It's 11am on a Saturday morning and the Blackhorse market in Inchicore is humming. Dozens of cars stand side by side, their boots open and packed with goods as diverse as books, CDs, clothes and vintage jewellery. Tables and makeshift stalls accommodate the bargains which can't fit in the boot. There is no shortage of customers, all in search of a bargain, all guaranteed one.

All over the country, the scene is being repeated. The recession has led to a huge increase in the popularity of car boot sales. Dave Colledge, who set up a website especially for people to advertise their own sales, says visits to the site have hit a record 2,000 a day.

"I set up the website when I could not find out about car boot sales in my own area," he says. "July and August saw a huge jump in the numbers of people visiting and posting on the website."

Colledge will now overhaul the entire site to cope with the increased interest.

"Advertisers of these sales are getting savvier and using the web and notices in the street and papers to get the word out for these car boot sales. People love bargain-hunting and a car boot sale will have items of interest to all the age groups and all the members of the family," he says.

The Martin family are enjoying their fifth weekend there at the Blackhorse market. They say they are making €200-€300 every weekend from the venture. Their 12-year-old son Cory mans the stall and is "being taught some valuable business lessons selling off toys and games he's grown out of", says his mother Ellen.

Fifteen-year-old Ryan Dermot is having his own car boot sale, having been driven to Inchicore by his parents.

"This has been a summer job to me now over the last few weeks as there are no other jobs available out there at the moment," he says. "It is getting busier and busier out here. I'm selling an awful lot of bits and pieces and it keeps me occupied and out of my mam's way, out of mischief really," he adds.

Dermot doesn't intend to hang around too long though, with aspirations of pursuing a degree and heading to medical school.

Jacqueline, who does not wish to give her full name, recently lost her teaching job; her hours were cut back drastically due to financial and staffing pressures, and she was eventually let go.

"This has almost become a lifestyle for me. I need to make a certain amount here, and that goes towards feeding my children."

What can you expect from your average car boot sale? One family is selling custom-made registration plates, another arts and crafts goods from home, another a collection of children's toys. There is a wardrobe of vintage clothes for sale, and even an enclosed "adult content only" car boot. Running this particular sale is Nuala Reddy, who says demand is rocketing.

"The car boot sale has become hugely popular again and there is money to be made from it, and gems to be picked up. It is true that sometimes one man's trash is another man's treasure."