Planning and preparation is the key to any task and selling at a boot sale is no exception.
That’s why you should have all your prices worked out before you set off rather than make them up when you get there.
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But DON’T price tag your items. Instead, write the prices in a little notebook that you can have to hand.
There are 2 reasons for this. Firstly, potential buyers may be put off by thinking the price on the ticket is the only price you will accept and that you are not prepared to haggle.
Now, I would imagine you are prepared to haggle but, even if you are not, encouraging the buyer to ask the price shows a genuine interest in the item.
Also, by price tagging an item, you may be undercutting yourself in the collectible market. Something that’s very easy to do with an item you don’t like and just want rid of.
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Instead, have a set up plan such as:
But, remember, we are talking collectibles here and what is ugly and useless to you is beautiful and fascinating to somebody else. Thus, by price tagging an item, you are allowing the buyer to pay a lower price for something that they could well have paid more for because of its appeal to them.
You have to keep in your head at all times that somebody, somewhere will see the collectibility element in every item you are selling, even if you don’t.
Before you set off, plan for a quick set up. A simple mistake made by so many people is to put the table in FIRST. This is going to be a big problem for you when you get there as you need the table OUT FIRST! So, when you pack, put the table IN LAST.
And make sure you set off in plenty of time to arrive early.
The big tip here is LOOK SET UP EVEN IF YOU AREN’T SET UP. In other words, get your stall full within minutes of arriving, even if it’s with large bulky items, such as toys, that can later be moved to the floor to make way for the smaller delicate items.
Now I know that many fragile items such as pottery and glassware need to be wrapped carefully and, consequently unwrapped carefully. But by unwrapping these smaller items first you will appear to be getting nowhere fast and possibly look disorganised.
What’s more important is that you will attract buyers who are keen to catch you off guard and they will start to look through your stuff before you’ve unpacked it. Don’t be surprised if you find people looking through your things whilst they are still in your car and even ‘helping you to unpack’ by taking stuff out to get a closer look.
Now, not only is this frustrating, it also means that you are not able to give neither the seller nor the set up your full attention. Therefore, you are likely to sell something at a knock-down price just to get rid of the persistent buyer and what’s more, your set up will take even longer with the potential of attracting even more Nosey Parkers who are intent on invading your space.
* Table out – 2 minutes
* Toys and bulk onto table – 2 minutes
* Books, magazines, etc onto table – 2 minutes
* Breakables/small items onto table – 30-45 minutes