At Gumtree, we’re always surprised at the wonders that our local communities have to offer – on our site you can find everything from top-of-the-range trumpets to vintage cameras to music lessons.
So, we set out looking for a storyteller to dig a bit deeper into the spirit of what Gumtree offers their community – and we looked no further than London-based filmmaker Holly-Marie Cato.
Holly commands her camera like a third arm and places great valueon sharing the honest, authentic stories of those she meets across the world. We sent her into her very own neighbourhood to find out what’s good.
Holly says that, “Going into this I knew I’d have the opportunity to share people’s stories in a creative way. What took me by surprise was how many of my friends and wider network use Gumtree not just once, but frequently.”
Holly very quickly found a vibrant community of artists using Gumtree to further their passions. We met Peju, a knitwear designer, who not only found her unique knitting machine through Gumtree but also learnt a skill from the couple who sold it to her. We also met Koko, a filmmaker who uses Gumtree to source everything from vintage film cameras to disco balls for his sets.
Natalie, a stylist and creative consultant, told us how she uses Gumtree to find clothes from niche time periods – and also found her studio space through Gumtree. And Aldo, a musician originally from Argentina, told us how Gumtree allowed him to find affordable equipment to share his talent with the world.
On reflection, Holly tells us that, “Aldo, Peju, Natalie and Koko’s stories have shown me how Gumtree isn’t just a platform for buying and selling, Gumtree fosters community.”
And she couldn’t resist having cheeky shop herself: “Since filming I’ve been on Gumtree, searching for a rare Mamyia 7ii medium format camera – I’ve already located two sellers, one of which is willing to meet up with me so I can try put the camera before buying. It’s these personal touches that are invaluable to me.”
“At the heart of it, Gumtree’s helping us connect with our neighborhood again and it’s good.”
We’ll let the stories speak for themselves.
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“Gumtree has put me face to face with an ex-knitter who has taught me how to use a piece of machinery. To get that personalised guide on how to master a skill is an experience that’s invaluable.” . . Peju Obasa is a contemporary fashion knitwear designer from London, who found the equipment she needed to turn her passion into a full fledge career. Gumtree is more than just a buying and selling platform; Peju found community there and was trained by a master knitter in how to use the machine she was going to buy. @pejuobasa, story by @h_cato #GumtreeStories #theneighbourhoodsgood #community #femalefilmmaker #london #videostory #hollymariecato #h_cato #hatsoff #filmmakersofinstagram #thefutureisfemale #knitting #knittersofinstagram #craft #creativity #bags #bumbags #bumbagstyle #yaaas
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“I rate Gumtree, I bought a lot of stuff from there. You don't just buy things online, you buy it from people” . . Koko’s a filmmaker who specialises in creating dynamic, nostalgic music videos that draws his audience back to a time of euphoric rave culture, shell suits and carefree abandonment. Koko will often search through Gumtree to find props for music videos, anything from furniture, disco balls and vintage film cameras. – @kokotheloco story captured by @h_cato #theneighbourhoodsgood #gumtreestories #ratings #peopleperson #film #filmmaking #musicvideo #furniture #disco #vintage #secondhand #secondlife #community #creativity #reducereuserecycle
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“I found my studio on Gumtree, it was such a great find and in a really nice part of London. I can have meetings here, do client fittings and it’s somewhere to store and pull clothes from.” . . Natalie’s work takes her from London, New York to LA. She’s a stylist and creative consultant, working on fashion editorials to elaborate music videos and live shows. “Everything I do is centred around people and making people feel good." Natalie's often armed with the task of finding clothes from niche time periods and she'll search for those items on Gumtree. Meeting up with sellers to see the clothes, feel the material and learn about the items. I buy second hand, all my clothes have a story and a history to it”. – @natalieroar story captured by @h_cato #gumtreestories #theneighbourhoodsgood #thrift #studio #clothes #creative #creativespace #creativespaces #creativespirit #stylist #fashion #fashionstyle #fashionstylist #chic #quiche #creativefemales #thefutureisfemale #london #jetsetter #peopleperson #materials #dressmaterials #gumtree #secondhand #reuse #story #reducereuserecycle #yaaas
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"Gumtree has given me the tools that I need to develop and produce my music.“ ~ Aldo's a musician from London blending the sounds of reggae, blues, Latin and funk together on his guitar amps and pedal board, that were all found on Gumtree. @nomade._ , story by @h_cato #GumtreeStories #theneighbourhoodsgood #music #musiciansofinstagram #musician #blues #funk #jazz #latinmusic #reggae #argentina #guitar #pedalboard #gumtree #musicians #musiclovers #afrobeat #tango #dance #musicproduction #musicdevelopment #mixer #recordplayer #vinyl #aldo
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Have you ignited a creative career with the help of Gumtree? Let us know by tagging #gumtreestories.
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