‘I could call it a form of art, but the only art here is the ability to fill time between my sons naps’

If you are looking for a preloved item to buy there could be a chance that you have turned to a site and/or app called Vinted.

While there are thousands of people competing to sell their stuff, Alex Errey has found a way of showcasing his goods that he has become a ‘go to’ selling page which has now racked up over 2,500 followers who can’t wait to see what his next post will be.

Alex has told Somerset’s Alive! that he can take up to two weeks to stage a photograph for his items for sale but it is his extraordinary efforts that have made him a cult figure on the site.

Originally from Petersfield in Hampshire, Alex was living in Frome before relocating to Castle Cary and is ready to embark on another sales push – and is getting his props ready for the photos.

With such elaborate staging for each product, Alex has explained his thought processes and how long it takes to make the props he uses to help sell his items.

Alex said: “I’d love to say it’s marketing research, or an epiphany after studying an item to sell. Maybe a hope of being scouted for an advertising company; ways to bring an air of professionalism about it all.

“When in reality my process is super simple, it hurts: how can this item make me laugh? Easy.”

Alex continued: “Give me a book with a questionable title, I’ll find a way to pose for it with a bit of old cardboard. I’ll squeeze a wholesome pun or slightly naughty/scary/happy/delete as applicable/bad diorama out of pretty much anything. And if I have an excuse to throw an Action Man in there, I will.”

Action Man has a special place for Alex and he added: “That plastic dude opened a whole new weird world of creativity for me. I could call it a form of art, but the only art here is the ability to fill time between my sons naps.”

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It can be a time consuming undertaking, especially if he has a number of items to sell.

Alex said: “Some props can be thought of and put together in five minutes, and days where that happens are great because I can get more items up for potential buyers to see.

“Some of the ‘collection only, please’ builds on the other hand, I’ll confess take me up to a week or more.”

The Vinted legend continued: “I did an ad for a plant basket, it literally took me two weeks with the painting and photography because I had to set up and photograph it between rain showers.

“Then when I finally was able to get my wife’s old laptop working, I was able to get back into photoshop and time now just doesn’t exist; I don’t know what day it is, all I know is that there are 12 coffee mugs around me and my hands are curling up from cramps. I reckon I average three hours per build/photo/dumb joke.”

So, what took Alex down the path of making his selling page so unique?

Alex said that he had tried a more ‘traditional’ way of selling before deciding to go down a more creative path after facing a crisis for the family.

Alex explained: “I’ve done a bit of ‘buyer collects’ selling in the past but this whole world was never really on my radar. The story is that when living in Frome, we were very happy.

“One day we were contacted by our landlord to say that he wanted his house back, which is of course his right. Six months notice to find a home during a housing crisis; we were scared!

“We just had a baby four months before, we have a dog that has early signs of dementia, and everybody is feeling the crush from global financial issues. I don’t know where my next home is going to be, we were given meal donations from a food bank, world turned upside down.”

This meant that Alex had to look to shift some of the items in their house. He said: “I planned to try to downsize my stuff again; every time we move I always do a big clear out. And I’ve got a kid to feed, so as far as I’m concerned, everything I own is money towards formula for my son.

“After a little push from a wonderful selection of neighbours I took a leap and started sorting stock and planned where I would try to make a bit of pocket money.”

Alex’s alternative selling journey was about to begin.

He said: “My first item was a mirror, and I planned on just taking a photo, putting it on Facebook marketplace and that was that.

“Then I remembered how many times online I’ve seen people take photos of mirrors, there are even social media pages dedicated to it.

“An arm in shot, or hiding around the doorframe, any possible way to try and not be seen in the mirror and I thought, ‘why?! Just smile!’

“So I set up the mirror, sat in front of it and smiled. Then on a whim I took another being a bit cheeky. Then I remembered I have this long, weird Pikachu plush that my buddy gave me, that might turn a few heads, so I posed with that too.”

Little did Alex know was that he was about to unlock a whole new way of selling that would get him thousands of comments and admirers.

He continued: “I uploaded the pictures, and decided I’d have a go at some fun ad copy; I’d been writing as a hobby for years, why not give that a go too.

“Then finally the title, which little did I know would create my whole brand: ‘Light Weight Mirror – Fat Bloke not Included.’”

It is fair to say that what happened next was slightly unprecedented as the photos began being shared across social media, and Alex was not really prepared for the response he would get.

He said: “My main thought is very simple: ‘this wasn’t supposed to happen!’

“My plan was to sell a few items quickly and make a bit of cash to feed my kid during this whole horrid moving house debacle.

“That first mirror post on Facebook had 100,000 views in three days. Over 1,000 messages. I had people all over the world messaging me to say how I made them laugh, on a buyer collects ad.

“Bulgaria, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Poland, to name a few. And they kept coming. And because I like to make things difficult for myself, I decided to respond to every single message, with an actual message. No copy and paste. It took forever, and was awesome.”

Alex found that the photos not only brought offers for the mirror, it brought a whole heap of other interactions.

Alex continued: “Within those messages I had offers of friendship, beer, food, in at least 10 messages I was offered dates from men and women all over the country, this really wasn’t supposed to happen. This was not the plan.

“I can’t tgank the general public enough for all their life and support, especially my Somerset locals. You guys have really helped me open opportunities for my little family, and for my mental health.

“What’s really nice about it all is knowing just how fun we can all be, and knowing that people find my dumb photos hilarious. What joy!”

Alex explains the feeling he gets from spreading his brand of joy and what it brings him to make so many people smile.

The Vinted icon told Somerset’s Alive!: “It’s all a little overwhelming honestly. I’m just some random dude with too many Bobby’s onion rings in his veins.

“Why my silliness resonates with people, I still don’t quite understand. Maybe I should take compliments a bit better, I’m trying.

“I’ve had a life long battle with depression, so some days are really hard but the people who follow me, send me messages, show me love, I want to say a personal thank you to all of you.”

Alex is now a recognisable figure when out and about in Somerset.

He said: “When your walk through the town centre and someone shouts out loud, ‘it’s you, you’re the fat bloke’ and it’s not said as an insult, it’s an incredible feeling.”

With Alex heading back to selling sites with his next array of items, he has a simple message for his followers and those who newly discover him.

Alex concludes: “You can follow me through my Facebook Page, Facebook market place and my Vinted.

“Come browse and have a laugh, and you never know, you might find a bargain. Don’t make yourself Flat Broke. Grab a bargain from the Fat Bloke!”