how to run a table top sale/car boot sale/flea market What is a table top sale/car boot sale/flea market? These are all just different types of market where anyone can bring along items to sell to the general public. Why do a table top/car boot sale or flea market? - For the organisers, it could be a way of raising funds for a charity/community group. - It encourages re-use, so benefits the environment. - For sellers, it s a way to recoup some of the money from items you no longer want. It s easier than selling online if you ve got a lot of items to dispose of. - For buyers, you can often pick up a bargain. Planning a sale Who? When? - Decide on your target audience/theme. For example, you may want to have a specific theme such as baby items, in which case your audience is parents, or people expecting a child. - When you ve decided on your audience, you can agree the best time of the day/week to hold your event. - Give everyone plenty of notice to ensure they have time to find items to bring along if they plan on hiring a pitch/selling items. Where? - This depends on the type of sale i.e. indoors if it s a table top, or outdoors (or a very large indoor space such as a multi-storey car park) if it s a car boot sale.
How? - Ideally you want a good supply of passing trade, otherwise you re dependent on really good advertising to get people to come along. Or piggyback onto another event (church coffee morning, farmers market, sporting event), so the main organisers do all the advertising. - Consider parking and drop off facilities for sellers. - Advertise through the local press, social media, emails, posters, local radio, websites and don t forget word-of-mouth. Tell local organisations such as the council, schools, libraries etc as they may be able to advertise your event. Invite journalists. - Have A-boards/posters/road signs/banners/bunting outside the venue and in the surrounding area for a few days leading up to the event and especially on the day. - Do you want a general sale, or on a specific theme e.g. antiques, sporting equipment, household goods, clothing, records, baby goods etc? - Make sure the advert is very clear as to; o Sellers How to book a stall (if they can book) How much a stall costs How much space they will have If it s for cars or table top (or other) and if the table is provided What time to arrive to set up, and what time it ends o Buyers What time it opens/closes How much entry costs o All If refreshments are available Contact/address details If there is a theme i.e. baby items etc. - Decide on the pricing for sellers and for shoppers coming along. You may want one price for private sellers and one for commercial traders, but this can be difficult to monitor (i.e. how do you know they aren t a trader?). - If the profits are going to charity or a community group, make that clear in the advertising/rules. You may want to have a table/display of information about that charity/community group at the event. - Decide whether to people to book pitches in advance or just operate on a first come, first served basis on the day. If taking advance bookings, consider how you take money, cancellation policies etc. - Consider how you ll clean up the site do you need a waste contractor, or just a dustpan and brush? Who will take the rubbish away. Provide recycling facilities where appropriate. - Make it clear if you re providing tables, clothing rails etc, whether people can hire them, or whether they need to bring their own. - Consider whether to have refreshments. - Arrange staff to greet people, take money, show sellers where their pitch is, monitor progress etc.
- Arrange a float and cash box (and security or at least somewhere to put money as it builds up if large quantities are expected). Legislation Rules - As money will be changing hands, you will need to consider legislation. Check with your local council/trading Standards department. This is a handy set of rules taken from a recent table top sale. You may want to adapt it for your event; Thank you for your interest in selling at our Table Top Sale. Please read these instructions in full. - The sale is limited to the number of sales plots available and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. - Stall holders will be allowed access from 9am. Set up of stalls must be completed no later than 10am. Public will be admitted from 10.15am. Doors will close to the public at 1.00pm and clearing up must be completed by 2pm. - Sales plots are 5 for private and 10 for commercial vendors. - Tables will be approximately 6ft in length. You may also have a maximum of 1 clothing rail on display immediately behind your stall (not provided). - Items must be clean and in good condition. Sellers will be requested to remove all dirty/worn out items from sale. - All sellers should familiarise themselves with local Trading Standards advice on what can/cannot be sold. In addition, the following items are not to be sold at this event; o Glass or china items o Crash or bicycle helmets o Electrical items (battery powered items excluded) o Faulty or incomplete goods. - It is your responsibility to price your goods and to take home all unsold items and any rubbish at the end of the sale. Alternately, rubbish can be disposed of at a cost of 5 per rubbish bag. - The sale organisers [name of organisation] will monitor the sale at all times and can reject items deemed unsuitable. - If a seller does not comply with the above rules, [name of organisation] reserves the right to refuse sale of their items at this sale or future sales organised by [name of organisation]. - Disclaimer; [Name of organisation] accepts no responsibility or liability for the quality or condition of items purchased at this event. Purchases are made entirely at the individual s own risk. [Name of organisation] accepts no responsibility for sellers or buyers property on the sale day and accept no liability for loss or damage.
After the event - Taking photos is useful for post-event PR and promoting future events. - Evaluation; consider forms of evaluation in order to monitor the success of the project. o Pre- and/or post-event questionnaires could be used to gain feedback from participants such as rating the participants enjoyment, their opinion of the event, whether they would be likely to buy/sell more second-hand items in future as a result of the event etc. Useful links http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/index.cfm (UK wide) http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/aberdeen/bus1item.cgi?file=*badv088-0100.txt (Aberdeen City Council provides some very useful information on car boot sales specific to Scotland) http://www.jumbletrail.com/ (A jumble sale, but held on residential streets, where householders set up stalls outside their houses, coordinated through this website) Case Study Glasgow Bike Station http://www.thebikestation.org.uk/glasgow/ Jumble sales can be themed. A great example was the Glasgow Bike Station Jumble Sale held during Pass it on week 2015. In the build up to the day, a photo shoot was held featuring record-breaking cyclist Graeme Obree and The Bike Stations Founder. The photo's along with a press release went out to Glasgow's press and featured in The Evening Times, The Scotsman and The Herald. The event was also promoted on facebook through the creation of an event page, with pictures of examples of items available on the day, music that was going to be played on the day, and a group shot of the guys in the workshop with Dear Green Coffee staff (who provided free coffee on the day a real draw as cyclists are known to be very keen on their coffee). An email went to friends of The Bike Station, and a shout out was put on the Facebook event page for people who were interesting in a stall to get in touch. Participants paid 5 for a half table, and 10 for a full table. Some tables were split because some individuals were concerned that they wouldn't have enough good to fill a table. The event was free of charge to non-stall holders, which the Bike Station team felt essential to get people through the door. This was a great event which served to get people into the Bike station, encouraged people to buy second hand items, allowed people to clear out their unwanted items, make a bit of money and helped reduce waste. From feedback on the day, and general participant number the event was a real success, the place had a great vibe on the day and footfall was high.