Car Boot Sales

[zilloot]

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I'm thinking of doing a car-boot sale in a few weeks.

Any tips or ideas to make it easier from all you who know how it's done or who have been before??!!! :thumbsup:

I must admit I've never even been to a car boot sale and the one I'm going to is huge so all help gratefully received! I've got a decorating table and have been saving my pollybags. I've got a cashbox or should I use a bumbag? I'm taking a flask of coffee and I can sit on the back of my car.. but I don't have a 'hood'/tent in case it rains. :blink:

I've got a box of paperback, all newish and just read once. Would you pay 50p for one?

 

[Juley]

I would think 50p a good price for a paperback, maybe 75p if its a bigger one. Use a bum bag, and watch everything like a hawk, people steal! I haven't done one for years but had a few bits stolen. Be prepared to bargain! :lol: Take lots of old carriers to wrap stuff in, wrap up warm and have loads of fun. If you can do it with a friend it really helps. Good luck. :thumbsup:

 

[whippetmad]

I agree with Juley,used a bum bag.Get there early if you can to set up before they come swarming in,as we done one a few years ago while we were setting up some scumbag stealed our TV stand and that is not exactly small!! Could i find the b*****s,no :rant:

 

[Janimal]

Yes be prepared for the 'vultures' :lol: that arrive early and go through your stuff before you have even set it out.. :thumbsup:

and price everything if you can, and yes do prepare to barter

The flask of tea is a great idea, and definitely a bum bag to keep the takings safe...

Good luck :luck:

 

[Lal]

My advice - Don't do it!! I've done a few with my Mum and it is honestly my idea of a living hell!

Seriously though, I'd go with the advice given above. Definitely a bum bag as there are some seriously light fingered people about. Don't be intimidated by the 'pro's' who will try and get you to part with your stuff at a knock down price so that they can sell it on for more. Take plenty of small change - your first customers will all have 10 pound notes and will only want one book at 50p! Plenty of tea/coffee and some warm layers, tends to be very chilly in the mornings.

Lastly, if you can, go with a friend. By the time you've drunk the contents of your flask it's handy to have someone else there so you can take a loo break!

 

[nicky12]

i agree with Lal ,dont do it lol ,i did one a few years ago got ther really early and opened my boot to start unpacking and people just came from no were and pushed me outa the way and just started rumaging throu the boot of my car every now and then somone would come up for air and ask how much somthing was ,was very scary (w00t) needless to say by time they finished i didnt have much left to unpack ,but came home with £160 so that was good .

 

[~Sarah~]

I have done a couple and I can't say I really enjoyed it, but it is a great way to get rid of unwanted stuff. :thumbsup: I prefer buying though, not selling.

I felt that people only wanted things at a very low price, and it was hard to let things go for so little, particularly when some things were my Mum's ornaments etc that I didn't want, but I knew she had loved them.

Arrive early to get a good pitch and to sort yourself out in good time. Have everything priced on labels before you get there. The 'vultures' appear before you even unload the car. The time does drag if you are not busy selling so it is useful to have a companion so that you can have a chat, go to the loo or wander round. Be careful not to come home with more than you took!!

Have fun.

 

[Nicola]

I've taken part in 2-3 car boot sales now, and have been really pleased to get rid of unwanted items in this way. I 've also found that as soon as you open your car doors to start unloading, people (mainly older folk!) start sorting through your stuff before you've even had a chance to lay things out or get them out of the car (w00t)

Definitely take plenty of change, a warm flask, and stick price labels to as many items as you can. Don't expect to sell everything, be prepared to take some stuff home again. Anything you really don't want to take home, reduce it drastically an hour or so before you intend to leave. I've found that old electrical items (except lights) don't sell very well, books....some but not many go, old bits of furniture and glass/china ornaments, lights, plants etc go like hot cakes.

 

[Karen-Coral]

Tips-

If you're having a clear out...don't be tempted to look round others stalls or you''ll end up taking loads home-

the 'so-called dealers' come early and basically treat you as if you've no intelligence-they want everything for nowt basically-

Sternly tell them you have no intention of selling anything until you have set up your stall properly-

They will also try and tell you that your video's/books are overpriced-don't listen-stand your ground...

Take a look at what charity shops sell their goods for-

Shoes can be £4-5 at least....If you've got some shoes to sell in good condition-you want at least £3-00-if they don't sell at the boot sale-put them on E-bay or visit the charity shop with them on the way home from the sale-saves you unloading at home again and your doing a bit of good instead of letting the scavengers get your gear.

The folk at car boots want to give you 50p for everything and less if they can get away with it.

Classic comments are-as they're trying them on..............

What do you want for your shoes?

reply-£3-00

Will you take £2-00-I'm not sure they fit me! (w00t)

As if a £1 will make the difference.............. :blink:

Come home and give yourself a good telling off about your clutter and promise never to buy ornaments etc again unless you really, really need them.

Look up 'freecycle' on the net-

folk give stuff away that they no longer need etc....free!

this is a good way of recycling your clutter too.

 

[*Lesley*]

I've only done one it was ok , but if I go to one I always take more notice of the ones that are set out nice rather than the ones that look like they've tipped their junk drawer onto the table, it just seems like their stuff are cleaner if you know what I mean, I like to see prices on stuff too, I'm not keen on asking :b

 

[Ann Glews]

Some good tips there with bum bag, price labels, take a friend so one can unpack and the other deal with the hoardes....... its worth it though and the busier the better for your sales ££ :thumbsup:

The only thing I would add is if you have any clothes they sell much better on hangers on a rail, rails are about £7 at Argos and you can save it for next time.... or borrow one!

Pick a good day and pack the car te night before if you can, you have to be at some of them an hour before they let cars in to make sure you get a pitch on fine days :luck: :luck:

 

[chelle123]

always ask for more than you really want then they barter and they get a "bargain" and you get what u reallly wanted.

as lesley says set up nice sells better.

Dont throw eveyrthing at once dont have it too cluttered and have expensice in the middle not front were it can be knocked and smashed and not at the back cos they have to reach over and some ppl are too lazy to do that

 

[beaubeau]

Drive on..park up and go off for a cuppa Do not open your boot for you will be invaded with a group of vultures 'helping' you unpack while asking ' how much will you take for this?' these people are only buying to sell-on.. :angry: and this is when stuff gets lifted too......I'd rather give it to a charity shop !! Give them 10 minutes to move on up the row to the next unsuspecting seller then you can leisurely unpack and set out in your own chilled out time

 

Price all that you can and be prepared to take less...nobody wants to pay what's being asked :wacko: so just add a bit on :thumbsup:

 

Take chairs for you both to sit at when it slows down :thumbsup:

 

 

Good luck.

 

Tracey x

 

[Julie D]

if you 'haven't got change' give them a small item 'free'

so you get rid of more junk and keep your small change.

Give free item to those buying more than 1 thing

never expect much for an item - you'll be disappointed...they want everything for 10 p !! you'll be heartbroken at the price you get for some things, best not to think of your stuff sentimentally.

Clothes do much better from a rail of hangers with price labels on each hanger,

see my unused clothes rail in market place !

good idea about taking a friend to watch your stuff/go to loo/chat to when bored !

take a huge bag to drop off all the unsold stuff at a charity shop on way home, so you don't feel like you've wasted your time.

remember you have to pay cash for your pitch as well as having a float of change, go to bank day before to get silver change.

most boot sales you have to pre-book your pitch, get there early to set up b4 the vultures.

I've done 3 and swear I'll never do another, for me it just doesn't pay for the hours of preparation and the number of times tramping up + down the loft ladder

:luck: :luck: hope you get a dry day for it

 

[zilloot]

(w00t) OMG it sounds TERRIFYING!!!!!!!!!!

*runs scurrying for cover as vultures circle*

I'm not sure I've got the balls for this! - I'm hopeless at telling people to back off!

I'm not very confident so the rude people will probably reduce me to a quivering wreck :lol: :lol: Luckily I wasn't planning to sell anything particulary valuable - it just seems a shame to give all the stuff away to charity when I'd rather choose a charity myself (our local 'charity' shop is one of those charities with a reputation for spending too much on 'admin' and I'd rather see the money go to an animal charity).

:rant: I hate rude people. I wonder if I could just be brave and tell people just to wait until I'm set up? The friend I'm hoping to take with me is certainly much better at speaking up so maybe she can deal with it.

Thanks for all the tips though - much appreciated :thumbsup:

 

[Seraphina]

I have done it few times, just for fun and to get rid of some unwanted stuff. My rule is never to bring stuff back home so I happily give stuff away if it does not look I will sell it.

I always find it interesting the way people try to put one over you. Like the old lady who kept examining one old dress (priced at 50cents) for good 1/2 an hour, then asks what would I take for it (w00t) . i just gave it to her . Or this very expensively dressed young girl, about 16 or 17 years old, who was looking at this trendy little mini-skirt (also 50cents) that my daughter bought for about $120 and wore once. Then she told me she will give 20 cents, and that is all I am getting and more or less took it and ran away. And then there was this very ordinary metal bangle which had a tag with 5cents on it, and somebody nicked it!!! There are some desperate people around. By the way this was a market in very posh part of the city.

As others already mentioned, bum bag and heaps of change, you definitely need another person, or it would be a very long day without chance to get a coffee or go to loo. Get everything priced the day before, and do not let the vultures to talk you down the first thing in the morning, there is plenty of time to go down with your price later on.

Have fun

 

[midlanderkeith]

I'm thinking of doing a car-boot sale in a few weeks.
Any tips or ideas to make it easier from all you who know how it's done or who have been before??!!! :thumbsup:

I must admit I've never even been to a car boot sale and the one I'm going to is huge so all help gratefully received!  I've got a decorating table and have been saving my pollybags.  I've got a cashbox or should I use a bumbag?  I'm taking a flask of coffee and I can sit on the back of my car.. but I don't have a 'hood'/tent  in case it rains. :blink:

I've got a box of paperback, all newish and just read once.  Would you pay 50p for one?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Stacks of stuff here, old computers monitors, keyboards, portable tele, cameras, a lovely big dolls house, hand made, get yourself ready we will make a small fortune, and just for you, i might even sell my body

 

[hely]

I'm thinking of doing a car-boot sale in a few weeks.
Any tips or ideas to make it easier from all you who know how it's done or who have been before??!!! :thumbsup:

I must admit I've never even been to a car boot sale and the one I'm going to is huge so all help gratefully received!  I've got a decorating table and have been saving my pollybags.  I've got a cashbox or should I use a bumbag?  I'm taking a flask of coffee and I can sit on the back of my car.. but I don't have a 'hood'/tent  in case it rains. :blink:

I've got a box of paperback, all newish and just read once.  Would you pay 50p for one?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Stacks of stuff here, old computers monitors, keyboards, portable tele, cameras, a lovely big dolls house, hand made, get yourself ready we will make a small fortune, and just for you, i might even sell my body

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

ooohhhh (w00t)