CASH FOR TRASH
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
WHERE DO I
START?
HOW DO I START?
WHERE DO I
OBTAIN STOCK?
WHAT SHOULD I
SELL AND FOR HOW MUCH?
WHAT ELSE DO I
NEED TO KNOW?
INTRODUCTION
Every
weekend thousands of normally sane individuals gather in
some
of the most uninviting of places, in often attrocious weather
conditions,
intent solely on jostling with like-minded people for
possession
of items long since abandoned. What am I
talking
about? Why, car boot sales, of course!
They
were virtually unheard of a few years ago, but now never a
week
goes by without finding a deluge of similar events vying for
prominence
in the classified pages of the local press.
Village
Halls, Auction Rooms, Church Halls, Pub Car Parks; these
are
but a few of the places that regularly play host to the
rapidly
growing great British pastime - Collecting!
And just
about
anything and everything will satisfy collectors, hoarders,
and
those who merely want to acquire goods and household items:
books,
plates, cutlery, toys, old tools, clothes, you name it, at
car
boot sales you can buy it.
Prices
vary as widely as the quality and quantity of the goods on
offer,
from a few pence to many pounds, but unlike many sales
venues,
there will almost always be something at the car boot sale
to
interest collector and hoarder alike.
All
this of course, considers only the buyer's side of the fence,
but
buyers obviously need sellers, and on this other side are some
of
the most enterprising and profitable small businesses, with
speedy
turnovers and often massive profit margins .
With
so many venues available and an endless supply and range of
stock,
it may be hard to accept that room will be available for
even
one more trader, yet this is indeed the case.
Not all
dealers
choose to attend events on a regular basis, many viewing
the
car boot fairs as no more than a means of disposing of items
from
a recent one-off attic clearing exercise.
There are others
who
consider it a spare-time venture only and will build up their
stocks,
perhaps over several weeks or months, in readiness for one
particular
event.
Increasingly
antiques and bric-a-brac dealers have realised the
potential
these sales offer as a means of unloading their less
quality
items, some supplementing their trading at Antiques and
Collectors'
Fairs, even shops, with a few well-chosen outdoor
venues.
For
most dealers, less than œ100 takings from a boot sale would
spell
disappointment, unless of course, the weather or some
coinciding
event, such as Wimbledon, contributed to a low customer
turnout. When you consider the small outlay for stock
and the low
business
overheads, even a 'disappointing' œ90 represents a tidy
profit
for a day's work. The fluctuating
rewards might not suit
those
supporting a family, but it can provide a very useful second
or
spare-time income. Amongst other adv
antages the car boot sale
offers
is the chance to be your own boss, working when and for as
long
as you choose, where you wish, selling whatever takes your
fancy,
and with no boss or workmates to create pressure or stress.
Sounds
ideal, doesn't it, for anyone seeking an exit from the 'Rat
Race'? But don't be deceived. It does require some effort on the
trader's
part. Competition exists: for customers,
goods, even
venues
and trading pitches. Consequently a professionalism
has
developed,
many regular traders trying all manner of ways in which
to
increase their share of the profits, getting to the venue
sometimes
hours in advance of others to select a prime position,
customising
their vehicles and even buying new ones to suit,
paying
great detail to selection and layout of goods, and hounding
new
traders for the pick of their better goods.
I
mentioned 'vehicles' in the last paragraph, and that's what
you'd
thing a car boot sale trader would need as perhaps his most
essential
possession. Strangely though, this is
not always true,
and
we've recently seen the emergence of 'Table Top ' fairs
existing
alongside the car boot sales. Traders
without transport
can
turn up with their goods, by whatever means, erect their table
(usually
a folding wallpaper-pasting table), put a cloth cover on
it,
set out their goods and off they go!
So Where do I
start?
First
and foremost, you must, if you haven't done so already,
visit
as many of those venues you wish to join forces with.
Arrive
early if you can, watch the traders drive in and set up.
Look
around at what's for sale and more importantly at what is
actually
selling. Where do the crowds tend to
flock? Around
those
tatty old clothes, or that pile of toys offered
appropriately,
just before Christmas?
Your
local newspapers, free papers, and shop windows will keep you
informed
of what venues are available. Some are
regular weekly
events,
others once-off. If 'tied' to such as a
rally or
carnival,
the latter can be extremely lucrative propositions, but
otherwise,
BEWARE! The regular weekly events tend
to have an
established
and usually growing clientele on both the buying and
selling
sides. These events in my area, the
North East of
England,
are found on racecourses, car parks and in huge
warehouses. They are long-established events and some, I
know,
are
extremely viable business propositions.
They must be, for I
know
several bric-a-brac and antiques dealers who have foresaken
their
normal attendances at fleamarkets, even quality fairs, in
favour
of spending every Saturday on our local racecourse, selling
anything
from bulky packets of elastic bands, to toys, stamps,
books,
cutlery, some even specialising in 'lower end of the
market'
antiques.
Once
you become established in one or two venues you will find out
through
experience, or the advice of fellow traders, just where
the
best events are. Fellow traders,
incidentally, with the
exception
of a small minority, are not normally avers e to pass on
many
of their secrets and to help the newcomer make the best of
his
chances. They might though expect
something in return, for
instance
trade discounts (normally 10%), or first pick of your
goods,
but these are normal practices between traders, and a small
price
to pay for the information they impart to you.
How do I Start?
You
can remember sell almost anything, the most obvious items
being
excluded, for instance animals, and foodstuffs in most
instances. The organiser will advise you as to what you
can not
sell,
as will your local authority Trading Standards Department.
Some
things are better sellers than others, some less bulky to
transport,
some take up more valuable stall space than others,
some
are more durable and so on. These
considerations you will
learn
through experience and they shouldn't concern you too much
at
the beginning. Just don't go trying to
hump four poster beds
to
such as the local school car park for a fund-raising event.
It's
possible with car boot sales, to start a lucrative sideline
with
no capital other than the petrol to get you to your first
event
and the fee to pay for your pitch. The
latter incidentally
often
amounts to œ5 or less, normally a car costing slightly less
than
a van. The fact that some take vans must
prove the viability
of
these sales venues as business ventures.
But to get back to
the
point, starting with little or no capital normally
necessitates
cleaning out your own garage and attic and those of
friends,
relatives and neighbours. You then take
along all but
absolute
rubbish (destined for the dustbin), price it, sell it,
and
where applicable return an agreed percentage of the takings to
the
original owner.
With
the money you've made, you buy more stock, sell it, buy more,
and
so on, until your volume, range and quality of stock is
adequate
and you can then consider taking a 'cut' of the profits,
remembering
always to plough something back for futu re stock
purchases.
Where else can I
obtain stock?
Unlike
many retailers you will almost certainly find no difficulty
in
obtaining suitable stock, both in terms of quality and price.
The
sources for obtaining stock are many and varied and include:
Other
car boot traders, particularly newcomers and once-off
visitors
Collectors'
Fairs
Fleamarkets
Charity
Shops
Jumble
Sales
Church
and School Fetes
Auctions
Wholesalers
The
Classified Adverts in Local Papers
By
Advertising for it Yourself
At
the start of the day's trading many 'car booters' find
themselves
inundated with buyers, to the extent they find it
impossible
to set up stall. For many this most profitable
part of
the
day will find traders swooping particularly upon first-timers
and
irregular visitors, hoping to find amongst their wares, some
choice
bargains which will be hastily repriced and given pride of
place
on their own stalls. Amongst traders
'bargaining' is
common,
many expecting trade discount, usually of 10 %.
Personally
I always give this reduction to trade hoping to secure
regular
custom and not often being disappointed.
I find too, that
being
fair with fellow traders brings another advantage in that
they
often consider me first for items falling within my scope
but
outside of theirs. As you grow in
experience you will become
aware
of customers' particular interests and can then search other
dealers'
stocks for suitable items, unless of course they have the
same
customers and it is unlikely therefore that you will be able
to
buy and sell anything at a profit.
Once-off
traders tend to price their items low and may be prepared
to
lower them further as the day progresses, since they usually
want
to sell everything at one go and are reluctant to transport
items
home, only to have them clutter places they were trying to
evacuate
them from in the first place.
Collectors'
fairs and fleamarkets tend almost invariably to fall
midway
between jumble sales and antique fairs, no disrespect
intended
to any of these outlets. All will be
advertised in the
local
papers and a visit very early in the day will of ten reward
you
well, since fellow traders will be taking advantage of the
proceedings
to relenish their stock.
Stick
to what you know will yield a profit. I
usually work on
paying
half of what I intend to sell for, thereby allowing me some
leeway
for trade discount to my buyers, and to take breakages and
mark-downs
into consideration. At the end of the
day, taking all
of
these things into account most traders average a profit of 50%
on
the majority of items.
Charity
sales and jumble sales are excellent sources for stock
acquisitions,
as are church fairs and school fetes.
These too
will
be advertised in local papers and shop windows.
Keep a
careful
note of all potential venues, and plan to visit as many as
time
and other commitments will allow.
Auctions
are the possibly the happiest of hunting grounds for the
car
boot trader and his counterparts at the fleamarkets and
collectors'
fairs. Surprisingly, the novice can be
extremely
apprehensive
of even visiting an auction, fearing that th e
slightest
body movement might render him the proud owner of 'Lot
Number.......'. In my opinion, this in extremely unlikely to
happen,
and I truly believe this misconception was formulated by
auction
regulars, keen to protect their interests and wi th the
intention
of keeping the opposition as low as possible.
In my
experience
of auctions, which I admit isn't vast, I have never
seen
anything knocked down to an unsuspecting bidder; the
auctioneer
always makes certain that what he believes could be a
bid,
is in fact so.
Auctions
differ greatly in terms of what they deal in, the
Clientele
they attract, and the professionalism with which their
staff
conduct themselves. Great works of art
and highly prized
pieces
of antiquity rarely appear in your local back street
auction
rooms, and similarly a tea tray of bric-a-brac will not be
given
house room in the larger auction rooms which specialise in
selling
fewer, but more select items at higher prices, and
consequently
attract very few of the car boot and fleamarket
fraternity. Our place for the better bargains, is the
small
auction
room with its sometimes conflicting standards, where we
must
unfortunately be content to jostle with hundreds of fellow
bargain
seekers, but all to good avail, for that tea tray of
goodies,
be they teapots or odd glasses will fill many a gap on
our
pasting tables, usually costing little, and consequently
yielding
a good profit margin.
As
always, visit a few auctions in advance of a genuine bidding
session,
just to see for yourself what really happens.
Some will
let
you take your goods home minutes after they are knocked down
to
you, whilst others stipulate that nothing can b e removed until
the
sale is over. Some establishments
require evidence of your
bank
allowing cheques for higher values to be cleared, others take
almost
all cheques if covered by a current bank card.
Make sure
in
advance of buying anything just what the individual
requirements
are in this respect. Remember too that
on top of the
price
you have bid for any particular item you will almost
certainly
be charged V.A.T. and a Buyer's Commission, both of
which
can increase the cost of your purchase significantly. So
check
before you bid and take these added costs into account when
assessing
the worth of any prospective purchases.
Wholesalers
up and down the country carry many goods of use to car
boot
traders, some though fewer, specialising in second-hand
goods. These firms will advertise their services in
the local and
county
press, and in such as 'Exchange & Mart' and 'The Trader'.
Some
will require you to spend a minimum amount, to discourage the
private
buyer or the time-wasting browser, so again, check in
advance.
The
classified advertisements in local papers will reveal many
potentially
suitable items, and if from a private source they may
indeed
be just what you are looking for. Be
careful though, for
sometimes
that job lot of bric-a-brac or children's clothes and
toys
might have been placed by a fellow trader, anxious to rid
himself
of stock that simply hasn't sold.
Experience will tell
you
what will sell and what won't, so in the early days you must
content
yourself with a few mistakes, remembering of course that
you
can always try the classified sections yourself to sell
surplus
stock, even if you just break even or sometimes incur a
small
loss. These advertisements are often
free and represent an
additional
market place for your goods, and not only those that
have
been around for a long time.
You
could also try advertising for stock in the 'Articles Wanted'
section
of the local press, remembering of course you'll most
likely
require bulk purchases to warrant the time and trouble it
takes
to visit prospective sellers.
What should I
sell and for how much?
As
mentioned earlier, the answer is 'almost anything'. Some
advantages
exist in specialising, perhaps the biggest being that
of
less competition for stock. But by
specialising you will rule
out
much of the passing trade upon which many traders depend. The
majority
of visitors to a car boot sale have no particular
purchases
in mind. They have their eyes open for a
bargain but
what
form it takes often depends upon their frame of mind at the
time.
Toys
seem to be good sellers, as do ornaments and books. Domestic
tools
and hardware are in demand perhaps due to the high prices we
must
pay to buy them new. Nothing will
suffice for your own
market
study of what people appear to be buying an d which traders
seem
to attract the greatest crowds. Provide
a similar service
and
stock and you really can't go far wrong.
Traders
with young children can take advantage of a steady stream
of
cast-off toys and clothes, and the green-fingered amongst us
will
no doubt find little trouble in keeping up with demand for
low-cost
plant cuttings. My own specialism is
ephemera of the
paper
variety, and I seek to offer a constantly changing stocks of
old
postcards, magazines, theatre programmes, tickets,
advertisements
and so on.
Be
constantly on the look-out for items you can repair or
renovate. A boxful of picture frames might look
anything but
inviting
in that dingy auction room, but imagine what they could
do
for a few well-chosen and extremely cheap magazine advert
isements
or prints. Paperback books seem to be
enjoying a second
life
at many venues.
I
know of regular traders who specialise in antiques, gardening
products
and produce, others with only books or toys, pictures,
craftwork,
cosmetics and curios. It really is up to
you what you
sell
and I think a mark-up of between 50% and 100% makes for a
fairly
quick turnover and allows you to drop your price for trade
discounts,
breakages and stock that is sticking.
You
must be prepared to lower the price of items that have been
around
for too long. Just how long you're
prepared to give each
item
is up to you, bearing in mind the number of sales you take
them
to. Perhaps after half a dozen sales you
may consider it
appropriate
to lower the price of some older items to make way for
new.
At
the car boot sales, with the 'rummagers' out in full force,
nothing
attracts more than a pile of goodies, poking haphazardly
out
of a plastic storage box and offered with an 'everything
for....'
tag stuck to the front.
As
a last resort, take unwanted stock to the local auction room
even
if only to reap a pound or two for your efforts. Customers
will
start flocking again to a display of new stock once the stale
items
have stopped hogging valuable stall space.
Price
everything on your stall. Small
self-adhesive labels are
ideal
and can be purchased at most newsagents and stationers. Be
careful
of items that might be damaged even by the lightest of
stickers,
for example ornaments with a hand-painted finish. Some
labels
tend to stick with the intention of never departing the
scene. Fortunately not many fit into this category
but it's wise
to
test a few - just to be on the safe side.
Pricing your goods
in
advance allows you to remember what you need to take to incur a
profit,
and from experience I know browsers and intending
customers
are often reluctant to ask the price of an article,
preferring
instead to saunter off in search of alternative items -
with
a price tag!
To
avoid pricing and repricing items and to satisfy the rummagers
amongst
their customers, many traders sell their stock at
'Everything
for .... pence'. Everything at this
price is placed
in
the appropriate box or boxes. Obviously
too many different
prices
will cause chaos and confusion, so it's best to stick to a
few
prices, perhaps 20p, 50p and œ1. A small
table for
individually
priced items may be placed alongside.
Haggling
has long been one of the most common features of the car
boot
sale, often as an end in itself I suspect, as opposed to a
need
to acquire the item more cheaply. Be
prepared for this but
stick
always to a pre-determined price below which you will not go
except
to effect the sale of an item which is due shortly for
saleroom
status, or perhaps bulky items which you would prefer not
to
transport home - again! Where possible
have a code on your
price
tag to indicate what you paid for a n item and if the time
is
right you might consider letting it go for little, sometimes no
profit
- simply to get rid of it. Your code
could be such as:
'F289'
to indicate the item was purchased at a fleamarket for œ2
in
1989. Whatever serves the purpose of
jogging your memory will
suffice
but I always prefer that the code is unlikely to be
cracked
by the customer. The 'F' in the example
code is for
little
reason other than to add to the complexity for attempting
code-busters.
What else do I
need to know?
Make
the day's work as easy for yourself as possible. Instead of
carrying
precariously stacked 'about to give way at any second'
cardboard
boxes, invest in some of those handy stacking plastic
containers
most supermarkets stock nowadays. Inbuilt
handles
make
them easy to carry, and being durable they offer more
protection
to your stock. They also look more
professional, not
something
that might increase your profits, but will certainly do
a
lot for your ego. At a price of a few
pounds e ach I can't
understand
why some traders still seem to insist on battling with
cardboard
boxes and carrier bags that promise shortly to collapse
under
the strain.
Professionalism
comes from paying attention to minor details, like
putting
a cloth on your stall before displaying anything. An old
cloth
or curtain (preferably not brightly coloured or patterned)
is
adequate. The bare boards I'm afraid, do
no thing to aid your
chances
of a sale, and showing you care about the appearance of
your
stall serves to show you also care about the quality of your
goods
and service. Any valuable items should
be kept towards the
back
of your stall, or under a glass top if possible, to deter
pilferers. Those who want a closer look will ask you for
assistance.
Working
outside in the summer might be seen as providing an ideal
working
environment, but in the winter it's an entirely different
story. That same freezing cold that's causing your
teeth to
chatter
and convinces you your finger ends have gone , could also
be
the reason for a marked lack of customers.
If you decide to
persevere
trading through the bad months, do all you can to make
the
job as comfortable as possible. Always,
but always, have
plenty
of food and drink (not the alcoholic variety - you've got
to
drive home remember).
Company
is advisable to help you through the long days (congenial
company
that is), and is essential if you wish to roam around
looking
for stock on other stalls. Take someone
you trust to be
vigilant
and to treat your customers well. I
don't believe the
trading
side of the stall is the place for young children and
pets;
there's simply nothing to occupy them and boredom will ensue
with
its inevitable distractions for you.
Taking older children
might
be a way of enlisting help, whilst at the same time allowing
them
to learn the rudiments of business and the importance of good
planning
and customer relations.
Many
other tips, techniques and practices you'll learn from
experience
and those around you. Car-booting really
can be a
rewarding
activity, both financially, and in terms of the friends
you'll
make on either side of the counter, so I sincerely hope
I've
helped you on the first steps to success in this most
enjoyable
of businesses. Good Luck!
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