General Chat

Has anyone had a stall/table on a car boot sale.

Did you make a fair bit of money or was it a flop..

My friend wants me to help on a car boot sale and has asked me to get somethings together to sell(having one of my clearouts).

Roughly what did you sell ie bric a brac,toys, curtains/bedding and kitchen equipment.

Need advise as I have only til Saturday morning (5 am)as she comes early to pick me up..

Ta :-D

i havent
but a friend has he made £125 from his garage junk :-D

I have done a couple of boot sales but never made much money usually just a bit over the table fee. The worst thing is if you don't sell much you have to pack and unpack it all when the sale is over
We sold bric a brac, toys,children's clothes and books mainly.

Hope you have good day and make loads of money :-D

I take absolutely anything. If I don't use it or it would otherwise end up in the bin then I take it to sell.

One man's junk and all that.

Have a think about the minimum you would accept for each item and then add a little.

It is sometimes worth making "collections" of things too. If they don't sell as one big lot then you can always split later in the day.

And remember, people will even buy things that no longer work - things like old radios and other electrical items always go down well as well as tools.

Mind you, I have never seen a car boot for sale.

In all honesty you can sell anything, but some will not allow you to sell electrical items.

You will be surprised at what you can sell. Your old tat is someone elses collectable.

Price up a bit and haggle down to the price you think is fair. And beware of the dealers who are in first, they are lethal, they do not wait for you to finish unpacking and try to buy when you are still setting out. They get good bargains like this because you are so confused. Newbies are like fresh meat to them and as they are often regulars they can smell a newbie at 100 paces and go in for the kill, they are ruthless!!!

And make sure you have a purse or pouch you can keep on your body for your money.

It can be tiring but great fun. Did it once after mum died. Made very little money but got rid of loads of stuff and that was after I had donated all her clothes and other items to charity. Even got rid of some of my own tat.....

All in all you should have great fun. Take food and drink with you, and a loo roll.... :-D :-D

I've done quite a few in various places, but I know it does vary as to how much you can make ( location plays a big part I think not to mention the weather!).

People do expect to get a real bargain and will try and beat you down on price, so if you can 'pile it high and sell it cheap' you may do better. In Wales we used to move a lot of plants, and the last table top I did ( indoors) the plant stall opposite was doing well.

Have a good mix of stuff, a friend did well with children's clothes, household stuff moves quite well, I wouldn't bother with books, they take up a lot of space. Curtains and bedding seem to go well but again people will try and beat you down on price.

if you think something is worth more than you're being offered ( good jewellery or collectables) hang on to it and try it on ebay instead.

Hope you have a good day :-)

Thats good Advice for me..I have been getting all sorts ready to go in the car.

I have priced somethings up but I will certainly haggle.

I will certainly be taking drinks and food with us +loo roll.


Errol I burst out laughing when I read about the car boot.
Thanks for the laugh,neede that.

It will be Sunday morning at achoice of 3 big boot salesites.
Hopefully I will get rid of everything.

Thanks

Sue :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Take a 'float' of change. It is no good asking 50p or 25p for something and not being able to give change. (These may sound small amounts but lots of small things do add up.)

Gather as many carrier bags as you can. They are very useful for customers to cart off your treasures.

This advice comes from an expert - I did do ONE car boot sale quite a few years ago!

Carrier bags & newspaper

Things that do sell well as said before are clothes, especially kiddies and larger sizes.

But do yourself a big favour and do not wander round looking at the other stalls, you will only be tempted to buy!!!! Or see your stuff you sold earlier at a much higher price (quite common).

:-D :-D

Elisabeth..I have a bag of change ready and also a bumbag to hold the notes haha.(just in case I get a big sale.),Yes carrier bags and newsapaper/bubble wrap.

I have never done a car boot sale yet,,,,cos late hubby wanted me up and about at 3-30am to set off to the site..which was only about 15 mile from where I lived that way. Near the border with Lancs.

Will let you all know how we get on... :-) :-)

Present clothes well on a rail if possible and clean ,,,,,,toys are two a penny at BS.

Leggo loose or boxed fetches a good price,,,,,

Keep small items such as Jewellery or collectables to the back of the table/stall.....any LPs put in one box and any single in another near you so easy to slip 2/3 singles in an LP cover. :-D.

anything heavy or unimportant put at the front or side of the stall,,,,,,people will walk away with anything, :-D.



3 books a £1-----is about the rate.

good luck......

ps-------other sellers will often buy your left overs at the end of the day,,,,,,,,,,and dont be suprised if your first sales ends up on another stall marked up 1 or two quid higher,,know the stufff you are selling,,,,,gt grans brooch maybe worth more than £1---------

Good advice from above. In fact I am going with my daughter to do one Sunday.

In my experience you do need two people to cover stall, in past have had things stolen.

You really do have to be firm when you first arrive on site as stated dealers are like a plague of locust, and are very intimidating, when I did them 25 yrs ago it was all very civilized but not now.

Have always made at least £100 whenever I have done one.

Good luck :-D

Oh Carol I'm one of the locust,,,,,,,but only for vintage or earlier.......I am fair though as I know the market well......... :-D :-D :-D :-D.

You will enjoy it but do be careful of the other dealers my son almost before he unpacked a fishing rod was bought by a dealer and he later saw it for sale at £15 more than he had sold it for.....but you learn by experience so they say. Are you going to the Airport sale? my friend had her 2 g/sons with her a couple of wks ago there and the boys came away with £100 each!! but then my daur had one and only made £75 so good luck

Don't be taken in by the old ladies who don't look as if they have two pennies to rub together lol, I had one once, who beat me down to 1/4 price with her " I only have my pension dear"...I happened to be behind her when I went round the other tables later on , she did the same to everyone and from behind I could see the roll of £20s in her purse ;-) she was met at the gates by son I presume and loaded up the car with her bargains :-)

All good advice here, we used to get the kids to clear out toys and sell them, amazing how that toy they want to hang on to is not so important when it's worth cash!

We stopped as it did get very commercialised, people wanting to beat you down on something you had priced at 20p!

Believe it or not we nearly always had something nicked! Usually a daft item but rather than pay 50p they nick it, some people :-P

Most important, price you stuff before you go and as said be very firm with the dealers who will actually start rummaging through your boot, tell them to go away till you have set up and unless they are prepared to offer you your asking price or darn close for an item you have put out say no, you can bet if they want it it will sell well!

Good luck , may see you on "The Apprentice" next year if it goes well :-D

Mayfield

Rose am shocked you followed me about,,,,,,,,,, :-D :-D :-D :-D,

That was a cracking disguise Kay :-)

Kay the only things that are Vintage is myselfand friend.mind she is 6 yrs younger than me..... :-D :-D :-D :-D

No not the Airport but Either Pickering,Skirlington or Murton North Yorkshire.

Carol good luck with yours hope you make loads.

RR,When you work in Supermarkets you get all the old tales!!!! Oh I haven't enought ,I am 50p short.I had to be hard then as it wasn't my money..


Mayfield Everything now priced up being writing the labels out sat here reading the threads.

Yes I can imagine people nicking stuff.

I will have to have eyes in the back of my head then... :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

I sold the last of my possessions before I moved here including several LP records some of which I later found out were worth a lot more. Ex husband does them regularly and buys to sell again at a later date. He takes the grandchildren when they are clearing out prior to Christmas.

A tip to to members with children always keep the boxes of decent or expensive toys, daughter had a box full in the loft, as when you want to sell them they seem to be worth more with the box.

Ex mum in law was a avid buyer at boot sales and her son, my ex, said if I get like my mother shoot me. He is now far worse than she ever was.