There will be another Car Boot sale at the Old School House on Sunday August 4th as Amovate tries to breathe new life into a traditional monthly event dealt a devastating blow by new Government legislation concerning such fairs and markets.
You may recall an article 2 or 3 weeks ago in the local English newspapers reporting on our attempt to re-launch the Car Boots by following the original concept of these gatherings.
The article read:
Death of the Car Boot Sale?
Expats on the Algarve’s West Coast are asking: “Has the Portuguese Government killed off the traditional Car Boot Sale?”
Residents Association Amovate, in Aljezur, decided last Sunday (July 7th) to re-launch its monthly car boot, but this time strictly adhering to its original concept of selling only still useful but unwanted domestic items that otherwise might have been thrown away.
Professional traders and people making goods, or growing plants and foodstuffs, to sell on for profit were asked to stay away.
Amovate (Association of Residents and Friends of Vale da Telha) had suspended their car boots sales—proceeds from which go to charity—following the outcry of the police raids on the Barão de São João flea market.
They were hoping that the re-launch would rekindle the community spirit of the monthly gatherings—a hope their spokesman admitted was quickly dashed.
“We usually attract between 30 and 40 stalls to the grounds of our Old School House headquarters, but this time only six stallholders fulfilling our requirements turned up,” he said.
“Although the authorities showed no interest in the resumption of our car boot, people are now obviously afraid that they run the risk of arrest and fines if they sell goods at such fairs and markets and therefore decide they can no longer afford to take that chance.
“It really is a sad state of affairs that law-abiding people who enjoy such a harmless activity are now denied that opportunity.
“And unless the authorities re-think their strategy and ease people’s fears in this regard we fear that we are seeing the death knells not just of the car boot sale in Portugal but also of some other traditional and wonderful markets unique to this lovely country.
Despite that setback Amovate has decided to give the Car Boot another go, in the hope that people’s confidence is being restored, and will be open for business on Sunday August 4th, the gates opening at 9:00 am for stall holders.
JUST TO RECAP ON THE NEW REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE LATEST LEGISLATION:
The Portuguese Government crackdown on tax avoidance is clearly intended to target anyone who sells goods at a higher price than they paid to buy them in the first place, or who sells items they make to sell on for profit
Sadly, in order to comply with these new Government legislations covering markets etc, we can no longer allow professional traders to pitch their stalls and sell their wares on Amovate property.
That means we can only permit access to those people selling their own unwanted goods in the original spirit of the car boot sale; i.e. (as the article above stipulates) unwanted domestic items that might previously have been thrown away but are now being sold for less than the price originally paid for them.
Nor can we allow access to anyone selling foodstuffs or fruit and vegetables as these almost certainly require separate licences and are subject to health and safety issues.
We believe that this decision to go back to the original Car Boot concept satisfies the spirit of the new legislation.
Hopefully it also falls in line with the anticipated decisions of a review apparently planned by the Government and tax authorities to address those parts of the legislation causing confusion in relation to such informal markets.
So, if you are planning a stall at Amovate on August 4th, please make sure you comply with these requirements.
That way we should all enjoy a traditional, old-fashioned car boot sale…