking into account what it would cost you to pack and send it if you sold online instead. This will help you get a fair price for limited editions. Kitchen gadgets When did you last use that breadmaker? Did you try a slow cooker once and now it's gathering dust? Kitchen gadgets that are in working order but take up valuable counter space can be easy to sell at car boot sales. Similarly, unusual mugs and dinnerware sets can catch a collector's eye. It's probably not the place to get rid of your Spode or Wedgewood, but vintage designs and mismatched tea sets can do very well. Children's toys If your child has outgrown or lost interest in a toy, it's almost guaranteed to sell at a car boot if it's in good condition. People love to spoil the kids in their life and it's even better when they can do so on a budget! Vintage toys can also do really well. If you still have some LEGO from your childhood, it's likely to be considered vintage. There are collectors for things like original computer consoles, original Polly Pockets, and Barbies. Make sure you do your research online first, as you might make a bigger profit selling to a specialist retailer or on eBay. Vintage clothes Vintage clothes and shoes can sell well at car boot sales if you make sure they are clean, in good condition, and displayed well. Rather than a big bundle on a table, hang each item out and put your vintage shoes out in pairs. As for what counts as vintage? Clothes from around the year 2000 and earlier are considered vintage. Original band t-shirts, classic Converse and Doc Martens, and vintage coats and jackets do very well. Memorabilia and trends Finally, check out current trends before you head to the car boot sale. You might find that, for example, your Ozzy Osbourne original merchandise could fetch a decent penny right now. Or, if you've been gifted Labubus that aren't your style, or have Oasis memorabilia, you could earn some extra cash. Check out what's popular online, look for social media trends, and see if you have something that used to be mundane and is now popular. Even things like vintage Pyrex dishes have a niche audience of collectors who love to go to car boot sales! When car boot sales aren't right for selling A car boot sale is perfect for getting rid of your bric-a-brac and some popular items. But if you have a collection of rare items, or even some vintage toys or vinyl LPs, you could get a better price elsewhere. It takes a bit more legwork than standing at a car boot sale on a Saturday, but you could net yourself a lot more cash for specialist items if you take the time to do some research. Collectors will often use websites like eBay, which means you can research how much items are likely to sell for and price them realistically for auction or Buy It Now. For particularly rare or niche items, check out forums, local marketplaces, and specialist retailers. They'll take a commission from the sale, or offer you a lower price so they can profit on the resale, but it is likely to still net you more than haggling at a car boot. Selling tips To make the most of your wares at a bank holiday car boot sale, try these tips: Arrive very early to get a good pitch Remember to take tables and clothes racks to display your items Price items up before you go and be prepared to barter Don't agree to set items aside in the first few hours – if somebody is serious about buying, they'll get it on the spot Take someone with you to ensure you can take a break and keep eyes on your items when unpacking Make sure you have a float of change on you at the start: this helps reduce the pressure to barter to a lower number if someone only has a twenty-pound note to offer! Be ready to let items go for a lower price towards the end of the day, but for some items, have a lower limit in mind and stand fast on it when bargaining. People can haggle hard, because they know they're about to get a bargain: be realistic, but don't back down if you have researched an item's value beforehand. If it doesn't sell at the car boot, you can always try eBay or other marketplaces.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent-based Portmeirion pottery group sales grow despite US tariff disruption
Bosses at a pottery firm say their sales have started to grow again after being initially disrupted by President Donald Trump's tariff a dip of about 10% to its sales in north America, international sales at the Portmeirion Group were up by about 11% overall, helped by growth of almost 30% in the South Korean firm said it also saw growth in the UK thanks to the success of its home a trading update for the six months up to 30 June, a spokesperson said group sales were expected to be about £37m, a rise of 1.3% year-on-year. Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order to reduce tariffs on some British goods entering the US but his blanket 10% tariff on imports from countries around the world still applies to most UK items. The Portmeirion Group's brands include Spode, Portmeirion, Royal Worcester, Pimpernel, Wax Lyrical and Nambé.Chief executive Mike Raybould said the USA was the firm's largest and most profitable market.A statement from the company to update investors said bosses had changed production schedules and shipments to America in the first half of this year after a lines would be reduced or removed as a result, they year results for the market would be "markedly down" the update added, as they have been forced to cancel orders which were subject to higher firm was taking the opportunity to accelerate its Made in Stoke-on-Trent initiative, the statement scheme is part of the firm's efforts to return production to the pressures included increased National Insurance contributions and minimum wage costs."The UK is a higher cost venue to manufacture but this is a necessary investment of margin and will benefit our brands over the medium to long term, particularly in international markets," the company statement said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Portmeirion pottery boss 'optimistic' about industry's future
The boss of a pottery firm has said he is "cautiously optimistic" about the industry's future, provided government support is Raybould, CEO of Portmeirion - which also owns the Spode brand - said despite recent difficulties, he believed there could be a bright future for the wider ceramics costs were among the biggest problems facing pottery firms, he said, and he urged government do more to help in order to "level the playing field" with other firm's wares are currently sold in about 60 countries globally. "What we find, with our brands, they are loved around the world," he said."People respect the 'made in the UK', the 'made in Stoke', the heritage that goes with that, the love and the craft that this city has in spades."He added his firm was launching a fresh push this week to highlight its own originated in 1770, he said, and he wanted people who worked for the firm to feel proud that their wares had been made in the city.A new logo and backstamp for his company's products would ensure the firm's origins were made clear, he said. 'Huge opportunity' "Stoke-on-Trent was the centre of the UK ceramic industry for a reason, and a leader for 100-200 years, so we have to believe it's important."We have a skill base in this city that is second-to-none, and we've got to cherish that."Although more than two thirds of his products are sold abroad, Mr Raybould said there was a "huge opportunity" to increase the industry's footprint further in other countries if it received the support it needed."We really, really hope that this time the government recognises the importance of Stoke-on-Trent and the UK ceramics industry," he said."Clearly it's been a tough four or five years for the consumer around the world in terms of the cost of living crisis."But really it's cost inflation – in particular energy costs. Soaring energy costs in this country have been a real problem, I think, for the industry generally." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent Spode pottery developer set to be appointed
Plans to regenerate a historic pottery site are set to move forward after councillors were asked to approve the appointment of a City Council hopes signing up Capital & Centric will "unlock new opportunities" at the former Spode pottery in the council's cabinet is to consider allocating £6.5m to the firm from its Levelling Up fund, as part of a wider scheme for the developer has already taken on the Goods Yard site, also in Stoke, and is also set to redevelop the Midway car park in Newcastle-under-Lyme. A new deal at the Spode works would allow Capital & Centric to bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to bring the China Hall, a vast space in the old factory, back into operational use, the council would be subject to planning permission, with work expected to include demolition of some buildings with no heritage value and the development of new suggested partnership does not include the whole site, which will continue to host a range of tenants. Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for regeneration, said the authority would be proud to work with Capital & Centric again."Together we'll make sure Spode continues to be a success story, not just for the creative industry in the city, but for heritage regeneration too," he have previously expressed frustration over the slow progress of plans for the Spode was acquired by the council in 2010, two years after the factory closed and went into 2022, the authority secured £10m of Levelling Up cash to invest in the site and bring it back into August 2024, it has been working to remove asbestos in some heritage buildings and refurbishing two units to provide more space for the Spode Museum.A decision on the partnership is expected be made at a cabinet meeting on 27 May. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Council plans £2.9m revamp for former mansion
Parts of master potter Josiah Spode II's former mansion are set to be turned back into classrooms for the primary school next door in a £2.9m scheme. The Willows Primary School, which has expanded, will use the first and second floors of The Mount in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent, which has been unoccupied for seven years. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has submitted plans to refurbish The Mount, which is Grade II listed and dates back to 1803. The primary school, which already uses part of the ground floor of the building, needs extra space after expanding from two to three-form entry. The work would mean a portable building it uses could be removed. The potter's former home, which requires extensive repairs, was last used as The Mount Education Centre, which closed in 2018. Under the council's plans, three first-floor classrooms would be refurbished and brought back into use. Proposals also include overhauling the original timber sash windows, repairs to the four Victorian towers and reinstating a lead covering to the main Georgian dome roof. Some modern additions, including a glazed corridor and external fire escapes, would be removed. The application said the aim was to retain and repair "the existing historic fabric and its architectural detail and to maintain and enhance its heritage value and long-term sustainability as a school as part of a group of architecturally significant education buildings". Historians say Josiah Spode II built The Mount on the hill overlooking Stoke and the Spode factory, which he took over from his father. He moved into the building with family members and lived in the mansion until his death in 1827. The Mount was extended when it was converted into a school for deaf and blind children later in the 19th Century. City council planners are considering applications for planning permission and listed building consent and if approved, the work is expected to start in July. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Spode pottery set for return to factory museum Exhibition uses items broken in museum crash Stoke-on-Trent City Council
