Car boot sale advice - updated 2013

Contains_Mild_Peril

You'll probably also find lots of other sellers with baby stuff so you might have to price very competitively for good results.

annie-c

pepsi1234 wrote: »

Has anyone every sold old baby toys/clothes, highchairs etc at a car boot. just wondering if worth taking them along to one to get rid now kids starting to out grow them. Some of bigger toys, accessories etc were £80 plus.

know wont get loads for them but better than nothing and can use towards new toys for them

At a few boot sales I have noticed that the cars that sell only baby items can be very quiet. It seems to be best to have a range of stuff, people seem to stop and browse more then and busy stallls tend to attract even more people... it's sort of an infectious thing. So it is a good idea to do a total de-clutter and make sure there is a bit of something for everyone on your stall.

ModernSlave

Does anyone know the name of the car boot before the exit to Burpham on the A3?

nikkie

Car Boot Advice for Buyers and Sellers:
(Some of this is repeat from other listings... sorry, but easier just to get it all in than filter it! )
I've done a fair few car boot sales over the years- both buying and selling. So hopefully what's in this posting will help.

Those of you looking for car boots etc to sell at (or buy from!): go for a drive on a sunday! signage for the ones near me (lancashire) are dotted all over pointing you in their general direction- so go have a look and, if you spot any, make a point of going actually to them to see how popular/busy they are. Most usually have some kind of signage detailing the organisers number (well, the bigger ones do!) that you can make a note of for future reference. Some car boots operate all year round, but most only operate during the summer between May/June and September (weather and amount of daylight depending). Fee's vary but expect to pay at LEAST £5 for an average car pitch (more for vans/trailers etc). Also look out for local ones advertised in freebie papers.

Arrive early- both to sell and to buy! most carboots i've gone to i've found people packing up to leave, or found gaps along stall rows, at around 2pm! that's way too early IMO but if that stall holder has sold up what's to stop them from leaving?! Carboots generally open around 8:30/9am to the public and anything up to 2 hours before for sellers. As a seller I usually aim for 6:30/7pm and to avoid a stupidly early morning the car is loaded the day before- only recommended if your garage/drive is secure though. pricing and going through what to sell etc is organised over the week before- weekend before usually. 6:30/7am is not too early to be right at the entrance or on the first row, but early enough not to be stuck on the end. Beginning and end stalls can easily be missed off by buyers so getting in the middle is always useful! The inner first couple of rows are usually best. Buyers- as fed up as you are, try to keep going til the very end. average "joe public" buyers easily skip these- fed up, bored etcetc- and great bargains, as a result, can often be found there!

Sellers make sure you actually have a full carload of stuff to sell and a variety of items. sounds obvious but I sometimes see people with very sparse stalls and think "why did they bother?". you have to make at least the pitch fee, time spend organising the stuff and petrol to get there/back back. A full stall with lots of variety is also more inticing for people to look at and come over to. If you don't have enough to fill a car [and i mean FILL it!] I wouldn't bother.

The muggers that come around pestering when you first arrive- tell them to "go away" (but use stronger language!)... Last time I told the ones circling my mum and me to not touch anything cause if they did they would buy something at the rate WE chose (don't think they liked the idea of paying £30 for an item worth about £5!) or we said we wouldn't sell it to them at all [not just at that immediate moment]. Be strong and don't let your guard down. Last one I did I had one lady routing through a box and she actually broke a couple of fragile items (we only realised when we'd got round to unpacking it properly and she was long gone- she didn't do it on purpose, but that's not the point really) so now I don't let them near. if they don't take the verbal hint go grab one of the carboot attendants and get them to take action- they will be very used to dealing with them and will usually be happy to help you (that's generally what they're there for after all!). They will open doors and try and look regardless what you say, so do what another listing mentioned and lock the doors if you can or keep your ears pricked for the sound of opening doors and act immediately- yell and/or physically go to them, move them and shut the door again. Make enough of a show when the first one does it and the others should learn from it and it hopefully won't happen again. Another way is to refuse any sales until after you're set up- risky cause you could miss out on a couple of good sales, but worth it in the long run IMHO cause then you're not flustered into selling something at a silly low price (happened to me) cause you were being hounded! Take the view that if they are really interested they will come back when you're good and ready. Don't forget to put the things you're using to display [tables etc] on the top! And cover anything you're leaving in the car with blankets to keep snoopers out. Lock your Car even if you're remaining stood infront of it.

I have found [both as a buyer/seller] that clothing doesn't do well. I don't bother taking any. Any clothing I do have, that is still tagged etc, I either: take back to the store it has come from (you can do this!! just say you lost the receipt [which is usually true!] and they'll scan it and give you credit to use against something else- the price that comes up though, specially if it was quite a while ago, can be quite a chunk less that you paid for it, but it's usually better than what you can expect from a car boot! I recently took a large empty picture frame i'd bought 5 years ago back to the store I bought it from and got a £10 credit note for it to exchange against something- I think the frame was around £10 in the first place so i didn't loose anything at all really! at a carboot i prob would have only got £2-£5 for it); alternatively sell it on eBay (I have a friend who sells a lot of her designer type goods there and is a regular buyer too); or give it to a friend/charity.

Have a mix of things that are priced and not priced. As a buyer- I like things with prices on- I'm a little timid about asking a store holder for a price unless I'm really really really interested in something. As a result of my own buying experience I've decided that I will try and price things on my own stalls to make the people who are quite timid, like me, buy! I reason that those who aren't bothered about prices will come look anyway, but those that are (like me) will just glance and then pass by... so pricing in my opinion is the best choice out of the 2. I also price slightly higher than I want something to go for knowing that if i get bartered down i'll still get a reasonable amount- something i'd be happy to get £5 for I usually put on at £8.

Don't accept silly offers on things- I don't. if someone offers £1 for something that's worth £30 and they refuse to go up to a more reasonable amount (say £15-£20) I just don't sell it to them. I'd rather go home with it! By the end of the day (usually around 2/2:30pm with the view that we'll prob pack up and leave around 4pm) i'm usually ramping down prices, but there's only so far i'll go with certain objects. if it's an item only worth £1 in the first place than letting it go for 20p isn't a problem and to avoid taking it home makes something better than nothing! but something that's £10 going down to 20p- not going to happen on my stall! if you're willing to do that price leap then it was prob too much in the first place! if someone has the gall to ask for that price then politely tell them no sale and/or a price you're willing to do [just under or at the actual price you want though in case they counter again]. A barter for something you've priced at £10 could go something like this:
buyer: "I'll give you 50p for it"
you: "sorry, I'd like £10 for it"
buyer: "How about £3?" <they may not jump this high straight away>
you: "well, maybe £8..."
The conversation can go 2 ways now- they may accept the £8 or...
buyer: "How about £5?"
Now you can try your hand at squeezing a little more out of them or accepting the £5.
you: "ok, £5 it is" OR "£6 and you have a deal"
buyer: "deal"
This example of bartering is by no means reliable. every situation and person is different and saying "sorry, i'd like £10 for it" may just cause the person to give up/walk of straight away. general rule I follow is not going below 50% of the value you think it to be worth- so no lower than £5 for a £10 item, no lower than £15 for a £30 item- and stick to it! by getting you down 50%-75% the buyer will feel good and you won't feel so bad either (specially if you over estimated the price in the first place!). most people will usually go in at a lower, but reasonable, offer straight away (for eg: offer £5 for something priced £8), it's only the cheeky or hardened buyers that go in at silly low prices (for eg: £1 for something priced £15).

If you don't know what to price something at- attend a few car boots prior to your own (ideally at the venue you plan on using) to gage how much others are charging: In your opinion- are they too high? low? etcetc. then apply that to your own products. anything that could hold higher value [specially silver and other antiques] make sure you have someone look at them for you (a friend in the know is best cause they prob won't charge you, but even an expert shouldn't charge much for a valuation)- this could be a VERY important thing to do cause something you thought was only worth a £5 could actually be worth £40+! if it turns out to be REALLY valuable, sell it elsewhere or be strict on what you ask for it at the carboot- set yourself a minimum and stick to it! carboots are usually viewed as cheapo bargain places, but there are people who will pay more for an antique or quality item. but remember that purchasers of quality items will usually be traders looking for a potential profit themselves so whatever the item is valued at don't expect to get that full amount at a carboot- if you want the full amount go to eBay, private collector, professional antiques fair or auction house.

Take lots of change (buyers and sellers!:p ) including £2 coins, a couple of £5 notes and £10 notes. Don't refuse someone a sale just because they've only got a twenty- but do ask if they've got anything smaller before handing over change. lots of people I know just auto pilot to handing over a note when in actual fact they do have a couple of quid! Another thing for buyers to do is to buy a note checker pen to avoid accidently receiving forged notes- check every £10 and £20 note, but mainly £20s (though if you find one, remember the person handing it over may not know it's forged either!). these pens are usually only about £2/£3 and are a worthy investment if it avoids losing out on £10/£20! They work by swiping across a note and instantly changing colour [going dark] if it's fake and staying clear [but it will eventually go dark] if it's real. Look at the bank of england website for pdfs on bank notes and the counterfeiting prevention menthods on them- clue yourself up and then you shouldn't fall foul. Any person buying from you shouldn't be offended if you take the time to check the notes prior to giving them change. Besides- quickly swiping a pen across a note takes seconds anyway! At the very very VERY least: hold the note to the light to check for a watermark! (this is better than nothing, but one of the easiest [apparently] things for forgers to fake).
What to do if you spot one: inform them that it's fake... a fully fledged shop retailer has strict guidelines that include keeping the note, some are even ordered to detain the person using it!... but as a carbooter you can't really do that- specially if they're innocent (genuine surprise when you tell them it's a fake is a good indicator of innocence). what i've done is repeated the test again in their full view to prove what i was saying and give them the note back and tell them to visit their bank as soon as possible and NOT to try to use the note again (maybe throwing in information what a normal retailer would do for good measure!). Most banks will exchange the forged note for legit currency (specially if it came from a hole in the wall!)- sort of like a 'thankyou for handing it in' but this isn't guarenteed. best to write the value of the note off as a loss- but make it THEIR loss, not yours! Then ask for alternative payment, and hope they have it! but try to be subtle about all this- you wouldn't want the whole carboot to know if it was you, would you?!? :eek:

Take something to eat and/or drink. more important to take a drink if the weather is particularly hot. But try keep food and drink to a minimum if you're on your own! (can't exactly leave your stall unattended!).

Have some doggy treats and some water prime positioned next to or directly in front of your stall. This only applies if your particular car boot allows dogs! If it does you can be sure people will bring them and if the weather is hot those dogs will need refreshment too... larger carboots supply dog water anyway, but if you do as well then it'll mean those doggy loving owners will linger near your stall and may be made to browse long enough to make a purchase! Bring your own dog as an extra lure if you like, but be aware that these tactics can also put off people who don't like dogs! I leave my dog at home, but have a water bowl off to one side- space permitting- and have a stock of treats hidden behind my stall. if i'm not busy serving someone and i spot a drinking doggy i ask the owner if i can give the dog a treat (not all dog owners will allow this [various reasons] so don't just go straight in and give the dog one without asking first!)... this incites friendship/friendliness and makes that person more likely to buy from your stall. doesn't always work, and i'm quite fussy which dogs/owners I approach with this method, but it's always worth a shot cause I- at the least- get to fuss a lovely doggie if nothing else!

Above all- HAVE FUN! and try not to go home with more than you went with! :rotfl:

bmth123

Just a quick thank you to those regular car boot sellers who have taken the time to post tips on here. We recently moved house and had far too much stuff so headed off to a car boot yesterday. Not the best of weather but it was a case of now or never (as neither of us were keen!) and we still managed to make £60 clear profit after deducting fuel and entrance fees and cleared quite a lot of stuff - for information it seemed to be the 30p stuff that cleared the quickest along with dumbells! No idea why dumbells but even after they were sold people were approaching us asking if we had more! I'm normally a 'lurker' rather than a 'poster' (if that makes sense) but just wanted to thank those who had taken the time to post to help others clear some of the excess items and make some extra money. :T

shelovestobuystuff

Shared a stall at a fete yesterday with my sister in law.Didnt know what to expect as I had never done one before and ended up with £35 after the cost of the stall.I expected to just have a table like you do at boot sales and was very surprised when we turned up and we had been allocated a big covered walk in stall with 2 enormous tables:cool: .If only I had known I could have taken much,much more stuff with me.And it was the village gala day too and I didnt take any kids stuff:o .The place was full of kids and dogs and of all my stuff I had taken my hippy bags and purses to sell because I though I was just sharing one table with SIL.I am planning for next year already and have my stall pre-booked.I am taking my dogs with me too next time,everyone else took theirs and I missed mine enormously even though I was only out for about 5 hours.
The weather was fantastic and I think I spent more on the fun fair etc for DD than I took but it was fun.Looking forward tio the next one and will be better prepared for it next year.

shelovestobuystuff

Had a peek at the ibootsale site and it looks good,lots of sellers but are the buyers there too?I have opened a pitch and got my first 25 items on now.I will let you know if its any good.

http://www.ibootsale.co.uk/user_pitch/Alicias_Attic

mhe

So when it says car boot opens at 7am for traders and 7.30am for public do you mean that the muggers are other traders?

Im thinking of doing a car boot and selling off my junk but iv never done one beore and some of the posts on here are making me a bit apprehensive - im not great at fending off people or dealing with muggers/vultures. I thought if i got there early theyd all be busy setting up their own stalls and would leave you alone.

annie-c

mhe wrote: »

So when it says car boot opens at 7am for traders and 7.30am for public do you mean that the muggers are other traders?

Im thinking of doing a car boot and selling off my junk but iv never done one beore and some of the posts on here are making me a bit apprehensive - im not great at fending off people or dealing with muggers/vultures. I thought if i got there early theyd all be busy setting up their own stalls and would leave you alone.

I think 'muggers' is a quite strong word to use and you have no need to be afraid!

Yes, some of them are other traders, looking to buy cheaply from you and sell on later at a profit. But you don't have to sell to them or be overly assertive. You are perfectly free to sit in your car and open a flask fo tea/light a cigarette whatever and just call out of the window "Dear me, no, nothing valuable here sorry..." as they pass by. Or get out and lock the car and go to the loo for 5 before unpacking. They tend to swoop on cars in the order that they park so if you give it a while until they have 'done' your row then you shouldn't be all that harassed

dragonsdaughter

I do car boots every week and find it best to sit in the car for a while - a good tip might be to just say - I dont have any mobile phones, jewellery or pottery just clothes and household items and the dealers(vultures) will move on. If you do have any such items wait until about an hour after you get there and then get them out when the true buyers arrive and will pay a better price