Car boot sale hacks: Tried and tested ways to make money selling your unwanted stuff

Finding the right car boot sale for you and your wares

Research and keep your eyes peeled. There are lots of ‘general’ car boot sales, but also some niche ones, for example those focusing on vintage. One of my favourite ways to find a car boot sale to sell at is to keep an eye out for signs on the roadside or on roundabouts. Landowners will often put up a massive board with details at the edge of the field where they’re holding the car boot sale. Websites such as Car Boot Junction and Find Car Boot can help you find sales nearby, too, as can online community sites such as Nextdoor and localised Facebook groups.

Check their socials. The next step is to keep an eye on the particular sale’s socials if they have them, usually via Facebook or by calling if there is a number on the board, to make sure it’s happening on the day you want to go. A general rule is it’ll be happening unless there is monsoon-like rainfall, but it can be worth checking the night before as I’ve done this and found out sales aren’t on. Nobody wants to get up at the crack of dawn to go stand in an empty field and not sell anything. 

As soon as you arrive it's a race to set up. Get your items displayed as soon as you can, so you are ready for when the buyers begin to flock. Three things to remember: 1, have that bum bag on, change ready. 2, lock your car if you have valuables in it. 3, pour a cup of tea or coffee from that flask to get your energy levels up.

Layout is key. You stand a better chance of selling your items if they’re easy for the buyer to see and reach. A trestle table - like a wallpaper pasting table – is a key item in my experience. If possible, put clothes on hangers too. Rails are cheap or you could try and borrow one from a friend. It's up to you if you let people try things on over their clothes but can help seal a deal. Hang jewellery on display - a trick here is to pin necklaces onto a pin board or to an apron so people can see them (you don't have to wear the apron!).

Brace yourself for the crowds! Crowd control when you arrive is a THING. Be prepared for people to descend on your car, start rooting in the boot and making wild offers. I’ve had this every time I‘ve gone to a car boot sale! This is why it pays to be early and have an organised car. Oh and that bum bag.

The best solution here is to hold your nerve. People are after a bargain but you are after making a lot of money! It’s early, they are scouting for good stuff. If you have good stuff, then either know your price or stand firm on saying you are not selling yet.

I’m the kind of person who likes to try and hold off rather than selling to the first person who comes along. But if someone does offer you a good price in that initial bun fight, you might want to bag an early sale. Either way, being early and set up means you’re in a position to do so.

Car boot sales are about small amounts adding up. When I first started going to car boot sales, I was all about trying to make LOADS. As time has gone on, I’ve realised that the small sales often add up, and that there is also the goal of getting rid of things I no longer want. Having a clear out, getting gup at the crack of dawn (not my favourite time of day!) and heading to stand in a field that isn’t on Glastonbury land is pointless if I’m going to just refuse every offer of a price I’ve got in my head and go home with all the stuff again via the local refuse recycling centre.

Group similar items together. Another lesson learned from my friend Jo when she sold baby and kids clothes, all in a basket, for a price per ‘three’. For example, three for a quid. After an hour there weren’t many baby clothes and she had a good amount of cash. With this in mind I’d say to group things together. Can you sell five or ten DVDs at a certain price, or say three pairs of shoes for a fiver?

I’ve been at car boot sales where someone offers 10p for an item labelled £1, and £1 for something I’ve labelled a tenner. The push and pull of buyer vs seller is very much a thing, and of course, we’re all keen to haggle. As a seller, you want as much as possible, but you also want rid of things. That’s why you’ve got up at the crack of dawn, right?

As a seller, your bargaining is about getting the most money you can – within reason. Stand your ground too firmly and you risk someone walking away. Read up on our haggling tips whether you're trying to sell your preloved cushions, DVDs or old gold.

Remember that haggling is very personal, so try and keep an element of respect. Some people will offer a seller 10p for an item listed at £3, and that just doesn't feel fair, right? It depends if you want to just offload stuff or sell loads for profit. If you're selling, be prepared to lower your prices, with a minimum in mind. Think about whether you really want rid of the item, and therefore if accepting a lower price 'frees' you of it. There is a certain relief when something that’s been cluttering up your home is suddenly sold – and if that means accepting a few quid less for it that you expected, so be it.

My exception to the bartering rule - new things. If something is still wrapped up and clearly unused, in my experience, you can stand your ground more firmly. The usual barter line from a buyer when I've been at a car boot is “I could get it online, or on eBay”. What you’ll want to say back straight away is “Go on then!”. But remember, you want the sale. So it’s about leaning into the fact that, yes, while they could, the item is there, in front of them. You have what they want. Go more softly, for example you could say: “Yes, that’s true, but it’s here and you could have it today, no postage (you’re showing them a saving) either!”.

Find out the price using a scanner. Thanks to MSE Jenny K for this tip, which is often one that buyers might use – scanning a barcode to see what something is worth. As a seller, you can do this in advance to see what it sells for on ebay.  Then you can stand firm in your bartering ground.

Selling electricals? Find guarantees and get proof they work – then you can ramp up the price. An extreme way of doing this would be to have a portable battery pack to plug things in. Not everyone has one of those, of course, so a back up is to film or photograph the item plugged in and working so you can show the potential buyer.

Honesty is a good policy if something’s used. While we're thinking about bagging a bargain or making some easy cash, it's not about hoodwinking each other. Be clear if something is used or new. For example, with cosmetics, even if you've used an eyeshadow a couple of times and it's hard to tell to the naked eye, the buyer will want to know. It's only fair. It's also best for health and safety.

If it's a game, or lego, be honest about what's not in there. A jigsaw's missing piece might not bother someone if you can say it's the top right corner, for example.

Make sure you have fun! As with any money-making or bargain-hunting experience, a car boot sale is arguably a case of 'you get out what you put in', whether you're buying, selling, or a bit of both (I've grabbed some bargains at car boots where I've also been a seller). That said, if you're flogging stuff to make cash, you'll then have cash to hand which is tempting when people are selling things you might want.

That's when the money mantras come in handy. Spotted something on another stall? Ask yourself if you need it, want it and whether it's worth it.

Above all, when the sun is shining, it's also about having fun. Don't forget this isn't a life-or-death situation, it's about buying and selling unwanted stuff, so keep that in mind when you're haggling, or trying to make a sale or purchase. The biggest win is the fun of the day out.