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Christmas is coming! And never mind the old song about the goose getting fat . . . . we’re all worried about how much it is going to cost. Especially in these difficult times of rising costs and inflation.
So one thing you might want to consider is having a pre-Christmas car boot sale. This can work well in many ways. You can get rid of a load of stuff you don’t want, and make a bit of money on it. You may be selling just what someone else is looking for. And you may also be able to snap up some Christmas bargains of your own in the process.
But to have a successful car boot sale takes a bit of careful planning. Otherwise you can just end up standing in the cold for a couple of hours and taking all your unsold stuff back home with you again.
So here are our Ten Top Tips on how to have the best pre-Christmas car boot sale ever.
It is well worth doing a bit of research to find the most popular car boot sales in your area. Also see if there are any special Christmas events that feature car boot or table top sales. You need to go to where your customers are waiting!
Car boot websites such as Car Boot Junction can help point you in the right direction, and also check out local press and social media to find out what’s happening near you.
Don’t leave everything to the last minute. This is a recipe for disaster! You need to know what you have to sell and where it is. So take time to group items into categories and put them in different labelled boxes – for example toys, DVDs and CDs, books, household items, bags, jewellery etc.
On the day you will then know what you have to see and where it is, and won’t risk losing that all-important sale!
Plan your pricing strategy in advance. Decide whether your main aim is to make money or get rid of all your stuff. One option would be to start off with higher prices to maximise your profit, but at a certain point reduce your prices just to get rid of stuff and make a bit of money rather than none.
It’s a good idea to put price stickers on categories of items, as this can make buyers feel more comfortable, and can also make things easier for you during the sale.
This is really important. Don’t be tempted to leave it till the day of the sale itself as you will need to get to the sale nice and early (see next tip).
Loading the car always takes longer than you think, and fitting everything in can feel just like some kind of jenga puzzle! And don’t forget to put your tables in last so that they can come out first.
Whatever the advertised time for sellers to arrive at the sale, get there earlier. There’s nothing more frustrating than arriving bang on time, only to find that the experienced sellers are already in there setting up and have grabbed all the best pitches.
So get there super early. The worst that can happen is you have a few minutes wait to be let in. But it will be worth it.
Another advantage of getting there early is that you have plenty of time to set up your stall the way you want it to look before people start rummaging. This includes organising your price tags and ensuring that you have everything you need.
But be aware that you may get hassled by other car booters as you’re unpacking the car, offering to buy things. These things will usually then end up on their stalls at a higher price. If you’re happy to start shifting stuff straightaway, make sure you get the price you want. Otherwise stand firm, and ask them to come back later.
During your sale you are likely to have very busy times when you’re on your feet making sales. But there will also be quieter times when not much seems to be happening. So it’s important that you have somewhere warm and comfortable to sit during these times. It can also be pretty chilly, particularly if you are at an early morning car boot sale.
So make sure you have a folding chair or something else to sit on, a warm coat or blanket, and a few refreshments to keep you going. Be prepared for anything, but look after yourself or you won’t enjoy the car boot sale at all.
Do all that you can to make customers feel welcome and enjoy browsing your stall. Smile and greet them when they arrive then give them space to browse. You need to be available if needed but not hover over them. This will help them to feel comfortable and relaxed, and hopefully more likely to buy from you.
Remember if they make you an offer on something you do not have to accept it. You may decide to take a lower price to get rid of stuff, but if you don’t want to just be friendly and polite – they may then pay your original price.
Car boot sales are one of the few places where most people still use cash. Which means that you need to have change. Lots of it! Especially if you are one of the early bird sellers, your customers will most probably have notes rather than coins and will need change. So be prepared for that, and keep your cash handy in a money belt or pouch during the sale. And remember you may also need cash to pay the entrance charge.
It’s also a good idea to have a few carrier bags available. Many customers buy more than they intended, and providing a bag for their goods could make the difference between them choosing whether or not to buy several items from you.
Most car boot sales wind down before the official closing time. Take your cue from the experienced car booters. You can sense a change in the air when they start packing up, and you might as well do this too. If you still have more stuff left than planned, you could have one last blitz and reduce all your prices. This may help you pick up a few final sales. But don’t hang on right till the end: by now you’ll be feeling cold and tired, so it’s time to go.
It’s worth taking your time to organise how you pack up. For example, you may want to put some stuff aside for a charity shop and some to throw away. And you may even want to keep some for your next car boot sale!
We hope that the above tips help you to have a successful car boot sale. All you need to do now is count the money!
Hopefully your sale will help to get your finances on track for Christmas. But remember that if you need some additional funding, Loans 2 Go offer short term loans that may also be able to help.
Do visit us here again soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.
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