Charity shops and car boot sales can provide a treasure trove of valuable items being sold at low prices. But what if digging out bargains was your full-time job, and it made you thousands of pounds every month?
This has been Becky Chorlton’s reality since 2019, when she visited car boot sales as a student in a bid to make some extra money. For Becky, what was once a side hustle has become a fully-fledged business, and she has since seen her profits surge.
She now makes thousands every month by reselling high-value items she finds on the cheap. After launching as Becky’s Bazaar, she has seen her business snowball, and now makes a living by reselling high-value items using online marketplaces eBay, Depop and Vinted.
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Becky, 24, from Lymm, told money-saving site LatestDeals.co.uk how she finds the best bargains at car boot sales. “It’s always wise to plan before you go,” she said.
“Research key information such as when it opens and join the Facebook group so you can see if it’s been called off due to factors like weather. Don’t forget to bring cash and lots of bags – you need a way to carry all your bargains and reusing old bags is the way forward.
“Once you’re there, keep an open mind – don’t go into a car boot sale with a specific item you want to find. The joy of shopping second-hand is finding unique pieces you love, so learn to look for the potential in items you may not like at first glance.
“Rummage high and low when you’re looking around. All the treasures are usually hidden in boxes and places where everybody else is too lazy to look in, so get digging.”
Becky also suggests keeping the seasons in mind during your bargain hunting endeavours, as out of season clothing is usually cheaper, meaning you can hold on to it and sell it for a higher price further down the line. But as you get caught up in the excitement of finding a great bargain, ensure you check the items are in good, sellable condition before taking it to the till.
“There’s nothing worse than finding a hole or stain in an item after you’ve bought it,” Becky says. “Items can be repaired, but make sure you know what you’re dealing with first.”
Where to find the best bargains
As the winter months roll around, many car boots will stop, making charity shops the perfect place to find the best deals. For those wanting to find some bargains this winter, Becky has revealed her top tips.
She said: “Get some research in and find charity shops that are off the beaten track. You may only know about your local high street charity shop, but chances are that’s where everyone else is going, which is why you aren’t finding anything.
“Google is your best friend here - plan a route to a store you never knew existed, and you’ll likely be surprised at what you find there!”
Once you find your target, ensure you check every section. We are only human, and sometimes charity shops place items in the wrong category. Becky says she finds some of her favourite items in the men’s and children’s sections.
Since starting out just three years ago, Becky has become an expert at finding bargain items that resell for a higher price. Last year, she found a Red Bull biker jacket for £50 which was worth over £250.
But how does she know which items hidden in car boot sale stalls and charity shops are worth more than they are being sold for? Simple: supply and demand.
Becky’s top tip is finding rare items of which there are few in circulation. She gave an example of a particular Red Bull jacket which once caught her eye, and found there were none like it on eBay or any other second-hand online marketplace.
“This means demand, and therefore the price, for that item will be high,” Becky said.
When you find an item you like, hold onto it and have a quick look online to see if there are any like it being sold online. If it is hard to find or non-existent, there is a good chance you have struck gold.
How to become a top seller
Despite her success, Becky sticks to her roots and maintains a strong profile on Depop, with her business now one of the top profiles on the marketplace. To achieve this, a seller must earn a total of £2,500 each month by selling items on the app.
Sharing her tips on how to do this, Becky says she lists new stock daily, and gains a loyal customer base through fast shipping, quick replies, and by including free gifts with every order. For those wanting to follow in her footsteps with a side hustle on sites like Depop, she added: “Don’t compare yourself to any other shop – everyone started out somewhere.
“Find a niche you like – I’m passionate about selling vintage racing pieces. Be consistent with uploading new stock, so customers can constantly discover your page.
“If you make a mistake, face it head-on and fix it in the most professional way you possibly can for that customer. For example, I accidentally shipped an item to the wrong address when I first started.
“More often than not, people will appreciate honesty and transparency as everyone is human and makes mistakes.”
The power of social media
Becky has recently began sharing her journey on TikTok, which has become another catalyst for her success. She says: “I make money from my TikTok account @beckysbazaar, where I show the behind-the-scenes of sourcing my stock from car boots.
“A year ago, I had 7,000 followers but now I’ve got over 82,000. I upload on my TikTok three times a day, every day of the week, so I think the sheer amount of content I’m producing means lots of people are discovering my page daily.
“I also think my generation is particularly interested in saving the planet and shopping second-hand, which may be why my videos are successful.”
But with social media platforms like TikTok becoming heavily saturated, what can you do to ensure you stand out from the crowd? “I would say be creative,” Becky says.
“Try to think outside the box with content, as many things have been done before. I would also say post two to three times a day – I know this sounds overwhelming but try to recycle content and videos as much as you possibly can.
“True followers and supporters won't mind seeing a clip again in a different context.”
In addition, Becky suggests putting yourself in a viewer’s shoes while watching your videos, as what may be interesting to you may not resonate with someone else. Finally, keep it snappy.
“Unfortunately, people’s attention spans nowadays aren’t super long,” she says. “So you have to capture people’s attention in the first one or two seconds of a video.
“Once I edit my videos, I watch them back before posting to try to shave off as much as I can to keep the retention rate up.”
Becky’s Bazaar pop-up
Becky’s business is now well established, and selling second-hand items has become her full-time job. She makes enough money to live comfortably, and believes the longer she does this, the more knowledgeable she will become about vintage clothing and finding bargains.
As well as using apps to make money, Becky also has an in-person event coming up. The bargain hunter is hosting a Becky’s Bazaar pop-up shop at Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre on November 12 and 13.
She has contacted several businesses for collaborations for the event, and has even got the backing of Red Bull, who was “super keen” to get involved and sent her an “insane amount of cans”.
In preparation for her pop-up, Becky is spending her time spray-painting her business logo on carrier bags and sourcing the best stock she can find. She is also planning a spin-the-wheel game with some amazing prizes on offer, as well as a free photo booth.
So if you fancy picking up some trendy vintage clothing, or asking Becky for some more bargain hunting advice, pop along to Becky’s Bazaar this November.
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