Car boot sale (indoor) what do I need ? How much for a float?

[fleurdelee]

Any tips greatly appreciated

Bump

What sort of event? Have you been before so you know if it's a big venue, lots of traders or is it like a small community table top fund raiser?

I haven't done that sort of thing for years but take more float than you think you will need..... at least £50/£100 I would think ... I work in a charity shop and even for small purchases people like to hand over a £10 note.

Are you able to set up before the buyers arrive? If not you need an extra pair of hands, or 2 to keep an eye on buyers trying to steal items, or take things out of the car before you've set up. An extra helper is also useful if you need to go to the toilet

Float - You'll need more than you think, people will try and pay with notes to get change for themselves. I would say at least £50 in various coins. But also don't feel bad about refusing to take a note for a low priced item. A couple of £1 sales paying with a £10 note is going to wipe your float out, and more times than not if you say you don't have enough change buyers often magically find the correct amount.

But my top advice is don't bother. People want to pay pennies for decent items, and even if you price low they'll still try and haggle you down. You'll either end up accepting the low offers just to get rid of stuff or standing your ground on prices but bringing it all home again.

Wear a bum bag or cross body bag for your float. Kids stuff always sells well.

As much change as possible, particularly £1. If you have and bags, paper or plastic that’s sometimes helpful. Make sure you have somewhere safe for money and don’t take a handbag.

As much change as possible, particularly £1. If you have and bags, paper or plastic that’s sometimes helpful. Make sure you have somewhere safe for money and don’t take a handbag.

Agree completely with Whinge forget the carboot and list stuff on somewhere like fb marketplace instead. People at carboot sales want to pay pennies and will argue until their last breath over insignificant amounts and you'll end up wishing you hadn't bothered wasting your time.

Bags, bring bags for the buyers. Price cheap, it won't sell otherwise.

£50-£100 for a float?

I’ve only ever done car boots when I’ve been skint, if I’d had that amount for a float, I wouldn’t have needed to do one!

I’ve always just taken a tenner.

Be aware that everyone wants something for nothing though. I’ve fold items for 20p and people will still haggle for 10p.

Oh god
This is depressing
I will find some bags
I have paid in advance it's a table top sale. Am taking a teen to help

I wouldn't bother! We did a car boot once. Awful. People rooting through the car boot before we'd unpacked, hardly sold anything, it was freezing cold, think we spent more on the tea van to keep warm than we made. Now I vinted or charity shop it.

Calculator (or use calculator app on phone)

Cross-body shoulder bag with float in

Bubble wrap if anything is breakable

When we do them - usually once a year during the summer - we never unpack the car till the first rush is over otherwise you just get all the dealers rooting through your stuff, panicking you, beating you down and asking for specific items (gold, phones etc).

DH's approach is to rock up, leave everything in the car and go off for a stroll around first. If he does get pestered, he tells them to come back later. This seems to do the trick!

We never take more than £20-30 in change as a float, plenty of bags and bubble wrap/newspaper for fragile items. Always keep the cash in a cross body or bum bag. If on your own, befriend the people next to you so you can man each other's stuff when you need the loo etc.

Be prepared for lots of haggling (obviously!) and don't expect to sell everything unless you're happy to sell it at knock down prices so you don't bring anything home.