Spill the beans...on your car boot sale tips, tricks and steals

Lukadeh

At my local boot sale shoes sell ridiculously well, there is a fight whenever somebody gets shoes out their car. Generally I think they're purchased to send overseas. Also cosmetics, toiletries etc.
As a buyer I always try and have a bit of change, if not just ask them to pop it in their car and come back for it later.

mum2one

Lukadeh wrote: »

At my local boot sale shoes sell ridiculously well, there is a fight whenever somebody gets shoes out their car. Generally I think they're purchased to send overseas. Also cosmetics, toiletries etc.
As a buyer I always try and have a bit of change, if not just ask them to pop it in their car and come back for it later.

your lucky, up our ends shoes just don't go. I think it depends on the area and the shopper, even at our places, you can do the same place twice and something will go the 2nd time, when the 1st time everyone just walks past. x

mum2one

One thing i would say is remember the seller has ears.......... be polite........

I did a car boot on sunday, and this lady came up and thanked me, as the last time I did a sale she was having a kids party, and I had some of DDs old party bits and dabs, so I did her a bag of stuff up, it was priced at £20 seperately, she had £13 so gave it her for £13. Bless her heart she did come and say thank you, didn't expect, but was chuffed at, her partner comes in, asks the price of something on the table, priced £1 each, - he then turns to her and says that cow wants £1 each for them I can get them for 50p each from the stall outside......

I didn't even bother offering to reduce the price for buying 2, now people like that will make me less likely to do someone else a favour in the future. Espically as I had done them such a discount, yes I know they made a bigger purchase but if your going to have a moan do it out of earshot! x

MoaningMyrtle

I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but I have recently been rocking up to the Car Boot Sale, getting out of the car, locking it and then going for a quick browse prior to setting up my stall.

This prevents any hassle at the beginning from dealers, they very quickly move on to the next few cars. This would also be an ideal time to use the loos if the need arose.

I set up in peace with some lovely customers. I was told by an African gentleman the goods he bought were to send to Africa, this was shoes/trainers.

demystified

To sellers I would say don't stand immediately behind your table and stare down the buyers, relax, give the buyers some room and give them time to scrutinise, don't crowd them and don't stare them down like you're expecting them to scoop up your stuff and make a run for it... one stall I was at recently there were 3 or 4 hefty blokes stiffly standing immediately behind their stall not talking to anyone, very serious looking, staring everyone down from behind dark glasses.... I steered well clear of their stall.

amjustagirl

demystified wrote: »

To sellers I would say don't stand immediately behind your table and stare down the buyers, relax, give the buyers some room and give them time to scrutinise, don't crowd them and don't stare them down like you're expecting them to scoop up your stuff and make a run for it... one stall I was at recently there were 3 or 4 hefty blokes stiffly standing immediately behind their stall not talking to anyone, very serious looking, staring everyone down from behind dark glasses.... I steered well clear of their stall.

So true that, it's so off putting if the seller watches you like a hawk. If i get a bad feeling about the seller/s i don't even bother looking at their stuff. Also sellers if you are going to sell clothes etc at least wash them! I went to a carboot on Sunday just gone and saw a nice looking baby coat from the back but it had a disgusting food stain down the front. Who would buy manky stained clothing lol.