Tales from a boot sale (Car Boot Sales)

Member Name: Krystal

Product:	Car Boot Sales
Date:	12/02/01 (210 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Make some extra cash, gets rid of unwanted items

Disadvantages: The weather if held outside

I'm a relative newcomer to car boot sales, but after having done a few myself I can understand the attraction. When someone buys something of yours and money changes hands, you get a real buzz!

The one we go to is held in a local college on the first Saturday of the month; the advantage of this one is that it's held indoors and out. In recent months it's obviously been inside, and this is where the wallpaper pasting table comes in handy rather than your car boot!

The boot sale runs from 9am-12pm but you need to be there at 8am to get a space and set out your wares. That's a real eye-opener - traders are allowed in before the general public, and before you've started unpacking they're rifling through to see what you've got. The main attraction seems to be china and ornaments, seemingly the older and dirtier the better! They're probably hoping to find a rarity for the Antiques Roadshow!

I prefer to put price labels on my items, that way if someone wants to make an offer they have some idea of how much to bid. I also make sure everything looks presentable; I've sold a lot of baby clothes at boot sales and ensure that they are washed, ironed and clearly labelled with the correct size.

The cost of the pitch is £6 - quite reasonable as I have seen others advertised at £8 or £9. I take a notepad with me and jot down everything I sell, then deduct the £6 to find out the profit. It's usually between £20-£25 which isn't bad when you're selling things for 20p, 50p or £1. Take a small float with you as most people don't have the right money.

Back to the subject of profits - don't spend yours at the refreshment stall! Take a flask of tea or coffee, and sandwiches etc. if you think you'll get hungry. It's so tempting when you can smell bacon and sausages cooking, but try not to give in!

Some good sellers in my limited experience are tools, videos and toys. Don'
;t try and sell anything that doesn't work or has pieces missing, it's just not cricket! My husband has been very successful in selling his football programmes - usually one person comes along and buys them all.

You won't make your fortune at a car boot sale, but you will have fun and make a few extra pounds into the bargain.

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