A WOMAN who has turned reselling into a successful side hustle has revealed her most profitable boot sale find.
Kirsty is a pro at finding hidden gems in charity shops and at booties, and took to TikTok to share one of her best discoveries.
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She said she hadn’t been too optimistic about what she was going to find when she arrived at the boot sale later than usual.
So was more than a little surprised when she spotted a Tamagotchi toy hidden “amongst a pile of other things in a tin”.
She paid 50p for the toy – which was massively popular in the 90s among kids who tried to keep their “pet” alive with regular meals and entertainment – and took it home with her.
Kirsty admitted it took her a few months before she got round to testing it out.
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But she started to get an inkling she’d found something special when she looked on eBay and couldn’t find anything remotely similar.
“After doing some more research I found it was a rare music star Tamagotchi,” she continued.
“This particular pink glittery one was one you could only get in the UK as it was an Argos exclusive.”
While she usually lists her finds on eBay with a buy it now price, she decided to take a gamble and list it for auction so that “the market can determine” just how collectible and covetable it is.
“So after a seven day auction my 50p Tamagotchi sold for £236, which seems crazy to me!” she grinned.
The epic find was a few years ago, but Kirsty added that she recently looked one up on eBay, only to find that it sold for over £300.
“So definitely be on the lookout for music star Tamagotchis,” she concluded.
“And it just goes to show that even if you do arrive at the car boot sale late you can still find some gems!”
In the comments section, people were quick to praise Kirsty for sharing her top tip, with one writing: “That’s amazing! What a find!”
“People are too busy running around finding a bargain and miss the bargains!” another added.
“That’s crazy I’ve done the same as you, I have that still in its packaging!” a third marvelled.
“Wow!! That’s crazy! What a score!” someone else said.
How to bag a boot sale bargain
Becky Chorlton is a boot sale pro, and regularly finds bargain pieces to sell on for a profit. Here’s her top eight tips on how to scout out the hidden gems at your local car boot sale.
- Be organised – find out when and where your local boot sale is
- Bring loose change, and empty bags
- Be an early bird to get the best bargains
- Have an open mind, look out for unique pieces and don’t search for just one item
- Search high and low – have a rummage through boxes, cases and containers sellers have at their stalls
- Buy for all seasons – you’re more likely to find a summer bargain in the winter, and vice versa
- Check your purchases over – make sure you are happy with your item before you hand over any cash
- Barter to your heart’s content – it’s all part of the fun of being at a boot sale!
While others shared their best ever boot sale finds, which have earned them impressive profits when selling online.
“I found a vintage Prada bag in the charity shop for £25 and sold it to a reselling company who sold it for £550,” one wrote.
“After fees I think we got £450!”
“My £2.50 comic made me £4500 after fees at Auction,” another said.
“I have records that I have some value I was given a copy of Paul McCartney and wings & Band on the run which I looked up with one copy going for 500,” a third said.
“I brought a Rolling Stones tour programme for 30p got it home to see that it was signed by the band,” someone else admitted.
“I had it authenticated and sold it for £750!”
“Polly Pocket vintage sets. Paid £5 and made around £150,” another recalled.
“A solid 9ct gold watch for £5 with full hallmarks – worth about £750 – gave it to my mum to wear,” someone else said.
