Car boot sales / selling

[AliceRR]

I have lots of “stuff” to get rid of - clothes, shoes, some handbags, beauty products. I used to shop a lot (and spent my money unwisely in the days before I got a mortgage etc but nvm). I have some clothes and shoes I’ve never worn, I have unused and brand new make up and beauty products (often where I’ve bought things on 3 for 2) or things I’ve got in beauty boxes like Birchbox and Glossybox (I don’t buy those any more) and probably some unwanted gifts.

I would be prepared to sell a lot of it v cheaply like £2 for a clothing item in good condition but then I have just a few other items that I might want more for like a brand new Ted Baker dress (tags on) that I pad £90 for in the sale or some leather shoes and boots I didn’t wear.

Most of the beauty products I’d sell cheaply to get rid of the things I won’t used. My cousins have said they’d like first dibs but I feel awkward selling to family and one of them has a habit of always going out without any money!

I suppose my AIBU is AIBU to think it’s worthwhile selling at a car boot sale? I used to sell on eBay, a few years ago, but I find t quite labour intensive to list each item individually.

A car boot sale started near us last weekend. We didn’t realise it was the first one ever but there were only about seven cars and selling a lot of rubbish tbh. That’s also the first car boot sale I’ve ever been to.

I think if I do it I’d want to go to big / busy one but then do people keep going every week to sell things or could I expect to sell everything off in one or two boot sales?

If you want to get rid quickly and cheaply, then a carboot sale is the way to go. However I emphasize cheaply.

If your stuff is worth a fair bit, and is tagged / unworn I would try facebook market place. Carboots would be a last resort, your stuff would sell, but the type of items you have are a magnet for thieves and resellers.

I did a car boot recently and posted on here for advice beforehand. Everyone said not to bother and I wish I’d listened. The one we did was a really small one and was free for a pitch, but footfall was dire. We were there around 3 hours and hardly any customers.
If you’re going to do it, choose a large well established one, but after paying for a pitch, and other costs, you may not make much.
If you have lots of clothes to sell, you’ll need a decent clothes rail, which adds to costs if you don’t already have one.
DO NOT get the Argos one, ours fell to bits within 20 min. Biggest piece of crap ever.

Facebook is a good way to sell stuff. I sold loads of DD's old toys last autumn that way. With it being a local Facebook page I could have a nosy at who was coming.

I don't like car boot sales but my parents do and my mums picked up leather shoes and bags for next to nothing, so even quality won't mean you get much for them. Anything worth more than a couple of quid I would look at selling through a different route. Make up and cosmetics I wouldn't expect to see for more than 50p/£1 as they're second hand even if unopened, you don't know how long they've been sitting around, and unless sealed you don't know who's tried them.
I wouldn't go to a bootsale even carrying enough money to pay for clothing that's worth a few £££. I would go expecting to pay less than say charity shop prices.

I did one about 2 weeks ago & we made about £90 so it was a success. The best sellers were wedding stuff, clothes & bric a brac. We had loads of books which were barely looked at. Shoes didn't sell well. I had brand new bags that were scrutinised but not bought (£1 each). Be prepared for selling everything under £3 & haggling, accepting lower than you want

We did well but still took a lot to the charity shop afterwards

Oh & plan it for a good weather day!

My friend sells at the car boot sale in the next town to us as it's very affluent. Lots of m/c & professional families with disposable income. She found they were a less likely to want stuff for free or next to nothing. She makes about £150 on average depending on how much stuff she has which isn't bad.

She says selling books in mix & match bundles as well as crockery & glassware for a set price works well.

Don't put all your stuff out as soon as you get to the pitch. Secure your car & then get a coffee/ do a site recce, this stops the dealers doing a swoop before the public gets there. Keep an eye out for light fingered thieves and try to have things in your line of sight. Keep lots of change and only reduce prices towards the last hour.

I'm amazed people still sell at car boot sales - I've never heard anybody say 'yes, I feel the effort was worth it'!

I've sold cheaper items on FB and it's honestly not worth the effort. If your cousins are happy to buy anything, let them, it's a lot less hassle.

Some things do well at car boots but clothes don't. For the better quality/new items, you'd do better looking for a 'new to you' clothes shop that will sell them for a commission; or use Facebook or Ebay.

I wouldn’t do a car boot personally. Nobody who attends car boots is willing to pay more than £5 for an item and they try to get things as cheaply as possible.

I would do eBay personally but that’s just me, depends how much you care for the money.

I done 4 bootsales last year and made over £600 total I have a lot of crap mainly kids clothes and toys. I would sell higher end items on fb tbh. I could've probably doubled my money if I sold all my things on fb but it would've taken ages so it depends on how quick you want to get rid

Maybe do a bootsale for the lower priced items, and advertise the others elsewhere as ppl have suggested. Books 3 or 4 for a £1 and bundles of other things works well. Good luck

Thanks everyone

I wouldn’t mind £1 for some of the beauty stuff or clothes I’ve worn

I would want more for some unworn items, bags, shoes, leather jackets.

For the sake of 50p or £1 here and there I might be inclined to just give the stuff to charity.

I might out the more pricey / unworn stuff on eBay.

I’m not keen on Facebook just because everyone you know sees all your stuff 😂😬🙈 Maybe I’m being silly about that but I see in my newsfeed a friend is selling X (often children’s clothes and toys, which is incidentally what most of the car boot sale we went to was made up of) and I don’t think I’d like people seeing everything I’m selling. But then again maybe I’d sell it more easily to people I know / people who are local and can come and view items...

TBF I am off work atm so could spent a bit of time selling some things online.

Car boot sales are carnage. Everyone wants everything for 10p and nicks half of it too in my experience.
Have you advertised on local online selling groups. I'm amazed how many there are both in local areas and for specific things. So thete might be one for yed baker or similar brand/clothes.
Ones for handbags etc.
I've come to the conclusion we need to have a more upmarket version of a car boot sale. I'd like to set up table top sales in a hall or so.ilar. fewer people at once. More civilised!
Where r u based?

I wouldn't do eBay - the commission is too high, they like you to use PayPal which also charges commission and it is really easy for buyers to mess you about and claim their money back.

Look on Facebook market place - easy to use and free. If you want to just get rid use free cycle or donate to charity shops

Maybe mumsnet would let us have a sale section of restricted type products so to reduce a total deluge.??

I’m based in West Yorkshire. A friend had suggested we do a car boot in North Yorkshire as it might have a more upmarket clientele 😂

Why not choose a few expensive items to sell online or through a consignment shop, then charity shop everything else, or find a women's charity/shelter etc. The faff of a car boot just isn't worth it for me for the sake of a few quid, compared to knowing it had gone to someone who would really appreciate it.

Lol, Harrogate has a consignment shop

Use another FB account for selling. Many folk I know do this !

We have a second hand dress agency near us. You take in your stuff, they sell it for you and take 40 per cent commission.
Would that be an option?

When I sold some things on FB marketplace, the listing process gives you an option to share with others - I declined this. So, none of my FB friends have seen what I am selling, unless they are looking on marketplace and happen to be searching for something I am selling. The only negative was that you get dozens of messages from people interested and asking questions, then you don't hear back from them.

I only ever did one car-boot sale and it was horrible. We couldn't get anything out of the car as people descended like vultures.

I use eBay and Gumtree now.

choose a few expensive items to sell online or through a consignment shop

I think that may be the best way

I don’t really know anything about consignment shops though

choose a few expensive items to sell online or through a consignment shop

This could work

a second hand dress agency

I am not aware of one but will see if there is such a thing around here

When I sold some things on FB marketplace, the listing process gives you an option to share with others

This is interesting. I think Facebook is probably easier than eBay

I think I’m out off car boots - thanks for the honest views. I think I’d be inclined to sell things worth a decent amount online (like the new or high end stuff) and then give the rest to a charity shop or give some away (I have an aunt and young cousins whom they will fit)