Make money at these August bank holiday car boot sales

People love a good bargain hunt and car boot sales are the perfect opportunity to uncover some hidden treasures. They’re also a great way for sellers to remove clutter and earn extra cash, especially useful as the Cost of Living crisis continues to hit the UK’s wallets.

With the average seller earning around £100 per sale and online searches for Bank Holiday boot fairs soaring, we’ve compiled a list of perfect places to peddle your wares.

Top 14 car boot sales for Bank Holiday Monday

We’ve made our choices based on search volume and customer reviews. Read on to find out which car boot markets made our top 14 list.

1. Hounslow Heath Car Boot Sale – Hounslow, Greater London

• Bank holiday opening times: 6am-1pm
• Cost for car: £13
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.1 / 5 on Google Reviews

Running for nearly 30 years, Hounslow Heath Car Boot Sale is a family and pet-friendly establishment with a good selection of clothes, toys, gardening ornaments and more. Easy, accessible location in Middlesex, North London.

2. Welwyn Garden City Car Boot Sale – Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

• Bank holiday opening times: 10am-2pm
• Cost for car: £13 (£15 for small vans, £17 for large vans and £28 for extra large pitch)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.1 / 5 on Google Reviews

Another long-running car boot sale, Welwyn Garden City is located on the A6129 between Birchwood and Stanborough. This scenic countryside location can hold up to 400 sellers, allowing both old and new items to be sold.

3. Redbourn Car Boot Sale – Redbourn, Hertfordshire

• Bank holiday opening time: 9am-3pm
• Cost for car: £13 (£23 for early set up, £15 for small vans, £17 for large vans and £28 for extra large pitch)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 3.9 / 5 on Google Reviews

Less than a mile from junction 9 of the M1, Redbourn Car Boot Sale is a usually bustling trading environment with the capacity for 500 sellers. With a good variation of stalls, it’s ideal for selling all sorts of items, both old and new.

4. Tilmanstone Boot Fair – Dover, Kent

• Bank holiday opening time: 6am-12pm
• Cost for car: £10
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.6 / 5 on Google Reviews

Tilmanstone Boot Fair also offers plenty of variety in its stalls, making it a treasure trove for bargains. While the grassland may not be ideal in rainy weather, it’s the perfect coastal location for a sunny day of bargain hunting. 

5. Bramley Farm Boot Fair – Polegate, East Sussex

• Bank holiday opening times: 6am-1pm
• Cost for car: £12 (£15 for vans and £20 for large pitches)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.6 / 5 on Google Reviews

Established as one of the biggest boot fairs in the southeast, bringing in thousands of buyers every week. Bramley Farm Boot Fair’s spacious layout also gives every seller a fair chance of getting ample place to pitch up.

6. Whitchurch Car Boot Sale – Bristol City, Bristol

• Bank holiday opening times: 10.30am-4.30pm
• Cost for car: £10 (£25 for early entry, £15 for large pitches, £20 for vans and £25 for lorries)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4 / 5 on Google Reviews

Whitchurch is Bristol’s biggest car boot fair, attracting around 5000 buyers every week. Along with its wide variety of stalls, it also offers a good selection of refreshments.

7. Adam’s Chelford Carboot – Marthall, Cheshire East

• Bank holiday opening times: 6am
• Cost for car: £5 (£10 for vans)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.5 / 5 on Google Reviews

The cheapest on the list for sellers, but don’t expect any less. This esteemed car boot fair usually hosts around 200 stalls and is well-known among locals for having a well-organised and friendly atmosphere.

8. Moira Car Boot Sale – Moira, Leicestershire

• Bank holiday opening times: 6am
• Cost for car: £8
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.3 / 5 on Google Reviews

Established for over 25 years, Moira Car Boot Sale is located by Moira Social Club on Bath Lane – boasting excellent toilet facilities and refreshment stands, plus a good number of stalls for sellers and bargain hunters alike.

9. Strawberry Fields Car Boot – Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire

• Bank holiday opening times: 6am-2pm
• Cost for car: £10 (£12 for additional trailer, £14 for medium vans, £15 for large vans
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.5 / 5 on Google Reviews

The largest car boot sale on the East coast. Aside from its brilliant Facebook reels, Strawberry Fields is popular among buyers for being the ideal place to find bargains and having a diverse mixture of stalls.

10. Bolton Car Boot Sale – Horwich, Greater Manchester

• Bank holiday opening times: 6am-1pm
• Cost for car: £14 (£20 for van)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.3 / 5 on Google Reviews

With over 400 spaces, Bolton Car Boot Sale quickly gets busy with thousands of buyers looking for a bargain. Stewards are also available to help you out, whether you’re experienced or a first-time seller.

11. Chirk Car Boot Sale – Chirk, Wrexham

• Bank holiday opening times: 5am
• Cost for car: £10 (£15 for large trailer, £15 for transit van and £20 for Luton van)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.3 / 5 on Google Reviews

Certainly an early riser, but worth the wake-up call. Located in the heart of Wrexham, this bustling car boot sale prides itself on bringing the local community together, attracting buyers and sellers from across North Wales, Shropshire, Cheshire and The Wirral.

12. Car Bootle – Bootle, Liverpool

• Bank holiday opening times: 5am-12pm
• Cost for car: £10 (£15 for vans)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.1 / 5 on Google Reviews

Car Bootle is located behind the Merton Pub on Stanley Road/Trinity Road. Also known as “Bootle Booty”, locals enjoy this boot fair for its good atmosphere, good variety of clothing stalls, and not to mention its brash social media banter.

13. Warrington Car Boot Sale – Warrington, Cheshire

• Bank holiday opening times: 5.30am-1pm
• Cost for car: £10 (£15 for vans)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.1 / 5 on Google Reviews

A family-friendly operation that was established in 1999 and is known as one of the biggest boot fairs in the Northwest, with hundreds of sellers and thousands of buyers every week. It gets busy very quickly though, so you’ll have to act fast to secure your spot.

14. Dunton Car Boot Sale – Dunton Wayletts, Essex

• Bank holiday opening times: 5.30am-2pm
• Cost for car: £12 (£15 for small vans, £18 for large vans and £20 for Luton vans)
• Website/Facebook: here
• Rating: 4.5 / 5 on Google Reviews

A family-run establishment, aiming to provide a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Running since 1993, local sellers return to Dunton regularly to take advantage of its loyal customer base and bustling environment.

Tips for car boot selling

If you’re new to car boot selling and don’t know where to start, here are some top tips to ensure a successful experience.

• Plan and set a pricing strategy

Make a list of items you want to sell and organise them efficiently. 

For example, items that you’re happy to sell for less than £5 can go straight into the bargain bin. But for more high-value items, make sure to attach price tags with your initial sale offer. This will make it clear to customers how much you’re willing to sell the item. 

• Arrive early

Remember, popular cat boot sales fill up quickly, so it’s important to get there early and secure a good spot. Check the website or Facebook page for booking details, or if it’s first come first served.

Consider packing up your boot the night before and strategically – make sure you can access your table first! Also, many boot fairs operate depending on the weather, so be sure to double-check whether the event will still take place (or bring a rain mac and wellies). 

• Display your stall well

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but you won’t want your stall to look like a literal pile of rubbish. Arrange your items neatly and consider using tables, racks or boxes to create an attractive display.

• Have cash and card payment options covered

Make sure you have plenty of small change in your float. If you’re a regular seller, you could also use a point of sale (POS) system to accept card payments.

• Be prepared to haggle

An unwritten rule of car boot sales is haggling. Some customers will push for a heavy discount, so it’s important to negotiate a price you can both agree with. 

Make sure not to push the price down too low. While discounts are good for customer satisfaction, you won’t get the best value for your items.

Conclusion

Car boot sales are a great way to sell unwanted items and earn some extra money on the side. With more people attending these kinds of markets to save money and support sustainability, bank holidays are the ideal day to try out a car boot fair near you. Happy haggling!