I'm a huge fan of car boot sales.
They're a great place to sell any unwanted household bric-a-brac that would otherwise end up being thrown out and, if you've an eye for a bargain, you can save pounds by buying second hand goods rather than paying through the nose for something brand new.
It's the ultimate form of recycling and I must have been to hundreds of them over the last 10 years, both as a buyer and seller.
It's estimated that more than one million people visit car boot sales every weekend during the busy summer months with year round events growing in popularity too.
If you're a car boot virgin, it can be difficult to know where to start. Selling goods can be a minefield and it's easy to get ripped off if you're not careful. Typically, expect to pay between £5-£10 for a pitch and be raring to go at 6am to get a good spot.
Make sure you price everything up the night before.
You'll never make a fortune at a car boot sale, but neither do you want to undervalue what you're selling, so if you think something might be collectable or an antique, look it up on eBay first – if it turns out to be worth more than a tenner, sell it online or through an auction house.
Once everything has been valued, pack your car so that your trestle or picnic tables or whatever you're using to display your items come out first.
Pack items in easily stackable cardboard boxes for easy storage – you'll be able to cram more into the back of your car this way.
Also consider splitting up your booty into different price ranges or categories. Having a box full of items costing 25p or less will encourage people to have a rummage and see what you're selling.
Bring plenty of small change with you and make sure you examine every high denomination note you're offered as payment – I was once slipped a dodgy £20 note and only found out when I tried to buy a couple of bottles of wine later that day. Very embarrassing.
See-through plastic sheeting or even a foldable gazebo is a good idea, too, just in case it rains. If you've got a money belt, use it for carrying all your spare change and bring plenty of plastic bags to giveaway to your customers.
Dress your table with a tablecloth to make your stall stand out a bit and buy a few sweets, cans of pop and wetwipes to attract mums and kids.
A bowl of water for dogs always works a treat too. Best-sellers include DVDs, CDs, unwanted gifts, cameras, mobile phones, garden tools, antique or costume jewellery and ornaments of any description.
Bring along a friend for company and to keep an eye on things when it gets busy.
If you're intending to buy items at a car boot, you'll also need to arrive early as dealers and bargain hunters will be out in force as soon as the gates are open, and often beforehand.
Take plenty of small change and be prepared to haggle and ask for a discount if you're buying more than one item.
Don't get carried away – make a budget and stick to it and don't come back with a load of unwanted junk. Go with a firm idea of what you want or need and don't splash out on any singing fish or dancing flowers, tempting though it is.
If you think something is overpriced, come back later in the day and you'll often be able to negotiate a discount.
It's also worth taking some spare batteries with you, too, so you can test out battery-powered devices to make sure they're working correctly.
As a general rule, Caveat Emptor – let the buyer beware.
To find your nearest car boot sale, go to www.carboot
junction.com or www.carboot
srus.com. Both sites list hundreds of car boot sales across the UK, together with contact details, start times, admission prices and whether the event has toilets and refreshments.
If you don't fancy getting up early on a Sunday morning, there's also an online car booter – www.ibootsale.co.uk – that's free if you sign up for a 90 day pitch and advertise 25 items or less.