Making Money at Car Boot Sales

Earn From This Popular Event

No longer a Sunday-only affair, car boot sales operate every day, indoors and out, all over the country. They’re favoured by families turning cast-offs into cash and a growing band of professional traders - ‘booters’ - selling everything from auction finds and bankrupt stocks, to antiques, bric-a-brac, designer clothing and more.

Profits can be spectacular. ‘Booting’ requires no special skills or qualifications and almost insignificant starting capital. If you’re tempted - as private seller or trader - this is how to proceed:

• Plan a range of profitable options - profit ‘every which way’ - for example:

Clear the attic, sell the proceeds, reinvest income in stock.

Sell to ‘trade’ (offer a discount, commonly ten per cent).
Target fellow booters and trade visitors (they arrive early and buy in bulk).

Sell other people’s belongings on commission, usually twenty per cent.

Look for ‘miracle’ finds on other people’s stalls - notably one-off and inexperienced
sellers - the kind of ‘Antiques Roadshow’ specials which, costing pennies, can fetch
record sums at auction.

• Choose venues wisely - some are highly profitable, others a waste of space. The best are regular events - same place, same time, same organiser - being well-advertised and signposted en route.

• Avoid one-off events unless linked to major crowd-pulling attractions, the likes of air shows, county fairs, agricultural shows. Study local newspapers - normally Friday and Saturday - for coming events.

• Select products carefully - some items sell fast, at fantastic mark-ups, attracting regular buyers. Others linger, waste space and limit profit potential.

• Normally banned: livestock, some foodstuffs, pornographic/offensive materials, counterfeit/ dangerous goods. Increasingly organisers prohibit new items from sale. Controversy: ‘new’ has various meanings according to organiser - unused, direct from the manufacturer, no previous owner? Always check, never assume.

• Best sellers: books, records, refreshments (normally one licensed supplier), household cast-offs, garden ornaments, tools, electrical appliances, clothing, toys, vehicle parts, bric-a-brac, collectibles.

• Don’t take the likes of chipped crockery, damaged glassware, modern cast-off clothing, dodgy electrical goods, old shoes, broken toys.

• Buy from: fellow booters - private and trade, charity shops, jumble sales, church fairs, school fetes, second-hand shops, auctions, newspaper ads, collectors’ fairs, flea markets, friends, neighbours, wholesalers, trade warehouses.

• Plan for Success - Learn as a visitor before starting to trade. Study: advertising for the event, roadsigns (AA/RAC, rough and ready, non-existent?), facilities for public and trade, allowable against banned goods, popular products, most successful traders (just follow the crowd).

• When it’s time to trade:

Contact organisers from advertisements or enquire at sales. Subscribe to ‘Car Boot Calendar’, details later. Some organisers have a calendar of events these are the ones to consider first.

Book a pitch and start planning your first big day. The night before the sale: select
goods - ready cleaned and priced, check petrol, load and park your vehicle somewhere
safe, plan your route. Next day: leave early, park as instructed, unload and display
your stock. Grab a quick cuppa. Enjoy your day!

• Study the Experts - Let their experience and knowledge prevent costly mistakes and help your business grow faster.

Arrive at least two hours before normal opening time (8 - 9am) and beat early birds
to bargains on other people’s stalls.

Clear dead stock ‘everything 50p’ or ‘three for the price of one’.

Abide by rules concerning quality and description of goods as laid down in the Sale
and Supply of Goods Act, 1994 (Details from Trading Standards at local town halls).

Adopt a realistic pricing structure. Learn from other people’s stalls, check prices
for similar goods in catalogues and press advertisements. Or add a specific mark-up,
say 30 per cent, to prices you paid.

Gather essentials before you start trading: reliable vehicle, folding table, stall
cloth (wallpaper tables are ideal. Avoid gaudy covers which detract from stock),
staging (adds height and prominence to selected items), glass-topped showcase
for valuables (locked), small safe or money belt with cash float (minimum £20
small change), pitch fee (£3 upwards), wrapping materials (newspapers, carrier
bags, bubble wrap), pen, notepad, cash book, refreshments unless provided,
warm clothing, waterproofing for stock and stall. Add ambition and have a good day!

Useful Contact:

Peter Allwright, P O Box 30, Twyford, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 8DQ
Publishes ‘Car Boot Calendar’ and ‘Antiques Diary

Avril Harper