MISS MONEYSAVER: Top tips on how to make cash from your clutter at Britain’s booming car boot sales 

Spring means car boot sales, so it’s time to fish out those unloved clothes, weird presents, unwanted books and bric-a-brac clogging the cupboards and convert your clutter into cash.

And the sales are more popular than ever, according to James Taroni and Andrew Walsh — the UK’s self-styled Car Boot Kings who run Eboot Markets (eboot.co.uk) at seven sites in and around Birmingham.

‘Our trade has trebled this year which is an obvious sign of the struggles people are having with the cost of living,’ says James.

‘In the summer months we get 20,000 people coming along to car boots. It’s a great for a day out for both buyers and sellers — I’ve seen families who have had a real clear-out at their house go home with £500 from unwanted items on the day.

‘The added bonus is that it stops things going into landfill.’

Here are James’s tips to maximise the cash that you can make at a car boot:

• Be there early to get the best pitch — and the best sales. James says that the majority of business is done in the first hour. A spot near a food or drink seller usually guarantees good footfall. And be aware that some car boot sales allow you to pre-book a pitch.
• Don’t worry about having the smartest pitch. According to regular sellers, messier pitches attract more customers as this allows them to rummage.
• However, if you have a lot of clothes and accessories it helps to display them on a clothes rail. And take a long mirror if you can fit it in the car. A portable hanging rail with wheels costs £16 at Dunelm. Take a fold-up table or a tarpaulin to lay things on the ground. (Screwfix sells a 2x3m sheet for £7.99.
• Don’t waste time fixing price labels on items before arrival, not least because it shows you’re a newbie. But be sure to have a good idea of what you want and how much less you are willing to accept, as buyers like to haggle. If you want to sell at £10, say it’s £15 and then reach a figure acceptable to you both. If you have no idea about pricing, look on websites such as Facebook’s Marketplace or Nextdoor.co.uk to give you an idea how much items sell for.
• Take a cash float because at car boots, cash is king. You will need at least £20 in change which should be kept on you at all times, preferably in a money belt for easy access. Also take food and a flask of tea or coffee. You don’t want to spend profits on pricey burgers or drinks from a van.
• It is amazing what sells at a car boot sale and what won’t. I found that half-used bottles of scent were snapped up right at the start of my last sale, and a set of cordless phones sold fast, although I couldn’t prove that they worked (they did).

Lego sets hold their value (but if you have a full set I would sell it online for a better price than you usually get at a car boot)

Some people do well selling home-made cakes and jam or fruit and veg grown in their garden. Clothes, accessories (such as handbags, shoes and scarves), children’s toys, baby goods, furniture, books, and jewellery are among the most popular items. The amount you can make in a day varies depending on the market and what you’re selling but you could make £100-£500 just by selling your old junk.

Lego sets hold their value (but if you have a full set I would sell it online for a better price than you usually get at a car boot). Even old instruction manuals or remote controls are in demand. Some people specialise in buying these at car boots then selling them for more online.

James Taroni says: ‘One of our regulars, James, bought a set of encyclopaedias for £5 at our car boot then sold it on eBay for £1,200. Another guy sells vintage clothing with us and he has 17 million views on TikTok. For a lot of people it’s really helping them make ends meet.’

Don’t forget, though, that if you trade at car boots regularly, it is a taxable activity and you will need to pay tax on earnings that exceed your allowances.