AlanHo Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 How many of you frequent car boot sales - for years I resisted temptation and never visited one.However - following my recent marriage and the pooling of our "stuff", we have had a grand clear-out. I was all for getting a waste skip to get rid of it - but that was not allowed and I was a reluctant assistant at a couple of car boot sales. It went surprisingly well and I have to admit we are now £350 better off.However - I was guilty of spending some of the profits whilst there. Don't tell Trading Standards but I bought two pirate copy DVD's. one was titled "Black Beard" - the other "Peg Leg Pete". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Interesting that you found it useful, Alan. We have been having a major clearout and have been threatening to do a car-boot with it. We've never done one before, so are not sure how to go about it - where to do it etc. Any tips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 I've been to a few car booters - never bought anything. By the time I arrived there - even as early as 7 am - all the good stuff had been snapped up by dealers so all that was left was a load of old tat which was so dreadful it wasn't even worth picking up to have a look at. Then there are the pro's who turn up regularly selling pot plants, home made this, that and the others - not in the spirit of a car boot sale at all.They are fine if you're selling. Arrive very early, wait a few seconds for the vultures (dealers) to descend and then pack up and go home because anything you have left isn't worth the effort of trying to sell it. (Told to me by a regular CB'er).Irene - Google "Car Boot Sale Tips" it will tell you all you want to know about selling. You can also find out where your local sales are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted November 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Interesting that you found it useful, Alan. We have been having a major clearout and have been threatening to do a car-boot with it. We've never done one before, so are not sure how to go about it - where to do it etc. Any tips?We have two local tips - one near Birmingham airport and the other outside Leamington...... :lol: On a serious note - there are several week-end car boots in our area - but only one of them starts at the more reasonable time of 11.00 am on alternate Sundays. All the others start at some ungodly hour just after dawn. So guess the one we chose. It wasn't the largest or had the best reputation - but was only 4 miles away and cost £5 per car to enter. We had to take both cars and parked them side by side to form one "Stand" using a couple of cheap paste tables - suitably strengthened with the addition of central legs. It was quite an experience - the haggling with ethnic minorities was most enjoyable and a reminder of my 12 years in the Middle East. We had a lot of china and ornaments - it was amusing to watch people sidle up and surreptitiously look on the bottom in the hope of finding some rare Ming or other valuable type. Fat chance with us.What we did learn was that if your objective is to get rid of clutter as quickly as possible - then set modest prices and be prepared to be "haggled" into a quick sale. The first time we went we brought back half of the stuff due to being over price conscious - the second time we were more relaxed about prices and disposed of most of it. One woman bought several items in one visit - later on I did a tour of the car boot and saw her trying selling them on her stand for higher prices. Fair enough - we made a profit and I hope she did too.Take plenty of plastic bags and packing materials - customers often need them. Especially if you are selling fragile items.I am sure other more experienced forum members can add their advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 . One woman bought several items in one visit - later on I did a tour of the car boot and saw her trying selling them on her stand for higher prices.Many years ago I used to go looking for bits for Olde Englyshe motorcyles at autojumbles. The early bird was the best approach then.I have seen a stalls set up by sellers with almost nothing on them, but after about half an hour they were nucely stocked with stuuf I had previously seen on other stalls.Get there for 7 and leave by 8:30 was my strategy (then go back home to a little breakfast and back to bed).edit:- I think I should have bought a dictionary, and some fingers with a better connection to what passes for my brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Thanks everyone for the tips and advice...Must get around to doing something about it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 A police chief inspector used to live opposite to us. He forecast that when the M6 toll road opened we could expect an upsurge in burglaries in the area. He was right. He said that the burglars come off the motorway, burgle some house and get back on the motorway and are miles away in no time. The stuff is sold at car boot sales, together with all the counterfeit items before the police have even started to investigate the crimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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