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Car boot sales (garage sales) can be small affairs, such as a one-off school fund raiser or massive, carefully managed regular events. Charity car boot sales are fun, friendly and less commercialised but at large car boot sales you'll find three types of seller - caterers, market traders (selling mainly new items) and private sellers (folks who have had a 'clear out' and are selling their unwanted clutter).

It's the latter that car boot enthusiasts often find most exciting and for whom the following tips are intended.

AS A BUYER, DO.....

...buy a local paper to find out when and where you nearest car boot sale is, check on line or simply ask around

...be prepared to get there VERY early if you want to find the bargains

...take plenty of small change and small notes with you, but leave your credit cards and other valuables behind

...keep the notes safe and your small change somewhere accessible

...take lots of carrying bags, a rucksack or a trolley if you have one

...dress very warmly in winter

...tie a carrier bag on your car aerial so that you can find it easily later (hoping that not everyone has done the same of course!)

...take a few business cards if you have them, you never know when they might be useful

...put your car keys in a very safe place (I once lost mine around a car boot sale in a field - and it was nightmare!)

...leave your dog and / or small children at home especially in hot weather if you possibly can.. If you really have to take the kids, give them a small amount of cash as spending money and tell them once it's gone, it's gone.. (I used to have two rules when mine were little - they were not to leave my side or to ask for anything around the boot sale except to visit the loo!)

...decide what you are looking for before you arrive, and begin to train your eye, as you walk along the lines, to pick out only those things (otherwise all you will see is an ocean of junk !)

...if you are buying with view to selling on e-bay, make sure items not prohibited, but saleable and with sufficient profit, or you will be throwing money down the drain!

...cover the area methodically either looking down the left side and then the right side of the lane or walking more slowly taking in both sides at once

...show a little politeness and let sellers unpack a bit before diving headlong into their car boots looking for bargains!

...have a good look on, under, around and past the seller's table, because some of the more interesting or special items may be out of harms way

...make sure when buying that any sticky price labels on items will come off without damage - if they leave a mark you have good reason for further discount!

...be prepared to walk around the car boot sale a second time because other people will have turned over the merchandise and may have uncovered something interesting

... haggle, but not unreasonably. Pitches cost money and sellers deserve a decent price for good quality items.

...smile when you ask the price - it might just get you a discount.

...make sure you have a good look at what you're buying - after all, you won't be able to take it back for refund if it's got faults! Ask questions. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

...ask for a discount if you are buying multiple items

...consider carefully before parting with large amounts - it's easy to get carried away in the excitement and spend more than you intended. If you are not sure, leave your number with the seller and negotiate after the fair is over if appropriate.

...come back later and re-negotiate if something was too expensive earlier on (sellers often reduce prices later in the day or if the weather gets bad)

...avoid large impulse buys as it is becomming increasingly difficult to dispose of large unwanted items at refuse tips

....don't take out with you any more money than you can afford to spend as buying at car boot sales can be quite addictive!

...avoid leaving precious purchases with sellers for safe keeping - they may go home early or even resell to someone else for a higher price (poor practice, but it happens!)

...draw your car up closer to the seller's stall when collecting bulky or heavy items, rather than trying to lug it back miles through the crowds.