Car boot sales: flog your unwanted junk

Advantages: Get rid of your rubbish for money, or you can pick up a bargain from a seller
Disadvantages: Pay to get in means you instantly lose money, but you should gain it back if you're selling

...The world of car booting is a creative art, and its shocking how many people have either never been, have no idea what goes on, and haven't even heard of a car boot sale. For those avid sellers, they get up at 5:00 in the morning, take their overflowing car to a big field so that they can embrace a brilliant spot for potential buyers to invest in their old junk. For those potential buyers, depending on how fanatical they are about spotting a bargain, get up equally early in the morning, drive to said field and then pour over thousands and thousands of items on tables, rugs, car boots, absolutely anywhere where sellable items can be displayed. The last time I sold at a car boot sale, it was at Weeley in Essex. We left the house quite late, about half past 7 in the morning (well, that's late for a car boot), arrived, and unfortunately...

Stephoohla 19.08.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Car boot sales (Shop)

Trade Sales beats Dealers

Advantages: Quick, easy, no hassle, excellent choice
Disadvantages: No test drive facility

...Based on my previous experiences, I would definitely buy a new car from Trade Sales again. I have bought 2 cars from Trade Sales so far. The first was a used car (six months old) for my husband, the second a brand new car for myself. Before purchasing both vehicles, we checked Trade Sales website to see whether they had the cars we were interested in in stock. In both cases, we knew which types of vehicle we wanted and we found the website very user-friendly and were able to locate specific models immediately. Under each make of car, e.g. Peugeot there is a list of each model available; under these sub-sections the web-site will tell you how many cars of each colour are in stock, how many have been reserved, how many are on order, etc. etc. It is much easier to buy a new car from Trade Sales rather than a used car as they...

ktgough 09.12.2002 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Trade Sales

There are boot sales, and then giant boot sales

Advantages: finding bargains, making money from stuff you don't want, good morning out
Disadvantages: can be more like a market, bad weather can spoil it, no guarantees

...I am a car boot sale binger. That is I become addicted to them after one visit, binge, going every week for a few months, and then don't bother for ages - until the next time I need a book, or something from the market stalls! I have been to many boot sales in Lancashire to both buy and sell. I'm going to give my opinion generally on what car boot sales are like based on things a lot of them have in common. TYPES OF CAR BOOT You can tell someone's spent hours at various car boots when they know enough to write a section called 'Types of car boot.' These things can be classified?! Oh yes. You see, there are car boots...and then there are giant car boots. The difference is mainly the amount of stalls and punters, the giant car boots usually occurring on a large farm field and having market stalls as well as second-hand stalls. They...

Lancashire_Angel 20.08.2003 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Car boot sales (Shop)

Car Boot Sales

Advantages: Extra cash
Disadvantages: Sometimes gets cold!

...I did my first car boot sale about 14 years ago. When I first opened my car boot, the punters swarmed around my car to see what I had. I could not believe it - they were like vultures and in my naivety I had never seen anything like it before. I came to realise after more car boot sales that this is what they do - so be warned!! When doing car boot sales, do take into account the location - we have a couple of regular ones here, one on a Saturday morning through at a local town nearby so you get the Saturday morning shoppers calling by on their way home, and there is often one at a supermarket on a Saturday in town so you know it may get busy with shoppers coming out of the supermarket. Have things well priced with what you would like to make, bearing in mind that people will go to car boot sales for bargains - and they may...

jules.34 22.06.2006 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Car boot sales (Shop)

I sold my junk at a car boot sale......

Advantages: You can buy things really cheap, and get rid of loads of things too.
Disadvantages: You have no come back if something dosen't work.

...and replaced it with everyone elses junk from the money I made. There is a car boot sale in Halifax every Sunday morning and Bank Holiday Mondays too. There is on a good sunny day around 150 sellers, but I have seen a couple of people set up in the pouring rain. So no matter what the weather is there will be SOMEONE there. Halifax car boot site is good in that it is a council car park so it is a hard surface and kept clean. It is supposed to start at 7am but i have known people (yes I admit I am one of them) to be there setting up stall at 4.30am. It is free for buyers but sellers have to pay £8 for a car, £11 for a van or a car and trailer. It is supposed to go on all day but usually winds up around lunchtime. The most annoying thing is when you first get there (a good reason to be there at 4.30am) you try to unpack...

tarara 08.05.2003 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Car boot sales (Shop)

Internet Car Sales a Gamble with Trade Sales

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: You have to be certain that the car is perfect - with YOUR OWN EYES

...I am so disappointed with my latest dealings with trade sales. I bought at a good price 3 years ago and all went well. This time I purchased a Ford Focus on-line and the salesman walked around the car saying he was going to be brutal with his inspection. As I had a long journey I trusted that he would be honest and I believe I was very wrong. A paid for a flight down to London and go the train to collect the car. I had a very quick look round the car, I suppose I was dreading seeing something so I didn't look too hard in fear of a wasted trip. When filling up on the way home a noticed a very large dent on the car and a very scuffed alloy centre cap. The dent looked as though someone had put the jack in the wrong place when fixing the damaged wheel as I later noticed that the spare was used. Unusual for a car of only 2000 miles...

nfaldo 23.09.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Trade Sales

ON THE 7TH DAY - CAR BOOT SALES

Advantages: Make money, get rid of clutter, good Feng Shui for your home, buy lots of bargains.
Disadvantages: Spend too much, buy more clutter, bad Feng Shui!

...Ask anyone who knows me and they will confirm that my big passion in life (apart from MRANDREWSJK of course!) is car boot sales. I love 'em! To anyone who has not yet spent a Sunday morning trudging along aisle upon aisle of cars with pasting tables behind 'em - what’s wrong with you? Don't you know there's treasure out there? I suppose I first discovered them about 10 years ago when the kids were young and money a bit tight (or maybe I was a bit tight!) So here is my opinion on what so many people do on a Sunday morning – well – all those who aren’t having a lie in – full English breakfast – reading the news of the world – or, of course, going to give thanks to their God. BUYING Most towns have a ‘big one’ on a Sunday – usually in a large car park or field...

mrsandrewsjk 18.04.2002 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Car boot sales (Shop)

Car Boot Sale tips! Based on past experiences!

Advantages: Great fun, brilliant bargains and making cash!
Disadvantages: The weather! And people who sell nicked stuff and pirate dvds

...Car boot sales are great fun! Mostly. Me and my nan have wanted to do a car boot sale for a while now, so we chose to do one. 1st job was to spend all week looking through every room in the house to find stuff to sell. There was quite a lot! Then the big day came, but it started to rain! We still chose to go, and wait for it to clear up (thank god it did). We just stayed in the car for about 10mins then the rain stopped. We set up, (my stuff went on the floor). But i had a lot of stuff, and my stall looked all bright and colourful. We had our stall ready at 7:20ish. Then the punters came. We didnt have anyone come into our car and look around as we were unpacking thankfully. But it was a good day and ovarall I made £80ish, but did spend about £8 before the end. And this man at the start asked my nan if she had an LP's and hes got her...

vivalaseb 02.05.2006 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Car boot sales (Shop)

George Gibson Car Sales, nr Strathaven, Scotland.

Advantages: Everything
Disadvantages: None

...We were looking for a small quality diesel and had narrowed our choice to either a VW Polo TDI or Renault Clio dTi / dCi. After many miles and weeks we had been consistently dissapointed at all the Polos we had seen; all needed valeting, were generally odourous and had small problems that hinted at cars that the owner / seller wasn't proud of - not what you'd expect of a VW or its owner. One Polo we looked at was potentially the deal of the century but initial inspection revealed serious problems with the engine mountings which the seller offered to investigate whilst holding the car. The following morning he'd sold the car to someone else. Enter George Gibson Car Sales! Here is a man who does things the old fashioned way - the honourable way! At last! On enquiring about the Renault Clio dTi he had, he was both helpful and amiable...

JenbacherJon 31.07.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of George Gibson Car Sales

Great sales team

Advantages: Sales team, choice, service
Disadvantages: Accessory prices

...thing, soemthign the W200i (if I remember correctly) wasn't able to provide. Yet I spoke to two different sales people 4 hours apart (it was a long day) and they both pushed for me to get it, obviously on commission for clearing the stock, not the customers needs. Foolishly the sales team didn't push any other alternatives at any point, to say "We'll this is the step up, still in your price range and still a good phone, it add's X Y and Z but the step up in price has to be remembered". So then I tried next door (it literally is next door) in Carphone Warehouse, where the sales team avoided me altogether. I'll admit this was quite nice, but after 15 mins of oo-ing and arr-ing I decided the store weren't going to help me pick a phone, or advise me of the perks of the networks so it was down to me to read the pro's and con's of each network...

iamasadlittleboy 15.06.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Vodafone Shop