Bag yourself a business (Car Boot Sales)

Member Name: welling1

Product:	Car Boot Sales
Date:	21/04/09 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great bargains, real characters

Disadvantages: Early mornings, strange foreign people

Car boot sales are a collection of people looking to sell what they feel in many cases is worthless tat. Whereas other people, the buyers, may find that hidden treasure. I have been going to car boot sales for over 15 years of my life as both my parents and grandparents are all keen on the car boot scene!

For these people who like to go to charity shops, this is basically one huge charity shop with many different owners. There are a variety of things on sale at car boot fairs from computers to books, clothes, furniture, cutlery, sports equipment etc. Many people have the impression that car boot sales are full of useless junk and are not worth giving their time of day to. But that is very wrong. In many cases a lot of the sellers are unaware of the true value of their stuff on sale.

On a personal note I would not buy second hand clothes, shoes, kitchen appliances, but most other stuff I would give a bash. As mentioned, many sellers have no sense of the real value of their products and this has been reflected with some of my purchases with the things I collect as a hobby. I collect football and wrestling memorabilia and all things sports related and have an ambition of one day being able to have enough memorabilia to be able to live off for a while. Some of you reading this may be thinking that surely this guy is not going to make enough money from second hand programmes, figures and videos to be able to make a living?? But that is where I will say you guys thinking this are sorely mistaken. As previous purchases at boot fairs have netted me onwards and upwards of £50-100 per piece. I have obviously had to do some research into this area but I am telling you now it is well worth doing and worth waking up that little bit earlier on a Sunday morning when you see some of your purchases. I am not saying every time you go to a boot fair you will find a hidden gem but it happens more often than not.

What is fantastic about boot fairs is some of the characters present and the way that you get to haggle over the price and have a laugh at the same time whilst ago thinking that you are going to be making a mark up on the price you have just paid.

I would urge anyone who has not been to a car boot fair before to do so and let me know what you think. I would say in the last few years accumulating my collection of memorabilia I have spent £1500-2000 but looking at the valuations on sites like ebay and dealer's sites, my collection is worth well over £5000 and I aim to keep on collecting until I feel I can take a year off work and live off the money and live the high life even though my wife is getting pretty sick of all the boxes!

Happy car booting!

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