Any regular car booters on here??

**Willowdancer** · 23-02-2010, 01:20 PM

I am doing a boot sale with a friend at the weekend but I'm a total virgin on the selling front so I was wondering if anybody had any tips on how things work and how to decide what to ask for things etc so I don't end up bring it all back again??

Thanks!

Ali
x

**mamasheshe** · 23-02-2010, 01:24 PM

expect everyone to haggle!

**sweets** · 23-02-2010, 01:26 PM

Its important to price things up before you go as people will ask you how much things are as soon as you get there and if you are flustered you might say a daft price! if the price is ont he item then you will be able to tell them easier.

don't price things too high either! think about what YOU would pay for it at a car boot and not what you would like for it. a lot of people want things for nothing! be realistic and be prepared to haggle as its part of it but dont just agree a daft price to get rid of them! lol. you will find that if you say no then people do come back later and pay the price you wanted.

good luck

oh and take a flask and snacks as you dont want to spend your profits on drinks!

**Willowdancer** · 23-02-2010, 02:00 PM

Thanks guys

I meant to ask if whether it was cool to price things up before the day Sweets so will definitely do that.

Might have to do more than one sale at this rate - we're taking my Peugeot 807 with the middle and back rows of seats removed and I'm not sure everything's going to fit, and I'm still finding more stuff that can go!

**Joannechildmind** · 23-02-2010, 02:05 PM

Good luck i love a good bootsale i found when i did one last i made £140 mainly through baby clothes shoes, toys etc really sold well.

**jelly15** · 23-02-2010, 03:50 PM

Watch out for professionals booters. I have lost count of the times I have agreed to a haggle early on in the day, only to see it later on on this persons stall for a much higher price

.

Some people can be very rude and expect something for nothing, I would rather give it away to someone nice than let them have it.

**DIPPY DOUGHNUT** · 23-02-2010, 03:59 PM

Make sure you have plenty of change!

We always put a sheet over the table to make it look abit nicer!!

Put clothes into piles and on a plain piece of paper write what size they are as some poeple can't be bothered to search through and read labels.

always ask for a little bit more then you want for somthing then when people haggle they think they are getting a bargin and your happy as you have got the price you wanted

**zillervalley** · 23-02-2010, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by jelly15

Watch out for professionals booters. I have lost count of the times I have agreed to a haggle early on in the day, only to see it later on on this persons stall for a much higher price

.

Some people can be very rude and expect something for nothing, I would rather give it away to someone nice than let them have it.

This happened to me a few years ago, we had a beetroot jar china type with a smiley face, to be honest it had a crack in it and it leaked the juice, ( naughty of me to sell it i know ) but this guy came and offered me £1-50 so i took it, my friend hubby saw it for a £5-00 , the guy told him it was collectable item,he had it for a few weeks on the stall.

so watch out for these guys, but on the other hand if they offer your price go with that

have fun ziller

**FizzysFriends** · 23-02-2010, 04:48 PM

This what happens at ours:

As soon as we pull up people are at the car asking if you have gold or mobile phones, they will pay a lot for gold at the moment so dont under sell it.

People try and get into the boot whilst unpacking so we do 1 person unpacking and 1 person at the back of the car because people steel things at this point.

The things people come out with is comical, I was asked if I would give a discount for cash

**Willowdancer** · 23-02-2010, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by FizzysFriends

The things people come out with is comical, I was asked if I would give a discount for cash

Eeek all the stories above make the whole experience really scary! I feel like a lamb going to the slaughter...!!

**desiderata** · 23-02-2010, 05:40 PM

Yeah I did one and I dont think I could go through it again! people were in the boot and everywhere pulling things out of boxes. I had packed a lot of baby clothes and they were expensive into one box and one lady almost walked off with the box and then had the cheek to offer me £2 for the box she didnt even know what was in it.

I enjoy having a mooch myself and getting bits but I could never do another one I dont think.

Hope it goes well.x

**Monkey1** · 23-02-2010, 06:43 PM

Take loads of carier bags!

**suez** · 23-02-2010, 09:19 PM

a decent pack of wipes foe when you got to them porta loos

they are not very nice at all !!!

**ORKSIE** · 23-02-2010, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by suez

a decent pack of wipes foe when you got to them porta loos

they are not very nice at all !!!

The one we go to has no loo

**suez** · 23-02-2010, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by ORKSIE

The one we go to has no loo

arrrhhh couldnt do a carboot there then havin to do the old hoverin over your boots in the grass lol

**Cazz** · 23-02-2010, 09:52 PM

I love car-boots and can't wait for them to start again next month around here.

I like doing them once I have set the stall up but then there's all the packing away again!

I think pricing things is a good idea (as some people don't like to ask), but set the prices sensibly and be prepared for people to haggle - they're not willing to pay much for most things!

I love a good haggle myself - when my kids go and look around I always tell them not to buy anything but come back and tell me so I can go and see if it's worth a haggle

- the best time for this is near the end as no-one wants to pack too much away again!

Have fun - hope you make lots of money!

**Willowdancer** · 27-02-2010, 08:14 AM

Thanks all for the tips (and horror stories

)

The big day is tomorrow.

I am dashing off into town in a bit to get some labels and change cos I totally forgot to get them after our youngest announced on Tuesday he wanted to be The Gingerbread Man for World Book Day at school yesterday and I launched myself into a marathon costume making session!! (Worth it though - he won first prize

)

**Willowdancer** · 28-02-2010, 02:27 PM

Well I'm no longer a car boot virgin and made it back alive with a nice little pile of cash to pay in to the bank tomorrow

It wasn't too bad at all, even when we got pounced on while we were still setting up. We took my Peugeot 807 with all the seats out (except the front ones obviously) and didn't come back with much considering it was stacked from floor to ceiling.

I'd do it again - will have to anyway as I can think of loads of other things that need to go around here and it certainly beats my usual lazy way out of listing it all on freecycle!