It started with a simple plan to de-clutter her house, but from the day Ros Anderson first set up a stall at Camberwell Sunday Market she felt right at home.
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That was 33 years ago, and now Ms Anderson, who stands out with her flamboyant clothing, white bob and glasses, is astonished to find herself, with husband Kelvin McMurtry, a veteran stallholder.
Customers compare her with eccentric New York fashion identity Iris Apfel. "She does remind me of me a bit," she says. "But I've been like this all my life. It's really funny."
The market, a Melbourne institution, turned 40 on the weekend with a plaque unveiling attended by Boroondara mayor Jim Parke and local MPs.
The first Sunday Market featured 48 stalls, attracted 1700 people and netted $531. It now features over 380 stalls and has up to 7000 visitors per week.
It is run by Rotary, and has raised over $15 million for charity, including training for hospital workers, grants to secondary students and rebuilding after the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
Ms Anderson says her first stall in 1983 contained a carload of objets d'art and antique linen and furniture from her house.
She remembers "thinking how wonderful it was" but had no idea of items' value. "I practically gave it away. And a lot of people do that. And that's why you get all these vultures [earlybird bargain hunter shoppers] in the the morning, they descend on all these poor casuals."
Another stallholder taught her the ropes, taking her to garage sales and auctions.
From 1984 to 1987, Ms Anderson and her husband took up the craze for vegetarian food and had a van selling pizzas and tofu burgers.
But the van was wrecked in an accident, so they reverted to antique and Australiana furniture, but now concentrate on jewellery – an eclectic mix of Mexican silver, American Indian and costume pieces – but also retro clothing and furniture.
A few weeks ago, Ms Anderson sold a set of 1960s turquoise, round-back, space-age vinyl chairs.
Ms Anderson says the number of one-off stallholders selling household goods in a garage-sale style has soared. There are more specialist stalls flogging fur coats, soap or records.
The secret to success is to be creative, friendly, and have what people want. And to get up at 4am at their Mornington Peninsula home to be at Camberwell at 6am on a Sunday, you must be keen. "It's been interesting, I've thoroughly enjoyed myself. Still do."
