Advice
Tips and tricks - Money Saving Expert
I’m a Car Boot Fanatic......
Trading Standards Advice
Sellers
Sellers do not need to book a pitch for any of our events, just turn up from 6am for morning car boot sales and from 8am for mid-morning car boot sales.
- Always be polite. A smile, a please and a thank-you may result in a quick and easy sale.
- Arrive early. Give yourself sufficient time to set out your stall before the flocks arrive.
- Take any spare carrier bags you may have lying around at home. These can then be offered to buyers who may already have their hands full.
- Have plenty of change handy. £20 in loose change and some notes should be sufficient and something secure such as a money belt is a good idea.
- Our venues do not provide tables, plastic sheets etc so please bring along any additional equipment you may need on the day.
- Expect buyers to haggle so always conduct your business in a polite manner. It’s all part of the fun.
- Mark up faulty items as such so that potential buyers know what they are purchasing.
- It’s a good idea to take a friend or family member with you on the day to help out.
- Consider offering a discount for bulk purchases from the same buyer.
- Ensure your items are in a suitable condition for selling. Clean/polished goods will always be easier to sell.
- Don’t be shy, your unwanted goods are someone else’s treasure so bring it all along!
- Sunny day? Bring some sun cream and a brolly for some shade.
- Always mark the price on your items for the public and be prepared to haggle.
- Be reasonable when pricing up your items. Consider reducing some prices as the day moves on if you need to complete a sale that day.
- Consider colour-coded labels: eg add red, green, blue, yellow stickers to everything and have a preprepared sign stating red=£1, green=£2 etc. Then, as the day progresses….swap the sign for one stating red=50p, green=£1 etc.
- Don’t be concerned about taking unsold items home at the end of the day. They may fly off your stall at the next car boot sale.
- Check all electrical goods for faults. It is important to mark faulty items as such to be fair to the buyer who may get them checked on-site.
- Remember, selling counterfeit goods is illegal and will not be tolerated at any of our events. This also includes Tobaccos and Alcohol.
- Always tidy up after you and don’t leave litter lying around.
Buyers
Buyers are welcome to turn up at any time from 7am for morning car boot sales and from 9am for mid-morning car boot sales.
- Always be polite. A smile, a please and a thank-you may result in a price reduction.
- Arrive early. Just as it opens if you can drag yourself out of bed on your day off!
- Allow the sellers to unpack their goods before getting stuck into their items. It is appreciated.
- Take a suitable bag for your purchases. Stall holders may not be able to provide a trustworthy bag – you don’t want one breaking and an item being damaged.
- Have plenty of change handy.
- Take a stroll around the site and check out all of the stalls. You don’t want to miss out on that bargain!
- If something is out of your price range, pop back later to see if they are willing to reduce the price.
- Don’t be afraid to haggle but always in a polite manner. It’s all part of the fun.
- You may receive a discount for bulk purchases from the same seller. It’s always worth asking.
- Never ignore a box of items. Sellers tend to group less desirable items together, but sometimes a real bargain can be hidden away.
- Walk around twice – sellers can take more out of their cars after they have cleared some space – you don’t want to miss anything.
- Be aware of anything you buy, especially electrical goods. If you’re in any doubt do not buy or ask any member of staff or a marshal.