How to price things at a car boot sale
Car boot buyers are looking for bargains, so price to sell. Here's a simple way to decide what to ask.
Start from the buyer’s side
People come to car boots expecting second-hand prices. The question isn’t “what did I pay?” but “what would someone pay for this, today, in a field?” If you’d be happy to see it go for very little, price it low and let it go.
Three quick rules
- Group the small stuff. Boxes or baskets marked with one price (“all 50p”, “any 3 for £1”) move a lot of small items quickly and save you talking about each one.
- Price the good things separately. Anything you think has real value deserves its own label. Look up recent sold prices online the week before (not asking prices), then expect to accept less at a car boot.
- Leave room to haggle. Most buyers will offer less. If you want £8, a sticker of £10 gives you room to agree.
Make prices easy to see
- Stickers or tags on individual items
- A sign on each box or rail
- Round numbers. Giving change for £1.75 at 7am is no fun.
When to drop prices
- Early in the day, the keenest buyers are often after valuable items to resell. Don’t sell your best pieces too cheaply in the first ten minutes.
- In the last hour, most sellers drop prices to avoid packing things away again. Decide in advance what you’d rather sell cheaply than take home.
Don’t forget the pitch fee
Add up your pitch fee, fuel and any parking. That’s your first target for the day. Everything after it is profit.