Car boot sales are a Sunday morning tradition for a large part of the country. Walking around a field or car park looking at stalls or floor displays on old blankets trying to find a bargain.
They are popular because they work for everyone.
Sellers get to free up space in their home and make a little money at the same time. Buyers get to spend a morning browsing other people’s stuff to find a bargain.
It’s a win win.
Selling old stuff at car boot sales is a legitimate way to make some extra money. For now at least, the taxman hasn’t figured out how to tax car boots yet either, so you get to keep everything you earn.
If you’re planning to sell at a car boot, here are some actionable tips to help.
Find the right car boot sale
Car boot sales come in all shapes and sizes. Much depends on where they are and the type of area they are in.
Visit a few, check out what’s being sold where and consider which car boot will be the most suitable for the type of stuff you’re planning to sell.
A car boot that’s mainly cheap stuff or old books won’t be much good if you’re trying to offload old artwork or furniture and the reverse is true.
Also consider who is there. Do the punters look like they would be looking for what you’re planning to sell?
There’s no judgement here. It’s merely a practical consideration that is used every day in marketing.
It’s called target market research.
You need to identify the car boot sale that attracts the kind of punters that would buy your stuff. No judgement, no prejudice, just marketing.
Trash or treasure?
You know the saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’? It’s not always true.
You can sell almost anything at a car boot sale, with ‘almost’ being the operative word.
Sort your items and consider whether someone would really buy what you’re trying to sell. Anything too worn, broken or old will likely not sell.
Make sure it’s all in as good condition as possible. Check that zips work, buttons are mostly there or the pieces are all present.
If something is too worn or has missing pieces, recycle it.
If you’re selling clothes, make sure they are clean and in good condition. The better they look, the faster they’ll sell.
The same for other items. Give them a dust or clean and make them as presentable as possible.
Price it right
Car boots are known for one thing, being cheap. Don’t expect to be able to get premium prices for anything you sell there as it won’t happen.
Average prices are anywhere from 50p to £5, with larger items or furniture being priced higher.
If you think your stuff is worth more, consider selling it on eBay or somewhere instead.
Price items too high and you won’t sell much. Price them too low and they will sell but you won’t make much money.
As you’re scouting car boot sales, note prices items like yours are selling for and price yours similarly.
Pack according to price
Packing according to price is more about efficiency. If you are selling hundreds of books at 50p each, pack them altogether and put the price on the box.
If you’re selling clothes, add prices individually for more expensive items or label the rail or bag with the price for everything else.
That makes life easier for you and for the punters. You’ll still be asked hundreds of times how much something is when the price is on the box, but some people will get the message.
Don’t label everything
You would think putting a price on everything is efficient, but it isn’t. It marks you out as a car boot newcomer and won’t stop people asking you how much something is.
Labelling some things is good, like the book boxes or individual clothes like I said above.
For everything else, either order the table in ascending price order or sell most things for a set price.
People will haggle, prices will drop towards the end of the day and people will still ask how much something is even if it has a label, so it’s usually best not to bother.
Haggling is part of car boot culture
You might think it’s a little cheeky to want to haggle a £1 item down, but it’s part of the car boot culture. Often, it’s less about getting money off and more about the act of haggling.
Be prepared to haggle and be prepared to be flexible.
Even though you may have priced your items competitively, haggling is part of the deal so be prepared for it.
At the end of the day, would you rather sell something for slightly less or would you rather have to take it back home with you?
Take a table
Few people sell from their car boot anymore. Most people take pasting tables. Some people will sell from blankets on the floor but that’s less than ideal.
Tables offer convenience for those who cannot bend down, keeps items in your eyeline and provides less opportunity for five finger discounts.
If you plan on selling decent clothes, it’s worth investing in a cheap rack too. You can buy them secondhand or buy a cheap one.
You can always sell the rack once you’re done!
Take plenty of change
If you know you’re planning to do a car boot, start saving your change. You’ll need as much change as you can carry for the day.
Even if you stick to round numbers, you’ll still need plenty of 5, 10, 20, 50 pence coins and plenty of £1 coins.
Have lots and lots of change and always keep it on you. It may be tempting to use a tub or something but not everyone who goes to car boot sales is honest.
Use a money belt, handbag or large pocket, but always keep your money on you.
When you start accruing notes, remove them immediately and keep them safe.
Don’t do it alone
Car boot sales can be lively places with hundreds of people looking to bag a bargain.
If you’re on your own, you may find it difficult to keep an eye on everything, answer questions and make the sale.
Plus, not everyone that goes to a car boot sale is there for the right reasons. More eyes mean less opportunity for a five finger discount and more people to help make sales or answer questions.
Arrive early
Some car boot sales get you to book a specific pitch in advance while others will just ask you to find a pitch on the day.
Either way, get there early and set up as early as you can. There are always early birds and other sellers will usually browse for the best bargains before punters arrive.
Checking out other people’s stuff is one of the benefits of selling at a car boot. Few people can resist the potential to grab a bargain or exclusive item before everyone else!
Display your items in categories
Even though you’re not planning the John Lewis Christmas window display, presentation can make a difference.
The more attractive your items appear, the more desirable they will be.
Also, if you display items in categories, if someone buys one item, they may be tempted to buy another. It’s the car boot version of an order bump.
Bring some bags
Carrier bags are used a lot less than they used to be at car boots but they are still used.
They are mainly for people who buy multiple items or big spenders. Keep a few cheap carrier bags on hand but out of sight. If someone asks for a bag, they may be tempted to pick up a few more items if you have one.
Don’t use bags for life though as you have to pay for those.
Be flexible and friendly
You may find it tough to smile and be polite when you’re asked for the hundredth time how much a book is when there’s a price clearly marked, but keep the smile going.
Be flexible with pricing, remembering that haggling is part of car boot culture. Accept haggling and reasonable offers, serve with a smile and be happy.
Car booting is enjoyable on all but the rainiest days, so stand there, enjoy the experience and embrace meeting new people.
