Boy, 8, sets up stall to save for house deposit
"If you get to like 18 or 20, and you haven't started saving any money, it takes a while to get there so I wanted to start early."
Archie is just eight years old, but he is already planning for his future and saving money for a deposit on his first house.
But he is not just putting his pocket money aside, the entrepreneurial schoolboy set up a market stall selling jewellery, fidget toys, sweets and other items a year ago.
His efforts have paid off and Archie, from Market Harborough in Leicestershire, said he had already saved £3,000 towards his future.
Property prices in the area are growing faster than in neighbouring districts in the East Midlands.
Provisional data from the Office for National Statistics shows the average house price in Harborough in April 2025 was £355,000, while the average for first-time buyers in the area stood at £286,000.
Archie's mum Jodie said: "He was always driven by wanting a shop and then interested in looking for premises and locations so he could live above it.
"Whenever he saw empty shops in town he wanted to know how much they're worth."
She said his passion for trading began when they were on a holiday.
"He collected loads of stones and shells and then washed them, lined them up meticulously on a tray outside the house and made £6.50," she explained.
"After that, he wanted to be somewhere busier and went on and on and on.
"He pestered and pestered and pestered and set about it happening."
Archie buys old and new stock at car boot sales or from other traders to sell on his stall at Harborough Indoor Market in Northampton Road, run by the council.
Like other traders, he has to pay rent for his stall and have market traders' insurance, which was taken out by Jodie.
About once a month, Archie gets to the market hall for about 06:00, and sets up alongside other stallholders, carefully arranging his stock in colour co-ordinated rows.
"I absolutely love trading and the other traders like having me there too," he said.
"They come and talk to me and some of them come and buy things from me too."
Andy Friess and his wife Katrina run a nearby stall called PictureMyPast, which aims to help people trace their ancestors.
Mr Friess said: "As soon as I met Archie, I could see he was a livewire.
"He was insistent that mum and dad didn't help him arrange his stock. He's a little superstar."
He added: "I advised him about the height of his displays and about clear pricing.
"I even advised him about how to present himself so you look like you mean business.
"His mum would say 'listen to the advice, because it won't always be free'."
Jodie said: "He's so organised, he knows how much he's bought things for and how much he's selling for."
Archie's dad Lee added: "They like having him there, it's like the next generation.
"There are very few young people, so getting them in this young to carry it on, it's all good and good for the town."
Words and image above from article seen here
Well done Archie ... I wish him well for the future!
All the best Jan
30 comments:
I absolutely love this story, Jan!!! Archie is an amazing boy. 👏
Smart boy and his parents. This is a great story.
Espero que le vaya bien a Archie. te mando un beso.
...good for him!
This is great! I think he's going to go far in life.
my older son was started little businesses from the time he was 4- He tried selling his pictures and painting to neighbors and then continued with all kind s of ideas after that. Great story. Thanks for sharing it.
A great boy and so smart, there are few of them here!
Thank you for this wonderful story and good luck to Archie in the future.
Archie deserves his success - a name to watch for the future.
What an entrepreneur. A charming and heartwarming story, Jan.
Bela iniciativa de Archie! Que consiga o intento! beijos, chica
Wow, chapeau!!!! I already look forward to the markets in Fremantle/Perth. I love the casual atmosphere and the chats with the vendors. Never seen anyone that young there selling!
Well done young man. Enjoyed reading about the lad, thanks Jan.
Well done Archie, my son a lot older than Archie, is a photographer and in Lockdown had no income.. applied for Income Support which he got but it didn't even cover his council tax let alone his Mortgage, so he started selling on ebay..At first, anything he could get, then hit on the idea of cameras as he knew quite a bit about them. Now he buys up old cameras from an auction site, repairs, cleans and puts in batteries and has a new business and he can now pick and chose his photography shoots, and has a life with weekends free and time for friendships.
I believe he was a victorian shopkeeper in a previous life.
Congrats on the boy's job.
Have a nice Sunday.
Archie seems to have a clear idea about what he wants. I hope his success continues.
Love it!
Such a great story
What a smart boy, it is a great idea to save for the future.
Housing is so expensive, I am not sure how a young person nowadays can afford to buy a house. I wish him all the best. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
Great story, wishing him the best.
Well good for him. He sounds like an amazing kid. We need more like him around. :)
Clever lad! Well done :-D
He will go far!
That's a great story. Good for him!!
Very smart boy. More should be taught in school about finances, budgets, savings, pensions...
The lad will go far!! What a brilliant post, thanks you Jan
Wren x
I wish Archie the best also. He's a smart guy.
Wow that is great how well he is doing already, we will need an update in about 10 years on what he is up to, I bet he is going to do well in whatever he picks, he seems very driven.
What an incredible young man. He deserves every success in all his ventures.
Un artículo muy interesante. Besos.
Post a Comment