Colin and Justin: The art of the second-hand sale

Article content

Careful preparation is key to turning those unwanted possessions into useful cash

If you enjoy the numerous British TV shows that populate Canada’s broadcasting landscape (Coronation Street, Still Game, or Mrs Brown’s Boys to name a few) you’ve probably, at some point, heard characters chatting about ‘car boot sales’ and the loot that can be derived from selling or flipping ‘stuff’.

Recommended Videos

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Colin and Justin: The art of the second-hand sale Back to video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

Accordingly, you might imagine car boot sales a British invention, but they actually have roots in Canada. When Father Harry Clarke (a Catholic priest from Stockport) holidayed here in the 1970s, he happened upon a ‘trunk fair’ which inspired him to hold his own version upon returning to England.

Fundraising, Clarke invited parishioners to bring their vehicles – and any unwanted possessions – to his church car park. The event was a huge success, with car boot sales quickly become a preoccupation for Brits who got to play shop, whilst raising useful cash into the bargain.

That said, car boot sales – or trunk fairs – aren’t the only way to monetize surplus goods. Enter the world of garage sales, junk shops, estate sales, flea markets and myriad online options like Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s List and Ebay, where ‘recessionistas’ create ancillary income (caveat: inform your accountant if these endeavours become more than occasional) via smart ‘picking’ and selling on to stores.

If you fancy trying your luck, familiarize with your local antique store. Having a feel for desirability is key; there’s little point carting an retro chandelier to your dealer if they expressly don’t deal with electrical items.

Similarly, don’t take Lladro to an outlet that specializes in cool mid-century modern kit or they’ll laugh you – and your pastel toned dancing ladies – out of the store.

Perhaps you could dip your toe in ‘picking’ waters by selling some of your own excess? Take a look around your house, garage or garden. Cluttered? Which pieces do you no longer require?

First up, consider the 80/20 rule. You, like most others, probably use 20 per cent of your belongings 80 per cent of the time. Which means the remaining 80 per cent sees the light of day just 20 per cent of the time.

Do the math; your home is filled with cash-raising collateral. But is it easy to conduct a sale? Actually, yes. But it’s also easy to get it wrong. Here’s a six point primer to optimize your session…

Know your market

There’s little point booking space at a local craft fair to sell state of the art sound equipment, vintage lawnmowers or gardening tools. Do your research and find the right market before wasting your own – or anyone else’s – time.

Flip out

That junktique hutch in your garage would struggle to make a hundred bucks at a yard sale, but with an adventurous paint job, and the addition of some DIY store rails, you could probably flip it for a few hundred bucks. Worth thinking about, n’est ce pas?

Auspicious positioning

When organizing a yard sale, you’re in charge of everything. If attending a car boot sale or trunk fair, we recommend arriving early to claim a good spot, but not necessarily by the entrance; pitching near a burger truck, for instance, may allow you to capitalize on people drawn in by the aroma of cooking.

Polish your act

Having arranged numerous sales, we’ve always accorded buyers respect by cleaning and polishing everything. It made sense that something shiny would be perceived as having better value than something that’s dusty and unloved. Right?

Set the scene

Auspicious ‘set dressing’ with tablecloths and eye-catching signs encourage folk to gravitate. If selling furniture and home pieces, ‘stage’ an area like a comfy room. Dress smaller pieces across shelves and adorn chairs with throws and cushions. Realtors, to tempt buyers, have been playing this trick for years, so follow their lead to amplify profit.

The price is right

Rather than pluck a cost from the ether when asked, work out, in advance, how much you’d like to achieve and mark items accordingly, allowing for negotiation – if you hope to get $8 for your wonky-eyed china doll, price her at $12 and prepare to descend as your buyer haggles.

And smile; customers are more generous when you’re friendly. Be careful, however, not to cross the line between helpful and overbearing; the key is to remain casual and flexible.

As Danny DeVito’s Penguin growled in Batman Returns, “You flush it, I flaunt it!” Which kind of sums up the relevance of recycling; if the environment is important to you, then a side hustle as a part time picker could be right up your street.

Watch for Colin and Justin on Citytv’s Breakfast Television and Colin and Justin’s Sub- Zero Reno on Paramount Plus TV. Find the Colin and Justin Home Collection in stores across Canada.
Visit www.colinandjustin.tv.