Car Boot 2026.

P.S. And picnic chairs to sit on.

Been to a few but never been the seller.

I've done a number over the years. Found it to be a good day out, both selling and browsing other stalls. My first time was an eye opener when I sold a vase after some negotiation. I later spotted it on the buyers stall at double the price. I stopped doing car boots as I got fed up of people wanting to pay as little as possible and haggling to get 20p, 50p off - FGS. What I could never understand was why do folk go to carboots without carrier bags and then getting stroppy with the seller for not having bags to give away. It got to be too much trouble so stopped but I do see the attraction. I hope you have a productive and dry day Calendergirl

I haven't done one recently but I used to do several every year.

I always made sure I had plenty of change before I started.

It seems obvious but the people who bought stuff over in bin bags and dumped it out onto the ground never seemed to sell much. I had a table and a dress rail as well as boxes of clean sorted items. The clothes and soft furnishings I sold were always washed and ironed and either folded neatly or hung up.

I was once given a mink coat to sell at a charity boot sale. It created a great deal of interest but I was determined not to let it go for under £10 and it was unsold at the end of the day. Shortly after I took it to a shop that specialised in selling fur coats and they gave me £60 for it which I passed on to the charity.

Most of the time it was pretty good natured but occasionally buyers were rude to me if, for instance, I didn't want to sell an unused saucepan for 2p.

I always took unsold stuff and any rubbish home with me at the end of the day as it is not fair to leave it behind for someone else to clear up and can get you banned from a site.

We have done some over the years but at the last one we did people wanted stuff for next to nothing so we use Freecycle now or take things to the local BHF charity shop.

We did at least 6 last year, as we were downsizing and also clearing the last of the stock from our antiue stall.

We currently have a storage facility with stuff waiting for this years boot fairs in our new location, but DH's health emans it needs to be a warm day and we need DD's help.

Is a ‘car boot’ sale indoors (no cars) not just a jumble sale???

Yes pce612 of course you are correct. But, as far as I understand, mine and all the other posts on this thread so far, are relating to outdoor car boot sales.

I enjoy going to the French equivalent brocante or vide grenier. All the local towns do them, as well as certain quatiers within a town, with great bargains and they are free to enter and browse!
Last Sunday the neighbouring town blocked off a certain part of the main road, cars were forced to do a loop, and the crowds came. Music played and the Resturant’s did a roaring trade.
I have been disappointed on some of the English ones I have visited, to be charge, why do they do this, as here it is the stall holders that pay?

mokryna In France brocantes, and, certaainy, vide grniers are organised by the council and held on public roads or in market places.

In the Uk car bootsales are organised by companies for whom this is a a business and are held on private land where there will be rental and other costs. We generally pay £10 for a selling space and a couple of £s to get in and reckon it is a good bargain.

I’d never again do one alone, as I had several items stolen when distracted by someone asking questions.

I priced low, because the last thing I wanted is to have to load it back into the car and unload at home.

The most I’ve ever made is about £100 at an equestrian centre, and that included selling an old but decent saddle for £40. Not sure I’ll be bothered to do one again, and I no longer go to browse as a buyer, only if I’m looking for something g specific like a tool or a particular book!

I used to enjoy going to car boot sales but having decluttered I am not about to add anything more! Good luck with your sale.

We do one every year and I’m getting it ready this week.
I price everything and do better that way as some people don’t like haggling. We do an afternoon one where sellers get an hour to set up before buyers are allowed in. I got fed up with the early ones where buyers pounce on you before you have even opened the boot. Good fun. I love them.

I.ve spent hours standing in the cold and wet and not really selling much,So now I prefer to send it all to charity shops .

Originally, I started going to these as a buyer. Very short of money, would look at toy stalls, and then as my chlldren grew up and went on to Uni, looked for things for them to take with.. Crockery, cutlery, saucepans, mirrors, etc. etc.

Then I started doing them myself - by myself.. First one I went to = my car following a friends car (she was experienced), I was totally bemused by the 'trader' who descended on me as soon as I parked up - and started to take things from my car - I had packed it so carefully. From then on, I would just say to these people, very definitely - that I did not sell any items before I had totally set up.

Would take pasting table. clothes airer (to hang clothing items on), garden chair, packed lunch, sun hat, had a cross body bag - but notes, etc. kept safely in car. Most things priced so people did not have to keep asking me - but a notice saying 'If you like it - make me a reasonable offer'.

would ask neighbouring stalls to keep an eye on things when I made a quick loo run.

The one I mainly attended was very large, and attracted many people coming to look around. Back then only the stall holders were charged.

Once I had covered the cost of the place, I was in profit and always made enough to make it worthwhile for me. Would usually do two or three a year. In the past few years, I have been joining my daughter once a year at a late morning one (means we do not have to be there at the crack of dawn).

As this one always has lots of space between each car (at least it was easy for us to have our own tables side by side. But, she has now finished her de-cluttering - and even with her doing the driving and setting up/taking down the tables, I now find it too tiring - will not be doing any more.

It does seem as there are more and more actual traders as these boot sales these days, and fewer and fewer of genuine car boot sellers. Or perhaps I am just getting cynical.

Like Franbern we always cover our costs and make a profit at car boot sales.

Car boot sales are not places to sell if you want a decent return on the sale of any of your stock. We price nothing, and almost give it away. Stuff we do not sell is more likely to end up on the tip than at a charity shop.

Our best sellers are boxes of rusty tools, plastic boxes and anything someone can just pick up and walk off with, but we have sols small items of furniture and currently have 3 random stools/chairs awaiting a sale . They are the remains of a lot of 4 I bought at auction because I wanted one in particular. I think I paid £10. I hope to make a profit on the deal selling them indvidually at £3 - £4 each

You’re right Franbern.

When we started doing car boots, most of the stalls were genuine ‘car booters’, but the big site we used to go to is mostly traders now, more of a huge market.

So we now go to a local school car boot, which is mainly folk like us, trying to get rid of stuff from the loft, garden, bric a brac, toys, games, books, clothes….

£5 fee for the car, lots of space to set up, and hopefully a nice day brings out the bargain hunters.

🤞

I've browsed around a few but I don't think I've ever bought anything. I prefer places like the "antiques centres" at Elsecar and Hemswell where you might find anything from a Georgian silver inkpot to a 1960s Woolworth's plastic bracelet. I love the brocantes and braderies in France and Belgium, too and have brought several bargains home in the past.

However, I know I couldn't bear to try selling my cast-off "stuff" at a car boot. I'd definitely suffer psychogical trauma when people pawed through my things and rejected them or offered 5p for a 50p frying pan!

Scribbles

I've browsed around a few but I don't think I've ever bought anything. I prefer places like the "antiques centres" at Elsecar and Hemswell where you might find anything from a Georgian silver inkpot to a 1960s Woolworth's plastic bracelet. I love the brocantes and braderies in France and Belgium, too and have brought several bargains home in the past.

However, I know I couldn't bear to try selling my cast-off "stuff" at a car boot. I'd definitely suffer psychogical trauma when people pawed through my things and rejected them or offered 5p for a 50p frying pan!

You are looking for the wrong things at Boot Fairs. Boot fairs are for the stuff in garages and garden sheds. Anything decent we sell elsewhere, but when moving house it is ideal for surplus rusty tools, building materials (we once sold 6 uarry tiles for a £, plastic storage boxes, bits of string.

I haven't been looking for anything in particular, M0nica. As I said, I've browsed around a few but not seen anything that grabbed me. If I'd needed a second hand, slightly crazed bread crock or the hearth brush missing from Grandma's old companion stand, I'd have snapped it up without haggling. And, if I ever want to part with a carved wooden cat or that slightly wonky standard lamp, I'll ask someone else to take them to a boot fair for me because I really couldn't bear the anguish of seeing them rejected. 😅

My mother loved car boot sales. She would be up at the crack of dawn, chivvying my father along as he had to drive her 😁 He hated it.

She had a good eye for bargains though, bought stacks of Barbie dolls and Action men before they sold for hundreds. She sold some but the rest were played with by GC after they had been cleaned up. She once bought what looked to me like a black plastic necklace for a pound and it turned out to be jet.

It is like everything else in life, one persons fun day out is someone elses idea of hell

pce612

Is a ‘car boot’ sale indoors (no cars) not just a jumble sale???

A few ‘indoor’ car boot sales I have been to have been in huge old empty warehouse type buildings where the cars were in there too … huge open doors to drive in.
Another one used an old multi story parking garage …all cars and vans inside.

M0nica

Scribbles

I've browsed around a few but I don't think I've ever bought anything. I prefer places like the "antiques centres" at Elsecar and Hemswell where you might find anything from a Georgian silver inkpot to a 1960s Woolworth's plastic bracelet. I love the brocantes and braderies in France and Belgium, too and have brought several bargains home in the past.

However, I know I couldn't bear to try selling my cast-off "stuff" at a car boot. I'd definitely suffer psychogical trauma when people pawed through my things and rejected them or offered 5p for a 50p frying pan!

You are looking for the wrong things at Boot Fairs. Boot fairs are for the stuff in garages and garden sheds. Anything decent we sell elsewhere, but when moving house it is ideal for surplus rusty tools, building materials (we once sold 6 uarry tiles for a £, plastic storage boxes, bits of string.

MOnica have you never seen Bargain Hunt? Or you’ve obviously been going to the wrong car boot sales? LOTS of varied ‘stalls’ on offer at many local boot fairs here . Many turn up with Trestle tables and very decent stuff all priced, obviously pros, but still bargains to be found. Others turn up with black bags on the floor and display their goods there. It’s a complete miscellany of things and sellers. You might be only selling the contents of your garden shed, but others bring vintage clothes, books, jewellery …all sorts! It’s great fun both doing one or just visiting, but sadly I can’t get up early any longer and have no transport now…! And here in Wales 9/10 …it rains!