Sellers Information

Sellers can arrive from 8am to set up and get ready for the buyers.

Inside and outside spots available (inside MUST be booked in advance)

£5 per table or car (or equivalent space), £10 per van.

To book a table, please email carboot@oscafoundation.org.

If you wish to book a table inside, please make sure you read the booking terms and conditions here.

You do not need to book for an outside space

NOTE - Any inside spaces not occupied by 8.20am may be allocated to different sellers

Payment in advance will be required to secure your table.

Full terms and conditions can be found here.
 

Buyers Information

Doors open 9am for buyers (your welcome to browse the outside before, but may miss a bargin) 

Free Entry for buyers.

Parking available.

Refreshments available (Hot and cold drinks and snacks)

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We have been asked on a number of occasions, how to best make sales.  We are not experts on selling so we have looked at some long established car boot sales and taken some of their advice.  We have posted this below for you.

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Remember, every sale event is different, these are just some small bits of advice regular and successful sellers have given

 

Don’t label your items.

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This is a car boot sale tip that is sometimes debated however it is generally agreed that it’s best to not price your items individually as you may want to change your prices throughout the day. A good tip is to lower your prices later in the day as it gets quieter to snatch in those last few sales.

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Putting the price on may also be detrimental to you when it comes to customers bartering and the labels may reveal you are new to car booting and people are more likely to take advantage of this.

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Bring carrier bags.

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Carrier bags are useful to offer to your customers particularly if they are purchasing more than one item. If they are hesitating between getting an additional item or not a carrier bag may be able to sway them by making it easier for them.

It’s a good way to produce repeat customers and you most likely have a stash of plastic carrier bags in your home that are also acting as clutter so you can get rid of both types of clutter in the process. It’s also a great way to help the environment by reusing carrier bags, reducing landfill and unnecessary plastic waste.

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Prepare a float.

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Car boot sales rely on cash transactions so it’s important to make sure you have a float with you so you can give change.  You’ll need at least £10-£20 in cash reserves in a variety of denominations. This will grow as you begin making sales, but you will need a base level to start with.  It’s unlikely you will be able to get any change when you are on site.

It’s also important to keep your float safe so try not to leave it on display or on the table – keeping it on your person or in a locked car is best.

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Pack the car strategically.

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Car boot sales start quite early in the morning so ideally, you want to pack the car the night before and in a way that will make it easy for you when you arrive.  You want to make sure you have the equipment you will use to display your items on top so they are easily accessible and you can begin setting up your stall straight away.

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This means you can start selling to people as soon as you get there as most sales are made at the start of car boot sales and you don’t want to be stuck setting up with all your customers passing by missing out on potential sales.

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Bring a friend.

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Bringing a friend can help make the set-up a lot quicker which will boost your sales. If you are selling together then it can also help split the cost of the pitch and make your stall more appealing with a full variety of items on sale.

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Car boot sales can also be prime targets for thieves, so having a friend with you can provide strength in numbers because they can help watch out for anything suspicious. It can also help to have some company during quieter moments as crowds can ebb and flow throughout the day.

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Present your items well.

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Make sure your items are in good condition – although they may be second hand it makes a difference ensuring clothes are washed, ornaments cleaned well presented. It not only makes the stall look more attractive but also means you can potentially start with a higher asking price.

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You can colour code clothes and categorise the different types of items you’re selling to make it easier for a potential buyer to sort through the stall – nobody wants to have to rummage for hours so having everything neatly out on display will increase customer satisfaction.

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You can also arrange your stall to factor in the type of customers you see at the car boot sale – placing teddies and toys near the front and lower down is a great way to get kids to see them and they can do the persuading for you.

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Bring extra equipment.

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Displaying your items on clothing rails can make it easier for people to look through and therefore more likely to buy something. This means bringing extra equipment such as coat hangers and clothing rails can help.

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If you don’t have a rail, a tarpaulin can be a great way to display more items without having to make people rummage through a large pile. With your items more spread out, people passing by can easily see what you have on offer, and something may catch their eye.

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Price realistically – it’s a “Car Boot Sale” not Harrods of London

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Car boot sales are known as a place to pick up bargains.  If your asking price is too high, you are unlikely to make many sales.

A rough guide for pricing is to sell items at 10-15% of the original value.  Obviously, this depends on the condition of the item but don’t expect huge numbers from individual items.

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Often a ‘bargain bucket’ can be a good way of selling lots of items for a lower price but people make multiple purchases so you can make a good return.  The average price for many items at a car boot is around 50p – £2.

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Be prepared to barter.

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Many customers won’t hesitate to barter for an item to lower the cost. It can be a good idea to price some items higher than you intend to sell them to prepare for this. 

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It can also mean that there is more room for you to offer a lower price to a haggling customer and they can feel more satisfied accepting a lower offer when really you intended to sell it at that price originally.

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Consider the best items to sell.

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Some of the most popular items at a car boot sale include:

Toys – if they are neatly packaged and have all the right components then toys are an easy sell.

Technology – phones and game consoles are good items to sell at a car boot sale.

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Baby items – babies grow out of clothes and toys very quickly, so these items are useful for parents.

Small homeware items – decorative home furnishings are popular at car boot sales if they aren’t too big to take home.

It also depends very much on what the buyers are looking for on the day, if you have what they want, you stand a much better chance of making sales.

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Be friendly and smile.

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It may seem trivial but smiling and interacting with customers will help you make more sales as people will feel more comfortable and drawn to your stall. They may also feel able to ask questions if you are engaging in friendly conversation which can help make more sales.

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However, make sure you are not being too eager as many people like to browse. It can also be helpful to be friendly to other sellers at the car boot sale as they may point customers in your direction if they know you have something suitable for them.

 

Remember!

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Most people come to a car boot sale in search of a bargain, so it’s common to expect haggling and prices to be on the lower end.  People also like to look closely at items they are interested in, so be prepared for them to be handled when people are looking; if you have any items that are particularly delicate it may be good to consider putting them further from reach.

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