Have a clear-out and looking to sell some of your stuff and wondering what sells best at a car boot sale?
After reading our list you’ll be full of ideas of what to take. Check out our tips so you get the best prices.
Car boot sales are a great way to get some money for household stuff you no longer want. We have done them a few times over the years.
People go to car boot sales looking for bargains, so one of the keys is to have lots of small and low priced items in the 50p to £2 kind of range. Think items that you’d happily sell cheaply without have to list or post as you would if selling them online.
Table of Contents
If you are looking for what sells car boots we have listed the top 18 categories of items below.
If you have one hang your clothes on a rail so it’s easier for potential buyers to look through your items. If you don’t have a rail spread the clothes out as best you so people don’t have to rummage through them leaving just a pile of mess.
Try and keep similar coloured and or types of clothes together.
Make sure clothes are clean and consider giving some a quick iron on items it makes sense to do so.
Old shoes and bags will also sell.
Expect about £1-2 for most items. £4-5 for jackets and designer clothes.
If you have any items you feel are worth more check out the best clothes selling apps and sites, including some that offer free listings and others that specialise in designer clothes.
Baby clothes and equipment sell well.
Think plastic baby baths, playpens, high chairs, stair gates.
You might get good money for these types of items if they are in good condition.
Make sure they are clean.
Above all make sure the items are safe by current standards. For example, it isn’t advisable to sell old car seats.
Cuddly toys in good condition will attract the attention of kids. All sizes both large and small. Anything that looks cuddly looks appealing.
Ornaments from the house or even garden ornaments often prove popular impulse buys. If they are fragile display them out the way of reaching arms which might risk knocking them over.
Cheap jewellery and better costume jewellery pieces sell well.
Things like beaded necklaces, charm bracelets, brooches, pins, rings, pendants will all be of interest to some people.
If you know you have more valuable items you’ll most likely be better off selling those online.
Cheap watches and clocks sell well.
Make sure they have working batteries or have been wound up if need be beforehand.
If it is a watch made by a well-known brand just double check it’s not actually a rarity worth a fortune. It has been known to happen.
Old games consoles are popular as are any games to go with them. If you have games keep them in the original cases with instructions.
Try and keep all accessories, plugs and cables together.
All kinds of homewares sell really well at car boots. Anything you’ve had around the home but no longer wants someone else most likely will.
Plenty of kids are tagging along with their parents and cheap toys may catch their eyes. Some children may have specifically been given or have brought some pocket money specifically to buy their own bargains.
It can be good to display toys on the floor so passing kids get a good view and feel more comfortable coming over to have a look.
Lego sets, especially if you have the box and all the pieces.
Cars, playsets and action figures, electronic toys etc.
If you have any boxed vintage toys consider checking the values beforehand as they may be worth more than you’ll expect.
Small kids bikes and
Consider everything in good clean condition but make sure they are safe to be handle by children. Not broken in any way.
Old mobile phones, tablets and related accessories. If possible charge up the devices to show they are in good working order.
Sell with the original packaging if you still have it.
Tools for D.I.Y around the house, or tools to fix the car.
Garden tools and garden accessories are also popular.
You could also take plant pots, planters, hanging baskets. Anything in good condition.
Make sure you have cleaned them up.
Old cameras in working condition will attract interest. If it’s a digital camera have batteries to show it works and include memory cards if you have spare ones and charge accordingly.
Photo frames of all kinds.
Items of furniture such as tables, chairs, small drawer units etc we sell. Smaller items are more suitable. Coffee tables rather than dining tables kind of sizes.
The main issue with furniture is that larger items take up space and may limit how much stuff you can display overall.
All types of unused cosmetics, toiletries and perfumes sell well. Anything you’ve brought and not used or been gifted.
People even buy empty perfume bottles.
Consider classics like old coins and stamps. But anything that might appeal to a passing collector. Bearing in mind all kinds of things are collected and many are covered in other categories, like boxed toys and old mobiles. too.
Also, items related to popular hobbies, for example, fishing and sports equipment.
Cheap books are likely picked up. Excellent quality non-fiction books are generally worth more than your standard fiction titles so you might get more for those trading in on the bookselling apps.
Traders too will likely be interested in these non-fiction titles in brand new conditions.
Other more common well-read fiction books might go for 10-20p, maybe 50p.
Bookselling apps offer little to nothing for fiction paperbacks so selling them at a car boot is a good option.
While not as popular as they once were CD’s and DVD’s are still commonly sold at car boots. Don’t expect to get much for them so consider offering multi-buy offers. In a world of streaming music & movies, some people may even want just want the discs to use to recycle for crafts or to use in the garden to keep pests away.
Disney DVDs might attract the interest of some kids.
Expect about 10p for CD’s, maybe 20-50p for DVDs. Box Sets more.
If you have any less mainstream DVDs in excellent condition you could consider selling them online or at least scanning a few quickly to see what they are worth at via the best sites and apps for selling DVDs. It’s usually free to send them off and you might get £2-£3 or more for some unusual titles.
Vinyl records have made a bit of a comeback the last few years. Dealers will be on the lookout for rarities so be aware if you have any promos or lesser-known but sought after releases.
If you have any musical instruments from school recorders to guitars. Also, include anything that comes with them for safe storage and keeping. Combine with any related books or other items.
Many items at car boot sales sell for around 50p to £2 kind of range. Most people are looking for little cheap bargains. You may get more money for certain collectables and items in original packaging, but many of the people who specifically want these will be traders who will want to haggle you down so they can resell for maximum profit.
If you have larger items that are more suitable for pick up rather than expensive delivery you may get lucky if the right person interested comes across it.
Like many things though it can vary and depends on what you have.
If you have a lot of items to sell to potentially get a few pounds car boot sales can be well worth doing. Aside from the money car boot sales can be a lot for the family and a great experience for the family.
Some car boots may not want you to sell new items you have specifically bought in bulk to resell.
You can sell the odd item of food but you can’t attend car boots regularly with the main intention of selling food items without consulting your local authority,
While many people make a living as traders it is not likely anyone can make a living solely from car boot sales. More than likely traders will combine car boot sales with other forms of buying and selling such as local auctions and online marketplaces or Amazon FBA.
You can sell crafts at a car boot. If you are making crafts intending to sell at car boots bear in mind most people are looking for cheap bargains and will generally only be looking to pay up to a couple of pounds. You may be better off selling them elsewhere or online via an Etsy store.
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