Going to do my first car boot sale - Any tips?
Discussion
Take food and drink with you, saves buying it at the burger stall. Make sure you have plenty of change, and watch the ones that poke about through your stuff as you are setting up, it's easy to let something go way too cheap then, and they know it. If you have to, tell em to naff off an come back in a bit.
Get there as early as you can, Make sure your table are strong enough for all your stuff, don’t put items on the floor, people wont bend down to look, keep them in your car until you get space on the table, take loads of carrier bags. If you think something is worth the asking price don’t budge, you can reduce it later, don’t sell anything counterfeit, talk to the people passing to get interest don’t just sit in the car. Take anything you don’t sell to the tip. And don’t spend loads of money on stuff from other stalls.
1.
When you arrive, alot of people 'sense' you are new, and will be trying to pick through your stuff before you can unpack it. Just be polite and tell them you are not selling until set up. Most of these will be other sellers who do a boot sale 5 days a week as a tax free income - they want to buy the good stuff off you so they can sell it tomorrow at a mark up.
2.
Take own food, drinks, etc - buying food = giving profit away
3.
Plenty of change, especially £5 notes and £1 coins - amazing how when you have no change people will suddenly only have 37p for that £2 item.
4.
Pre-price some items with what price you think its worth - check out ebay for rough ideas. Saves having to mentally work out what you want for each item when you have 5 people asking at once.
5.
Haggle - it may be worth £20 to you, but if someone offers you £10, haggle them up until you get a reasonable price. Better than taking it all home again.
6.
Be wary of theives - even old ladies will be slipping that jewellery or whatnot into their bag when you arent looking. if you have small high-value items, keep them in sight / link all together with string so you dont lose the lot.
7. Have fun - easy way to make a few quid. We sold our baby clothes which were just sat in the attic, and a few odds n sods - £150 cash for a morning's work - cant complain at that.
When you arrive, alot of people 'sense' you are new, and will be trying to pick through your stuff before you can unpack it. Just be polite and tell them you are not selling until set up. Most of these will be other sellers who do a boot sale 5 days a week as a tax free income - they want to buy the good stuff off you so they can sell it tomorrow at a mark up.
2.
Take own food, drinks, etc - buying food = giving profit away
3.
Plenty of change, especially £5 notes and £1 coins - amazing how when you have no change people will suddenly only have 37p for that £2 item.
4.
Pre-price some items with what price you think its worth - check out ebay for rough ideas. Saves having to mentally work out what you want for each item when you have 5 people asking at once.
5.
Haggle - it may be worth £20 to you, but if someone offers you £10, haggle them up until you get a reasonable price. Better than taking it all home again.
6.
Be wary of theives - even old ladies will be slipping that jewellery or whatnot into their bag when you arent looking. if you have small high-value items, keep them in sight / link all together with string so you dont lose the lot.
7. Have fun - easy way to make a few quid. We sold our baby clothes which were just sat in the attic, and a few odds n sods - £150 cash for a morning's work - cant complain at that.
speedchick said:
watch the ones that poke about through your stuff as you are setting up, it's easy to let something go way too cheap then, and they know it
Agreed - 100%Well, almost 100%. In my experience they're all for rampaging through your stuff if you're not careful. Be firm.
With the buyers, try taking a view when suggesting a price. There are the antiques-road-show-I-bought-it-for-50p-at-a-car-boot people after a Van Gogh for nothing and there are some people who are genuinely hard up. I get quite a lot of pleasure from helping the people trying to make ends meet while at the same time not giving the chancers a easy ride.
Laugh as people give up cash for rubbish.
try to get stuff labelled with the price you want before hand. If you want £5 for a DVD for instance, put a sticker on it saying £6. That way, when our under pressure from all around your less likley to agree £3.
Watch out for 'set up' rouges. Get there early, so that the public are not yet allowed in. then you'll realise that the flock of buyers around your car are other traders, looking to fleece you of stock. Hold out for better prices.
Be very careful about accepting counterfiet money. Even pound coins.
Dont sell dvd/software copies etc. The police do check quite often.
kids toys dont sell well. dont fill the car with kids stuff.
Mobile phones are better sold to one of those companies that advertise on the tellie now - you send it off, they send you a cheque.
try to get stuff labelled with the price you want before hand. If you want £5 for a DVD for instance, put a sticker on it saying £6. That way, when our under pressure from all around your less likley to agree £3.
Watch out for 'set up' rouges. Get there early, so that the public are not yet allowed in. then you'll realise that the flock of buyers around your car are other traders, looking to fleece you of stock. Hold out for better prices.
Be very careful about accepting counterfiet money. Even pound coins.
Dont sell dvd/software copies etc. The police do check quite often.
kids toys dont sell well. dont fill the car with kids stuff.
Mobile phones are better sold to one of those companies that advertise on the tellie now - you send it off, they send you a cheque.
Ewan S said:
OT but I've always wondered what happens to those old mobile phones that these companies allegedly pay ok money for. Are they sold to the third world like Nigeria or recycled in batches or what?
3rd world/developing countries mostly. Edited by pokethepope on Tuesday 21st July 15:23
On the one and only time I did a boot sale (never again!!!) I had people pulling stuff out of the boot of my car the moment I opened it.
So my advice to you is when you get there, get out of the car and immediately lock it up and walk off for 10 minutes.
The hordes just follow the new stream of cars coming in picking out the good stuff, after 10 minutes they will be way down the field and you can unpack and set up your gear without being hassled.
Hilly
So my advice to you is when you get there, get out of the car and immediately lock it up and walk off for 10 minutes.
The hordes just follow the new stream of cars coming in picking out the good stuff, after 10 minutes they will be way down the field and you can unpack and set up your gear without being hassled.
Hilly
Nurburgsingh said:
Kill yourself now, this will save you the pain and misery which you feel during the car boot sale and make you wish that you'd listened to me today.
1.) Excellent username2.) I have a feeling you will not be wrong but Mrs Wife is very keen on this idea.
We have a load of pre-recorded VHS tapes. My hope is that I'll get a pound or so for each of these.
erolb said:
Nurburgsingh said:
Kill yourself now, this will save you the pain and misery which you feel during the car boot sale and make you wish that you'd listened to me today.
1.) Excellent username2.) I have a feeling you will not be wrong but Mrs Wife is very keen on this idea.
We have a load of pre-recorded VHS tapes. My hope is that I'll get a pound or so for each of these.
When you pack the car put your tables in last so you can get them out first. When you have parked up get your tables out and position them to stake your claim to your pitch. Then lock the car up with all the stuff still inside and go and get a coffee for half an hour, then come back and set up when all the sharks have pi$$ed off.
hilly said:
On the one and only time I did a boot sale (never again!!!) I had people pulling stuff out of the boot of my car the moment I opened it.
So my advice to you is when you get there, get out of the car and immediately lock it up and walk off for 10 minutes.
This is very good advice - don't underestimate those weirdo bargain hunters who get there early...they really are like vultures who will happily 'help' you unpack!. Park up and run (to the burger van for a cuppa).So my advice to you is when you get there, get out of the car and immediately lock it up and walk off for 10 minutes.
People are only interested in stuff if it's under a couple of quid. Don't go there expecting to sell anything for very much money.
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