To ask for your car boot sale horror stories

[lostelephant]

I do a few car boot sales a year and I've spent most of my afternoon going through the garage looking for things to sell. Although its nice to make a bit of money, there always seems to be something that rubs me the wrong way!

The worst one was when I was unpacking my car, turned back around and a woman was actually sat in the back of my car rummaging through my CDs that weren't even for sale!

Please tell me I'm not the only one whose had bad experiences

We did one when my mum was moving house. We had lots of Knick knacks and nice stuff, selling all for very little. It's the people who try to haggle you down to pennies, we brought a lot home. We had a nice Wedgewood commemorative mug for £5 and someone said it's only worth 10p! A woman tried to get in our car when we arrived because she wanted two wicker baskets we'd brought stuff in and which weren't for sale. After a long time of fending people off who tried to buy stuff for pennies we called it a day. We made £80. Wasn't worth the time and effort.

Do people find that the occasional car boot sales (eg run by a local charity) are more civilised than the monthly or fortnightly ones? Some of the descriptions on here are shock!

On the one hand, the 'community' ones can be better, as they're more fun days out and attract families just wanting a nice time, but on the other hand, the hard-nosed seasoned zombies (as a PP called them - love it!) will often target these and swoop on newbies who are less experienced and might have very underpriced stuff (or be less cynical and susceptible to aggressive haggling or sob stories).

I think the best ones tend to be where they're big family days out with bouncy castles, games and other activities, with the boot sales just being one part of it.

Personally, of all the boot sales I've ever been to, the one tat stood head and shoulders above the rest for a genuine good-natured day out was in a little place called Stratton, near Bude, when we were on holiday in Cornwall. I think it was held regularly, but not weekly (maybe even just annually, I don't know).

Whether it makes a difference being in a small place a little bit off the beaten track rather than in the middle of a big city near the motorway network or maybe the mix of locals and holidaymakers, I don't know; but I was blown away by how genuinely pleasant it was compared with the majority of dog-eat-dog boot sales.

Loving these stories. I've only ever done some as a child and teenager, I did one in my late teens with DH so that was a good few years ago now. Been meaning to do another for years but not got around to it especially as we don't have a car - but it's an indoor one local to us. There are a few of the seasoned rude hagglers etc around at it but not only a few, generally people are friendly enough there and lots of families come with kids. Also as it's indoors weather isn't an issue, the toilets at the place are lovely and clean, there's a café on site . And the venue is run by a charity so the entrance fee is a charitable donation which makes me feel better if we hardly make anything!

only did one once, years ago for a friend. I had my son in his car seat in the back as I was helping friend unpack and someone opened the car door and yelled 'how much for the car seat love?' I was and just replied, 'do you want the fucking baby that's in it too?'

We do one or two a year. No real horror stories but we have a technique. Dh goes to set up but sits in the car until the CF's who want to crawl into every box before it's unpacked have gone baying down the row.

If someone tries repeatedly to beat him down on price he ups it

I just flatly refuse to do car boots.
I've heard so many bad things I'd rather give the stuff to charity or bin it.
Instead I ebay stuff, much better and the rewards are tenfold. Gumtree is like car booting....people just think your pricing is some kind of guide.
Hence, don't do gumtree either.

Re: gumtree, do people haggle when they arrive?

@Miljah - Yes
I hate the gumtree crowd, I'm guessing its the same people who flock to the car boots, the "Owt for Nowt" gang.

Bloody horrible - I want nothing to do with them.

I did one where this guy was blatantly stealing from me. Not that that's entirely unexpected at a car boot, but what was really weird was that he was only taking things from the '5p' box! Think Happy Meals toys, hotel shower gels, crap from crackers etc.

Someone tried to buy my brand new coat that I was wearing for £10 (was a £90 coat). Someone also tried to buy my Apple Watch off me (again that I was wearing) can’t remember how much but was a stupid amount.
Someone also bought a load of stuff of my friends stall for £10 then tried to take the groundsheet she’d laid it on too (that she had no intention of selling and wasn’t mentioned in the stuff she was buying). This person then left all the stuff next to my friends stall and asked her to watch it. Loads of people kept asking about it and my friend was lovely and polite and said it wasn’t stuff for sale. She nipped to the loo and everyone who asked me I just said not ours, the person just left it and wandered off. They had a good rifle through
Had the standard people in the boot too (I just put the crap stuff that no one ever wants on top so they lose interest quickly and wander off)

My Dsis and her DH did a few. After the first time they got wise to people running over to thier car when they drove up.So they would just park up lock the doors open up a drink and a magazine until the cheeky fuckers had bogged off

I was thinking of doing some car boots this summer but I'm now well and truly put off. They sound fucking abysmal I don't think I'll bother.

I'm dying at the pp's DH who said he'd rather set fire to a pushchair than sell it for the cheap price some CF wanted it for. Amazing 🤣

I am not nearly thick skinned or tough enough to cope with this!

Going to try sell shit, utter utter shit, inherited from an ex's dead parent's house, only to not sell anything but the stepchild brought home loads of tatt. Total waste of my time and energy and with a newborn too. Wonder if it's still boxed up in his house full of shite

Loving this thread 😂

This thread is stressing me out. I had no idea they were like this!

@Miljah I've had people haggle when they arrive at my door after agreeing to pay the advertised price. Very annoying especially when multiple people wanted to buy it and you've made sure to be home to meet the person.

Last week I sold an almost new Dyson for peanuts (about 50 people messaged me within an hour asking to buy it) and when a buyer showed up she had no cash on her and said she would bank transfer me later... um no.

I haven’t done one for years but used to do one with my friend regularly and had exactly the same experiences as all of the above. My biggest bug bear was “can I have a bag” this was in the days of free carrier bags at the supermarket.

What happens with bags now at car boots? Do people bring their bag for life or do they still expect a carrier bag? And do you charge them 5p? 😂