Boot Sale

alibob30

Sorry if this isn't the right place for this post!

:hello:
I'm planning to do a bootsale at the weekend and am looking for some advice please. I've never done or been to a bootsale before so am not sure what sells and what doesn't.

I have lots clothes, some plus size new ex catalogue stock which i bought to sell on ebay but its not worked out, would this kind of thing go?
Also, lots of baby clothes and some baby sleeping bags, again stuff that doesn't seem to be selling on ebay.
I've also got lots of books, i've sold some on Amazon, but the ones I have left aren't worth much and there are loads of copies on Amazon already.

Any advice gratefully received.

Yorkielass

I did my first car boot sale a few weeks ago.

My biggest bit of advice would be to decide whether it's more important to get rid of the stuff or if the money is more important and you're willing to take stuff home. We were trying to get rid of stuff for a house move so we were happy to accept offers, reduce stuff etc.

Can't be much help on clothes as didn't take any myself, we sold all sorts of odd bits and pieces though kitchen stuff, empty cd cases, old video and hairdryers baseball caps, cosmetics (the ones I'd got free curtosey of boots) etc - not sure what I sold but we took £35 which we were pleased with and it paid for most of our new bedside tables

Anyway general tips:

Take seats, change and some drinks and food - they'd be my main three things and if you're pre pricing stuff take some spare labels - we forgot and it was hard to reduce things.

Good luck I'll certainly do another next summer

Pink.

Hi alibob30,

Welcome to Moneysaving Old Style.

There are some older threads that you may like to read:

Car Boot Sales !!!!!!!

Car Boot Sale Prices.......

Today I went to a carbootsale and I bought...

boots sales are nearly over....get ready to go shopping in your attic

Good luck with your sale at the weekend.

Pink

nearlyrich

Take change, take carriers, Have fun, talk to people , ask them what's it worth? Have fun, watch out for the dealers who dive in before you draw breath when you try to unpack. Have fun.

Good luck hope you make lots of dosh.

Amba_Gambla

When we do car boots, we don't label prices - saves money and if someone seems genuinely interested then you can vary the price a bit,a nd it's easier to haggle or change your price. It also shows when ppl are interested in an item....


my top tip!

gravitytolls

Personally, as a buyer not a booter, I ealy prefer things to be labelled. I knowit's time consuming, but I hate having to repeatedly say, 'how much is this?'
Alternatively, use specified ares/boxes/blankets to display things with signs suggesting price i.e all items this table 50p.

The days of the genuine car booter are long gone, and most seem to be traders. There are several stalls at our local one who don't label but are expensive. Of course there are plenty who aren't, but when it's a popular sale, and stalls are busy, it's disconcerting to keep interupting sellers with how much questions.

I also like to know price in advance so I have an idea of how much I'm prepared to offer.

Amba_Gambla

are you put off by lack of prices? If so, maybe it's something I need to change!

We still have priced boxes/racks etc (eg: everything here, 50p)

molesworth

What shifts at boot sales varies from area to area and sale to sale, I imagine. Each sale seems to have its own character. For example, one-off fund-raising boot sales at schools, where parents turn out, are good for selling children's books and children's clothes, of course.

The massive city boot sale that I sometimes sell at is full of people looking for bargains (and people looking for things to sell on ebay, I'm sure). However, I have taken books that I haven't been able to sell on Amazon - thrillers, romances etc - and they have gone very well. I've priced the paperbacks at 50p and the hardbacks at £1 -a little bit under what appears to be the going rate at this particular sale.

Videos - particularly children's videos - have gone well at 50p to £1 each. With everyone switching to DVD this might be your last chance to get rid of unwanted videos.

Clothes I haven't had a lot of success with (might be just what I've got!). They certainly need to be displayed well (if you don't have a rail, try to borrow one). Last time I did notice that the trader opposite me was doing a good trade in "sensible" women's coats and jackets. Baby clothes haven't done well for me but baby equipment is snapped up - I think that would apply to your sleeping bags.

If you have any good, unused toiletries - bubble bath etc - that you don't want it might be worth taking them along because these go down well with little girls whose mums are allowing them to look for a bargain!

I've found that a bit of advance preparation makes a difference - putting labels on items beforehand. You can always adjust the price later (take pens and labels)

Also, take lots of change and also plastic carrier bags if you have them (buyers seem to expect them). You really need someone with you to mind the stall if you have to go to the loo. Arrive early and be prepared for fellow sellers to start swarming over your car to see if you have anything that could earn them a spot on Antiques Roadshow. In my opinion the earlier you arrive the more likely you are to escape this traumatic experience!

Steel yourself for some pretty ferocious bargain hunters too. For example, if your paperbacks are 50p each you might find someone suggesting they buy three for £1. I've fallen for it. At the same time, it you want to shift stuff, it's worth dropping prices if it suits you.

Car boots are good fun though - it's human life in the raw! I should say that I only do sales a couple of times a year and my experience is limited to my own area.

Best of luck - have a good day!

gravitytolls

I'm afraid I am Amba. I only need a guide to prices. Perhaps it's just my natural reticence, I hate to be a bother by repeatedly asking how much things are.

I also have absolutely no idea of teh value of stuff, so when I expect to pay no more than a couple of pounds, I am often taken aback by what seem to be high prices.

Don't mean to put you off, people say I'm a little odd, and that's probably one of my oddities.

Contains_Mild_Peril

Price labels can be offputting if they're more than the customer's willing to pay, whereas if they find something they're interested in, ask the price and then make a face and hastily put it back down, the seller will then have the opportunity to reduce the price and let them think they're getting a real bargain. As a customer, I tend to be more attracted to stalls without price labels, though big signs like "everything in box 20p" appeal to me. If a customer asks the price then you know they're interested, whereas if they walk past a labelled item, it's often hard to tell whether they just don't want it or whether it's the price which has deterred them. Customers will haggle, so ask a little more than you expect to get.
The great advantage of price labels is you can leave your stall in the care of a companion while you browse, go to the loo or whatever - and on that last point, it may be advisable to take your own loo roll, or at least some tissues. They often run out!
If a customer holds up more than one item and asks the price, specify whether you mean each or for both/all of them, as this can often be a source of confusion.
I really wouldn't advise selling at a boot sale you've never been to before. It's much better to see what others are selling, and how much they're charging, before deciding for yourself. I could give you a guide to typical prices in my area, but it might be different where you are.
I find clothes, both children's and adults', hard to sell at boot sales, but I don't have a clothes rail or many posh label clothes, so others may do better. Nearly new footwear will normally sell if cheap enough.
Collectables, popular recent CD albums, cheap kids' videos, baby equipment in very good condition, and games for current consoles (eg PS2, XBox) are among the things that actually sell.
Hard to shift items include clothes which are not of outstanding quality, old books which have been bestsellers in their time (there are just too many 2nd hand copies around now), untrendy music (don't expect anyone to buy that Sound Of Music LP!), PC games, games for obsolete consoles, and teddy bears (unless outstanding) - again, there are just too many. Baby clothes are a bit unpredictable; they sell well at some boot sales, but not others.
If you have something eyecatching, display it prominently and avoid underpricing it, as it will serve to attract customers. I remember seeing a stall with an old Bakelite radio, priced at £70, as the centrepiece. Nobody bought the radio, but plenty of people came to look at it and then bought less expensive items.
If you can, ask someone who's at least been a customer at your chosen car boot sale for advice, particularly on pricing and start time. You'll need to get up early: it's quite normal for most of the trade to take place long before the official start time at an outdoor sale. If you plan to use one of those flimsy pasting tables with no support in the middle, don't even think about putting heavy or fragile stuff on it. And don't forget to check the weather forecast!

Bargain_Rzl

I haven't been to a boot sale for years, but here's my top tip...

DON'T END UP WITH A NEGATIVE PROFIT BY SPENDING YOUR TAKINGS ON OTHER PEOPLE'S STALLS!

Very easily done