I’m a car boot devotee and always get gems at my local, like designer bits for 50p – just follow my five easy steps
A CAR boot devotee who once made £500 profit from one of her local sales has shared her top tips for finding gems among the tat.
Becky regularly shares videos on her TikTok and Instagram pages from her car boot trips, and recently posted a clip of all the bits she’d picked up for just 50p.
tiktok/@beckysbazaarBecky goes to car boot sales every Sunday, and has five easy steps to bagging a bargain at yours[/caption]
She had to rummage through this 50p pile at a recent boot sale to find some gemstiktok/@beckysbazaartiktok/@beckysbazaarAmong the things she found were a pair of Ralph Lauren shorts[/caption]
tiktok/@beckysbazaarAnd a pair of Le Coq Sportif joggers too[/caption]
Among them was a pair of Ralph Lauren shorts, Dickies trousers and a pair of Le Coq Sportif joggers.
Finding designer items and weeding out the best buys has become the norm for Becky, who has been going to boot sales with her mum since she was a teenager.
She now goes every single Sunday to get stock for her business, Becky’s Bazaar, as well as social media content.
We spoke to Becky about her top tips for car boot hunting, with her first suggestion to “do your research before you go”.
“Join Facebook groups for local car boot sales so you know what time they start and if they’re still going ahead due to weather disruptions,” she said.
Secondly, Becky said it’s vital to take your own bags.
“There’s nothing worse than finding lots of bargains and having no way of carrying them,” she laughed.
Next, Becky advised having an idea of how much you want to pay for an item BEFORE you ask the seller for a price.
“If they’re wanting slightly more than you’re willing to pay there’s no harm in haggling a little bit – don’t be afraid of rejection!” she said.
Becky has a massive passion for vintage motor racing clothes, and often keeps her eyes peeled for them at car boots.
And she also makes sure that if she sees someone selling those kind of clothes, she gets chatting to them.
“If a particular stall has certain items for sale you’re interested in get chatting to the seller – ask them if they have any more and would be willing to make a deal,” she said.
“It’s important to get networking as they might have lots more at home they didn’t bother bringing.”
Becky’s last tip is “don’t be afraid to rummage!”
“At car boots there’s usually piles of clothes on the floor or tables with lots of hidden gems so get rummaging to find the cheaper bargains,” she said.
Don’t be afraid to haggle!
“Haggling is part of the car boot culture so bite the bullet and go for it!
“As long as you are polite and prepared for a no there’s nothing to be afraid of.
“I would have a price in mind that you’re willing to pay for something before you start haggling and try not to go above that.
“A lot of the time sellers are there to clear our stuff they no longer use so they’re happy to get whatever they can for it.”
Becky usually expect to triple or quadruple her money from car boots sales.
“If I had to guess, I have probably made about £500 from one car boot sale,” she said.
“There is a lot of work and money involved once the clothes are bought though.
“I wash, stain removal, repair, iron, model, list and ship out all the clothes myself so it’s definitely a full time job but I love every single second!”