Bootsales are expected to see a bumper turnout this year as locked down Brits make the most of the chance to cash in their clutter.

The bootsale season was cut short last year due to Tier restrictions and a new national lockdown and will now start two months later than normal.

From April 12 non-essential retail can re-open giving people the opportunity to get rid of their unwanted items that have been piling up throughout Lockdown.

Chris Harrington, who runs the Marks Tey and Weeley car boot sales, said: “I think it is going to be very busy this year because people have not been able to get rid of the stuff they don’t want or no longer need.

“It has also proved to be very safe outdoors and, with the better weather and all the lockdowns, people are desperate to get out more.

Bootsales are expected to see a bumper turnout this year as locked down Brits make the most of the chance to cash in their clutter.

Bootsales are expected to see a bumper turnout this year as locked down Brits make the most of the chance to cash in their clutter.

“We saw Weeley car boot double in size when we could open last year, but overall we lost around 45 per cent of our normal car booting days through the restrictions and lockdown. There are a lot of people with a lot of things to get rid of.”

Bootsales are cash businesses so there are no figures to state how much the organisers have lost during the Covid pandemic, although many will have been able to claim some grant money to support them.

The Charity Retail Association (CRA) has already said it expects charity shops to also benefit once April 12 arrives.

The CRA expects a surge in demand and donations in a business that has been valued at around £1.4billion a year. Most charity shops were closed by the tier and lockdown restrictions and unable to take in donations.

Cash in the Attic and Bootsale Challenge TV presenter Lorne Spicer said: “I estimate the average bootsaler can make £100-£250 doing a bootsale which the taxman allows you to keep providing you are not a regular trader. This may well be a lifeline for some and a cash bonus for others.

“It is going to be a busy year because a lot of people buy from bootsales and sell on ebay or Facebook Marketplace to make a bit of extra cash and they have not been able to do this while others are desperate to offload their clutter which they have not been able to donate to the charity shops or sell at a bootsale up to now.

“Bootsales are their own communities and for many they help make ends meet while supporting mental health by being in the fresh air and mixing safely with people.

“Being able to barter and bargain hunt is in our blood as a nation and that pent up demand will be huge in 2021.”

Peter Stevenson, who has run Stevenson’s Car Boot Sale at Basildon, Essex since 1997, said: “I think people have a lot of stuff, especially children’s clothes and toys, that they have grown out of. Some of the independent retailers who have sadly decided not to continue will also be looking to sell off stock they have not been able to sell with the stores all closed for so long.

“Lots of people have been redecorating their homes so they will want to offload the old furniture and curtains they no longer need.

“Last year we saw the bootsales get busier and busier and this year I think they will be the busiest yet.

“Apart from anything, people just want to be able to go outside and if they can make a few bob, particularly if they have lost their jobs or been furloughed so much the better.”

Zara Clarke, 24, from Grays, loves to do a bootsale and said: “Last year I managed to get one done in between lockdowns and I made £274. Yes, you have to pack the car up the night before and get up early, but it is great fun and I am always amazed to see what people will buy. It was all stuff that I didn’t want and it all sold so quickly.

Passion - Zara Clarke likes carboot sales

Passion - Zara Clarke likes carboot sales

“I sold loads in the first 20 minutes of opening the car boot and one person spent £100 straight away so for a few hours work I was really chuffed to have made so much.

“It is really just another way of recycling. If someone else can find a use for it and pays for it too then it is a win win all round.”

These are all the bootsales happening in the coming days:

  • Late Risers Car Boot at Little Clacton opens April 13 at 7am. Cars £5. Postcode C016 9RA.
  • Marks Tey Car Boot sale opens on April 14 at 7am. Cars £12 vans £14 entry 50p. Postcode for satnav C06 1FR
  • Weeley Car Boot Sale opens April 17 at 7am cars £10 vans £14 entry 50p. Postcode for satnav CO6 1FR.
  • Lazybones Car Boot at Leigh on Sea station car park opens on April 17 from 8am. Cars £12 Vans £15-£20. Early buyers entry £1. Postcode for satnav SS9 2ET.
  • Stevenson’s Car Boot Sale opens on April 17 from 6am. Cars £8 Vans £10 with table and rail hire £3 with returnable deposit. Free parking and entry to buyers. Onsite catering and toilets. Postcode for satnav SS14 3JH.
  • Sadlers Farm Boot sale opens on April 17 and April 18 from 6am. Postcode SS13 2HD.
  • Ardleigh Car Boot opens April 18 at 6am. Cars £12 Vans £14-£22. Postcode for satnav CO7 7QR.
  • Lazybones Car Boot at Chelmsford Park and Ride opens April 18 at 8am. All vehicles £10. Postcode for satnav CM2 7RU
  • Lazybones Car Boot at Barleylands, Basildon opens April 18 at 9am. Cars £10 and vans £15-£20. Postcode for satnav CM11 2UD
  • Lazybones Car Boot at Whitehouse Farm, Rettendon opens April 24 at 8am. Cars £12 and vans £15-£25. Postcode for satnav CM3 6DL
  • Late Risers Car Boot at Little Clacton opens April 13 at 7am. Cars £5. Postcode C016 9RA.
  • Dunton Car Boot Sale opens Wednesday April 12 at 6am. Cars £10 Vans £15-£20. SatNav CM12 9TZ. Facebook – Dunton Boot Sale
  • Boreham Car Boot Sale opens Sunday April 18 at 6am. Cars £12 Vans £15-£20. SatNav CM3 3HJ. Facebook – Boreham Car Boot Sale