If it's time to ditch those never-to-watch-again DVDs, drag out those old nick nacks from their dusty hidey holes and trek to your nearest car boot sale to turn those no-longer treasured treasures into fresh cash or just purchase a bargain……

…..look out for some of the old regular car boot sale slots –

Most Saturdays:

LA MARE DE CARTERET SCHOOL - from 7.30am - 11am (the early bird catches the worm!). No booking required. Tel 236104 for more info.

THE RUGBY CLUB FOOTES LANE - from 9am - noon.  Tel 07781 119795 or (01481) 723646 for more info.

Sundays:

SPECSAVERS CAR PARK - Every first Sunday of the month - from 2 - 4pm. No booking required. Cost £5.00 with all proceeds going to The Guernsey Women’s Refuge.

ALLIANCE CAR PARK - from 10.30am - 1.30pm.  Not every Sunday.  No booking required.  Cost £5.00 per car in aid of local charities.  Sellers welcome from 10am.  

Saturday and Sunday usually see a number of car boot and table top sales dotted around the island - so best to check Thursday's Guernsey Press for up to date details.

Tips for a Successful Car Boot Seller Experience:

1. Think about what will actually sell – It’s true that people will buy some unbelievable stuff, but they’re unlikely to pay much for it, so you’re better off finding your bigger, better items first.
   
   
2. Be realistic about pricing but don’t give things away – Decide beforehand what you’re going to charge for each item but be realistic about what you’ll get for it.  If you’re being haggled down to a price you’re not comfortable with and if it’s early enough in the day, it might be worth holding out for someone who’s willing to pay a little more.  Later in the day, it’s worth weighing up whether you should take a low offer or have to take the item back home to try and sell another time.
   
   
3. Be prepared – decide on your prices before you leave as there are often buyers milling around before you’ve even got out of your car (which can catchy you a little off guard). Get some small price stickers to put on your items if it helps.
   
   
4. Think about how you are going to display your items – Organise similar items together to help “cross-sell”, and make use of the space you have, by using tables or groundsheets.  Wallpaper pasting tables are perfect for car booting. Also, think about how you can catch people’s attention by the way you lay out your items or even the types of item you have to sell.
   
   
5. Don’t park too close to the next car - You need room to move around and don't want to annoy your car boot neighbour as you will be spending several hours beside them and they might even come in handy if you need some help with change etc..
   
   
6. Watch your expensive items – keep an eye on your more expensive items to ensure they don’t go for free!
   
   
7. Get there early – in general it pays to get to the sale early, as you’ll end up in one of the best pitches – you want to have as many people walking past as possible.
   
   
8. Factor in costs – It’s no good earning £20 – £30 selling all your stuff if your profit gets eaten up by the cost of your pitch, food and drink etc., so factor these in when you’re trying to work out if it’s worth going. 
   
   
9. Take some change – have some small change handy at the start.  Don’t forget to take this amount off your sales at the end of the day.
   
   
10. Have fun - take time out to walk around and see if you fancy making a purchase yourself whilst a friend looks after your stall.

Happy selling and bargain hunting.