The GEI "Boot Sale" Thread

[Silent reader]

Inspired by the recent discussions on "Stuff".

 

I thought a thread should be started on offloading unnecessary possessions, but with this comes the question of where, and to whom? Looking at all the debt in the world there are still investors who'll purchase "junk" so from this we can clearly see that there is some value in "junk/crap Stuff" so what’s the best way of releasing its maximum value so these funds can be directed elsewhere?

 

I'm pretty sure if you reside within the UK you are already familiar with the Boot sale, for any international GEI readers who are unfamiliar with this term - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_sale

 

We obviously have EBay as well, but due to the high charges and general hassle of the service I personally no longer like using it for offloading "Stuff" it takes to much time, and isn’t really “fun” the market place of the boot sale is always good for a bit of banter

 

 

So.......

 

Are their many GEI members who do boot sales ?

 

 

 

I'm currently ripping all my old CD's onto a hard drive so I can part with these and release the space, next up will be Books and DVD's, and then general clutter.

 

LET THE SPRING CLEAN BEGIN !

 

 

 

 

 

The Way to Wealth / A sensible approach - http://www.greenenergyinvestors.com/index.php?showtopic=9807

 

The Greenest, most compact flat in the world? - http://www.greenenergyinvestors.com/index.php?showtopic=9797

[justthisbloke]

I've never been to a car boot sale in my life - and I don't think that's likely to change!

 

Furniture and higher value items will be sold via a specialist. A house clearing company will deal with the rest. All I have to do is to identify anything I want to keep.

[Silent reader]

I've never been to a car boot sale in my life - and I don't think that's likely to change!

 

Furniture and higher value items will be sold via a specialist. A house clearing company will deal with the rest. All I have to do is to identify anything I want to keep.

 

Fairplay,

 

High value items obviously MUST be delt via a specialist, obviously common sense. what I'm really getting at here on this thread is the "Consumer Crap" that fills up our lives (hmmm ...maybe not everyones lives of course)

 

 

I've never delt with a house clearing company before so I don't know how that works.

 

Who pays who ?

 

 

[jerpy]

We obviously have EBay as well, but due to the high charges and general hassle of the service I personally no longer like using it for offloading "Stuff" it takes to much time, and isn’t really “fun” the market place of the boot sale is always good for a bit of banter

 

 

So.......

 

Are their many GEI members who do boot sales ?

 

My one and only experience earned me a few quid, I took my oldest to learn him how to haggle. Talk about desparate stuff, maybe I got a bad one.

 

Wouldn't say I did too bad out the experience, but some are absolute scavengers, who want something for next to nothing. One woman came back 5 times to ask if i'd lower a price on some books, picking odd ones out, asking how much, offering less on each. In the end sold the whole lot for about £5 to someone else just to spite her, as I didn't want to take them back home; mind it was probably her mate, having watched me slowly lose the will doing battle

 

My neighbour is an ebay low margin trader, sells bulk cheap without the haggling at a minimum price you want or no sale. He compares that to booters who want cheap, cheaper or cheaper still. Their mentality being aim low to either save a lot or for maximum profit if selling onwards.

 

Bear that in mind and it's a hoot

 

P.S sticking to ebay for my yearly rubbish turnouts, usually around November, as it's the best time to sell kids toys.

[underling]

I'm currently ripping all my old CD's onto a hard drive so I can part with these and release the space, next up will be Books and DVD's, and then general clutter.

 

 

I'll have a butcher's through any CD's and books (not so bothered on the DVD side) before you rid yourself of the crap. Personally, getting shot of hard copies of my collection is something I'd not consider ......... not whilst there's a backpack big enough to carry them.

 

 

[Silent reader]

My one and only experience earned me a few quid, I took my oldest to learn him how to haggle. Talk about desparate stuff, maybe I got a bad one.

 

Wouldn't say I did too bad out the experience, but some are absolute scavengers, who want something for next to nothing. One woman came back 5 times to ask if i'd lower a price on some books, picking odd ones out, asking how much, offering less on each. In the end sold the whole lot for about £5 to someone else just to spite her, as I didn't want to take them back home; mind it was probably her mate, having watched me slowly lose the will doing battle

 

My neighbour is an ebay low margin trader, sells bulk cheap without the haggling at a minimum price you want or no sale. He compares that to booters who want cheap, cheaper or cheaper still. Their mentality being aim low to either save a lot or for maximum profit if selling onwards.

 

Bear that in mind and it's a hoot

 

P.S sticking to ebay for my yearly rubbish turnouts, usually around November, as it's the best time to sell kids toys.

 

 

Nothing wrong in my eyes by teaching your son how to haggle in my honest opinion, that’s an art that has been lost within the UK if you ask me. Along with the definition of Value, I've found a few parents who don't even teach this to their children now days.

I've done about 3 or 4 in total, after which anything that doesn't get sold normally ends up at the charity shop. I need to involve my son a little more, there are some good skills that could be learned in my opinion that don't get taught in schools.

 

 

Absolute scavengers, without doubt, as soon as you pull up with "fresh goods for the market" and they start flocking around the car/table before you can get the goods out, so watch out for this if someone’s doing it for the first time.

 

 

 

[Silent reader]

I'll have a butcher's through any CD's and books (not so bothered on the DVD side) before you rid yourself of the crap. Personally, getting shot of hard copies of my collection is something I'd not consider ......... not whilst there's a backpack big enough to carry them.

 

 

 

CD's are just digital information at the end of the day........ packaged up in a plastic case with a pit of printed paper if you are lucky. I just can't see the benefit of keeping them (hmmm.... maybe with the exception of one or two albums that hold value of course)

 

The Vinyl on the other hand, now that’s a whole different kettle of fish

 

[VictorBroom]

What happened with car boot sales though? Did they originally start at a sensible time and then get progressively earlier as the years went by?

 

A browse 'round at a car boot sale is quite interesting but I'm f****d if I'm getting up at four/five in the morning to do it.

 

 

I hear what you are saying about 'consumer crap' building up. It doesn't affect me though because I don't buy it to start with. (Obviously in my eyes, old video consoles, books, vinyl and hi-fi equipment isn't consumer crap). The 'value' of something is different to each one of us. I would put more value on books than DVD's for example. I think vinyl is a good investment over the longer term. I have a number that are worth a few quid now.

 

I'm not sure what other avenues you could go down apart from a car boot... A list on here or PM'd could be a good idea. Come to think of it, a village I drive through on the way to work had an organised 'garage sale' last year. I think some residents got together, stuck some signs up on the road and then flogged stuff out of their garages.

[underling]

CD's are just digital information at the end of the day........ packaged up in a plastic case with a pit of printed paper if you are lucky. I just can't see the benefit of keeping them (hmmm.... maybe with the exception of one or two albums that hold value of course)

 

The Vinyl on the other hand, now that’s a whole different kettle of fish

 

Yeah ..... it's analogue. That's about it in truth. The hardware required to process it to similar quality is more expensive (and becoming less available) and the flexibilty of use advantage is now very very slim. Both have resale value (whereas digital information on a hard drive currently does not unless you wish to break copyright laws by copying and selling) and as you are no doubt aware rarities can fetch good money, CDs increasingly just as much as vinyl.

 

That said, I could just be a 40-something complaining that 'they don't make records like they used to'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drbubb]

Inspired by the recent discussions on "Stuff".

 

LOL. I am sure this happens.

When I owned my 3BR flat in Kensington, I felt compelled to fill it up.

Now with a small and crowded 2BR flat in Hong Kong, my partner and I are always thinking of what

we can sell, give away, or dispose of.

 

If the Garage Sale woman (above) was downsizing into another flat, she would not be accumulating all that stuff

[jerpy]

The Vinyl on the other hand, now that’s a whole different kettle of fish

 

Yep, flogged a load off to an outfit in Birmingham, who gave me a reasonable price. They particularly wanted limited edition, fancy colours/pictures, you know the collectable stuff.

 

Amazingly ebay was good for clearing out old concert programs, the ones that had never seen light of day since a few days after purchase, oh so young and stupid Mind inflation adjusted, could not believe the return I got on some Thin Lizzy and Genises ones some guy in France paid me.

[Silent reader]

Yep, flogged a load off to an outfit in Birmingham, who gave me a reasonable price.

 

 

What's the chances it was Hard to find records ? They always had a good selection "back in the day" but were very expensive to purchase from.

 

I've been looking back at some of the CD's I've bought over the last 20 years and it's quite shocking how much of my hard earned I’ve parted with as some of the CD's still have the price tags on them. For anyone who isn't "money conscious" (as I was back then) it's so easy to see how it can contribute to either a debt or prevent "building" funds to shape your life/future, it can quickly amount.

 

Still ....... as they say, hindsight is 20:20.

 

[Silent reader]

What happened with car boot sales though? Did they originally start at a sensible time and then get progressively earlier as the years went by?

 

A browse 'round at a car boot sale is quite interesting but I'm f****d if I'm getting up at four/five in the morning to do it.

 

 

I hear what you are saying about 'consumer crap' building up. It doesn't affect me though because I don't buy it to start with. (Obviously in my eyes, old video consoles, books, vinyl and hi-fi equipment isn't consumer crap). The 'value' of something is different to each one of us. I would put more value on books than DVD's for example. I think vinyl is a good investment over the longer term. I have a number that are worth a few quid now.

 

I'm not sure what other avenues you could go down apart from a car boot... A list on here or PM'd could be a good idea. Come to think of it, a village I drive through on the way to work had an organised 'garage sale' last year. I think some residents got together, stuck some signs up on the road and then flogged stuff out of their garages.

 

 

The early starts i'm sure come from the old saying of "early birds catching worms" and I guess there must be people who pick up antiques at "fire sale" prices purely on the fact that the seller hasn't done their research on what they are selling.

 

I've always laughed at the end of season sale at the Next department store, the previous night consumers would be queing up from about 3am for a 4am start just to land some "Bargains" (aka crap they couldn't sell in the first place)...... lol - I never understood that.

 

Theres a few "Garage sales" around my area, normally in the drives of people’s houses. There are obvious advantages as you are not going to be paying any "rent" for being there and the amount of time your pitch can stand. But I should imagine it'd lack traffic unless you are on a busy road with many pedestrians walking past, but at least you can pop in doors and catch up on something’s if the passing trade goes quiet, and you'll not be shelling out for a cup of tea while you are there.

 

[VictorBroom]

Regarding Vinyl and CD's, try Vinyl Exchange. Not sure about the prices that they pay but they are a whole load cheaper than 'Hard to Find' to buy from.

 

[jerpy]

I've been looking back at some of the CD's I've bought over the last 20 years and it's quite shocking how much of my hard earned I’ve parted with as some of the CD's still have the price tags on them. For anyone who isn't "money conscious" (as I was back then) it's so easy to see how it can contribute to either a debt or prevent "building" funds to shape your life/future, it can quickly amount.

 

Still ....... as they say, hindsight is 20:20.

 

Sold the ones I didn't want to these guys

 

http://www.vinylnet.co.uk/content.asp/id/1...ylnet-wants.htm

 

IF my mother read this you would know how much grief I got over records, thankfully student sharing and stereo headphones made life easier

[littledavesab]

By co-incidence, did a yard sale on Sat just gone. Sold some junk and took remainder to the local charity shop, made a little fiat. Despite the weather! Checked with Council was quite legal apparently as long as is a private non commercial non repeated affair.

[tang65y0]

????????

 

(the rest is spam)

[littledavesab]

My Mrs and family have been doing one for the last few months, think they enjoy it. Its only small scale in a quiet small scale local thing where they pay £5 for a shared table and tend to make around £20 each (x2/3).

 

I find best thing about boot sales is what you can pick up 2nd hand. If you have kids then decent plastic / electric toys are a useful saver to one's pocket. + Sometimes come accross old or interesting books and cheap (non copy) dvd's of films I missed and want to see + music CD's.

[jerpy]

My Mrs and family have been doing one for the last few months, think they enjoy it. Its only small scale in a quiet small scale local thing where they pay £5 for a shared table and tend to make around £20 each (x2/3).

 

I find best thing about boot sales is what you can pick up 2nd hand. If you have kids then decent plastic / electric toys are a useful saver to one's pocket. + Sometimes come accross old or interesting books and cheap (non copy) dvd's of films I missed and want to see + music CD's.

 

Out of interest do you see much scrap silver stuff at them? My village had a garage sale day in the summer, hardly any of this or jewellery to be seen - surprised me a bit.

[Silent reader]

Out of interest do you see much scrap silver stuff at them? My village had a garage sale day in the summer, hardly any of this or jewellery to be seen - surprised me a bit.

 

I'd have thought that any gold would have gone to cash 4 gold, it the easy option and I should also imagine most people wouldn't know how to price it either.

 

Not sure about the silver though.

 

 

I'm hopefully doing a boot sale this w/e if I see any I'll post up about it.

 

 

[jerpy]

I'd have thought that any gold would have gone to cash 4 gold, it the easy option and I should also imagine most people wouldn't know how to price it either.

 

Not sure about the silver though.

 

 

I'm hopefully doing a boot sale this w/e if I see any I'll post up about it.

 

Was thinking in terms of silver bangles for jewellry. But more the scrap kettles, trays etc hardly saw any, seemed to be games, electrical stuff, furniture and clothes.

 

Never seen so many white transit vans hit my village - put it down to pro-booters snaping up stock for the next week's event.