THE SHORTLIST

TEN UNUSUAL PLACES TO BID FOR A BARGAIN

IN LONDON ...

London Car Auctions, Wandsworth Bridge Road, London SW6 2TY (telephone 0171-736 0086). Sales of vehicles from various sources - part-exchange deals, local councils, and private vendors - are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm, and on Saturdays at 1pm at the auction house on the Fulham side of Wandsworth Bridge. Viewing begins an hour before each sale.

London Computer Auctions, The Auction House, Pegamoid Road, Edmonton, London N18 2NJ (0181-345 6535). Apple Macs, IBM compatible and other PCs, printers, scanners, photocopiers and software come under the hammer on Saturdays fortnightly, with viewing on the day of sale and on the Friday before from 4pm-7pm. Up-to-date systems go at around 30 per cent off the retail price, with much larger savings to be made on older equipment. The next sale is on 16 September.

Comic Book Postal Auctions, 40-42 Osnaburgh Street, London NW1 3ND. Postal auctions run by Malcolm Phillips take place quarterly; you can join in by phoning for a free catalogue on 0171-586 3007. Bids for the next auction must be in by 20 September, with catalogues now available; the lots include the first issue of the Beano (expected to fetch between pounds 2,500 - pounds 3,000).

Lloyd International, 118 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 (0181-788 7777). Every two weeks, Lloyd International holds a sale of Metropolitan Police lost and recovered goods. Items usually include a large proportion of car stereos, televisions and similarly burglar-friendly items. Lots vary, so ring first to check they have what you're looking for, or attend the viewing session from 9.30am-6pm the day before the sale. The next sale is scheduled for 14 September.

Christie's, 85 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LD (0171-321 3120/3121/3122, fax 0171-581 3679). On Tuesday 12 September at 2pm, Christie's will auction Street Fashion from 1955-85 including vintage Zandra Rhodes, Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, and a wide range of Vivienne Westwood costumes.

South East Marts, The Cattle Market, Slyfield Green, Guildford GU1 1SG (01483 573386). Sales of goods recovered by the police are held every Tuesday at 11am. A variety of unclaimed stolen bicycles are on offer, as well as electrical items. Jewellery is sold on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

Bonhams, Dowell Street, Honiton, Devon (telephone 01404 41872). The regional branch of the London auction house now holds monthly sales of furniture in the pounds 200-pounds 500 price range. Sales are on the last Friday of each month.

English Playing Card Society, 11 Pierrepont Street, Bath BA1 1LA. If you have a pristine foreign or commemorative pack of playing cards to hand, you can cash in by submitting it to the society's quarterly postal auctions. If you wish to buy, you must become a member of the society, run by Major Donald Welsh. For details telephone 01225 465218.

Cottees, The Market, East Street, Wareham, Dorset (telephone 01929 552826). Every Thursday from 10am, you can shop for food at Cottees. Local growers bring a range of seasonal produce for auction, with bargains to be had on vegetables, fruit, eggs and dairy produce, flowers and local game, sold in lots of manageable sizes.

Phillips Auctioneers, The Old House, Station Road, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands, B93 0HT (telephone 01564 776151). On 21 September, Phillips will auction sewing paraphernalia, including sewing boxes, tools, and literature on needlework.