Clothing is the single largest category at UK car boot sales. Walk any boot sale and half the tables will have clothes. The problem is most sellers get car boot sale clothes prices wrong — they price too high and take most of it home. The table below sets out what buyers actually pay, based on what sells week after week at venues across the UK.
| Clothing category | Price range | Sweet spot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's tops & blouses | 50p - £3 | £1-2 | High-street brands (Next, M&S, Zara) at the upper end |
| Women's dresses | £1 - £8 | £2-5 | Occasion dresses fetch more; everyday dresses sit at £1-3 |
| Women's jeans & trousers | £1 - £5 | £2-3 | Well-known denim brands (Levi's, Wrangler) can reach £5-8 |
| Women's coats & jackets | £2 - £12 | £3-6 | Season matters — winter coats in autumn sell better |
| Men's shirts | 50p - £3 | £1-2 | Formal shirts sell faster than casual; branded fetch more |
| Men's jeans & trousers | £1 - £5 | £2-3 | Workwear trousers sell steadily at £2-4 |
| Men's coats & jackets | £2 - £10 | £3-6 | Leather and waxed jackets can reach £10-15 |
| Children's clothing (0-5 yrs) | 20p - £2 | 50p - £1 | Bundle pricing works best here |
| Children's clothing (6-12 yrs) | 50p - £3 | £1-2 | School uniform sells fast in late summer |
| Baby grows & sleep suits | 10p - £1 | 20-50p | Sell in bundles of 5-10 items |
| Shoes — adult | £1 - £10 | £2-5 | Clean shoes sell; dirty shoes do not |
| Shoes — children | 50p - £4 | £1-2 | Wellies and school shoes are steady sellers |
| Trainers — branded | £3 - £15 | £5-10 | Nike, Adidas, New Balance in good condition |
| Bags & handbags | £1 - £8 | £2-5 | Leather bags fetch more; fabric bags sit at £1-3 |
| Scarves, hats & gloves | 50p - £3 | £1 | Seasonal — winter accessories in autumn |
| Jewellery & watches | 50p - £15 | £2-5 | Costume jewellery £1-3; silver or branded £5-15 |
Why Car Boot Clothes Prices Are Lower Than You Expect
If you have not sold clothes at a boot sale before, the prices above might look low. That dress cost £45 new. Surely it is worth more than £2?
The reality is that buyers come for bargains. They are standing in a field with no fitting room, no returns policy, and no guarantee the item has not shrunk in the wash. They are not comparing your price to the original retail price. They are comparing it to what they could pay at a charity shop — typically £3-5 for the same item, hung on a rail and under a roof.
For the broader pricing picture, the car boot sale prices UK guide has benchmarks for electronics, toys, furniture, and more.
Women's Clothing: What Moves and What Stalls
Women's clothing dominates boot sale rails because women buy more clothes new and clear out more often.
What sells: High-street brands in current styles. Next, M&S, Zara, H&M, River Island, and New Look all move at £1-3 per item. Dresses sell faster than separates. Plus-size clothing sells fast because it is harder to find in charity shops.
What does not sell: Very formal evening wear, fast-fashion supermarket brands (Primark, George at Asda, F&F — 50p-£1 at best), and anything with visible wear, fading, bobbling, or stains.
Brand premium: A Reiss dress at £120 new might fetch £8-15. Hobbs, Jigsaw, and Boden sit in the £5-10 bracket. Designer labels — if authentic — can reach £15-30.
For more on which categories attract the most buyers, the best items to sell at car boot sales guide covers clothing alongside other stock types.
Men's Clothing: The Slowest Category
Men's clothing is the slowest-moving clothing category at UK boot sales. Men buy fewer clothes, shop less often, and are less likely to browse a clothes rail at a boot sale. That said, men's clothing still sells with the right items at the right prices.
What sells: Workwear and practical items. Men's trousers in common sizes (32-36 waist) at £2-3. Work shirts and polo shirts at £1-2. Branded sportswear — Nike, Adidas, Under Armour — at £3-8 in good condition. Leather belts at £1-3. Suit jackets and blazers rarely sell.
What does not sell: Formal suits. A full suit that cost £200 new might sit all morning at £10. Ties are practically worthless — 20p each or give them away. The car boot sale pricing strategy guide covers timing and negotiation for slow-moving categories.
The workwear opportunity: Men's work trousers, high-vis jackets, steel-toe boots, and outdoor gear sell fast at boot sales near industrial estates. Snickers work trousers at £35 new sell for £5-8. For display ideas, the portable racks guide covers keeping heavy items off the ground.
Children's Clothing: Fastest Sales, Lowest Prices
Children's clothing is the fastest-selling category and the one most sellers underprice. Parents at boot sales are highly motivated — children outgrow clothes in months, and buying new for every growth spurt is expensive.
Pricing by age: Newborn to 12 months at 20p-£1 per item. Age 1-3 at 50p-£1.50. Age 4-7 at £1-2. Age 8-12 at £1-3. The younger the range, the lower the per-item price but the faster the sale.
Bundle strategy: Single items at 50p sell. Bundles at "5 for £2" or "fill a bag for £5" sell faster. Parents buy multiple sizes in one go — a buyer with a six-month-old will also take 9-12 month items if the price is right. Group items by age and label them clearly.
School uniform: In late August and early September, school uniform in good condition sells at £1-3 per item. Parents know they will pay £15-20 per item new and will happily buy second-hand for a term's wear. For set-up tips that maximise clothing display, see the beginner's guide to selling at car boot sales.
Shoes: Clean Them or Keep Them
Shoes are the most condition-sensitive category. A pair of dirty trainers at 50p will not sell. The same pair wiped clean at £3 will.
Adult shoes: High-street brands (Clarks, M&S, Next) at £2-5. Premium brands (Loake, Barker, Church's) at £5-15 if well-maintained. Trainers from Nike, Adidas, and New Balance at £3-10 depending on condition and model.
Children's shoes: School shoes at £1-3. Wellies at £1-2. Trainers at £1-4. Clarks school shoes at £38 new sell for £2-3 at a boot sale with six months of wear left.
What never sells: Shoes with holes, split soles, broken heels, or missing laces. Footwear with visible odour. If you would not put your own foot in it, do not put it on the table.
Accessories: The Margins Category
Bags, scarves, belts, and jewellery sell reliably and take up little table space.
Handbags: Leather bags from known brands (Radley, Kipling, Fossil) at £5-15. High-street bags at £2-5. Fabric and unbranded bags at £1-3.
Scarves: Winter scarves in wool or cashmere blends at £2-5 in autumn. Silk scarves at £1-3.
Jewellery: Costume jewellery at £1-3 sells steadily. Hallmarked silver at £3-10. Be clear whether items are real or costume to avoid disputes.
Belts: Leather belts at £1-3. Branded (Levi's, Diesel, Tommy Hilfiger) at £3-6.
For advice on negotiating when buyers push back on your prices, the how to haggle at car boot sales guide covers tactics that work for both sides.
Display: How Presentation Affects Price
How you display clothes directly affects what buyers will pay. The same dress folded in a box sells for £1. Hung on a rail, it sells for £3.
Clothes rails are the single best investment a clothing seller can make. A £15 folding clothes rail lets buyers browse without rummaging. Items on a rail sell for more and sell faster. Hang your best items at the front.
Folding matters: Clothes folded neatly in piles by category look better than clothes dumped in a box. T-shirts in one pile, jeans in another, children's clothes by age.
The tablecloth rule: A £3 tablecloth separates your pitch from the fifty other clothing sellers. It makes your table look intentional rather than improvised. For more on pitch setup, the car boot sale equipment checklist covers everything from tables to weather cover.
When to Drop Your Clothing Prices
First hour (gates open to 10am): Hold firm. Early buyers include dealers who know what things are worth and will pay asking price for branded items in good condition.
Mid-morning (10am to 12pm): Start bundling. "Three tops for £5" or "any two pairs of jeans for £8." Casual browsers respond to bundle offers more than individual price drops.
Last hour (12pm onwards): Clear it. A "fill a bag for £5" sign empties your stock faster than any price negotiation. At this point, any money is better than no money — and the space in your car boot is worth more than the unsold stock.
A full car boot of clothes holds 100-200 items. At average car boot sale clothes prices of £1-2 per item, that is £100-400 in potential sales. Realistically, a well-priced clothing table shifts 50-70% of stock. Bring 100 items, sell 60, take home £70-120 after pitch costs. The how much is a car boot pitch guide breaks down pitch fees across the UK so you can plan your break-even point before you leave home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What price should I put on branded clothes at a car boot sale?
High-street brands (Next, M&S, Zara) at £1-5. Premium high-street (Hobbs, Jigsaw, Reiss) at £5-12. Designer labels at £10-30 but only if authentic and in excellent condition.
How should I price baby clothes at a car boot sale?
Baby clothes sell fastest in bundles. Price individual items at 20-50p or bundle by age: "0-3 month bundle, 10 items for £3." Parents buy multiple sizes at once, so having a range of sizes increases your average sale.
Is it worth taking unbranded clothes to a car boot sale?
Yes, but price accordingly. Supermarket-brand clothing (Primark, George, F&F) should be priced at 50p-£1. Bundle them to shift volume.
Should I wash clothes before taking them to a car boot sale?
Yes. Always. Clean clothes sell for more and sell faster. Musty, creased, or visibly dirty clothes put buyers off your entire table. A wash and a quick iron on the best pieces is the difference between £1 and £3 on a dress.
Price to Sell, Not to Store
The biggest mistake clothing sellers make is pricing items at what they feel they are worth rather than what buyers will pay. Price your clothes to sell in the first two hours, bundle in the middle of the morning, and clear everything in the last hour. An empty rail and a full cash pouch beats a full rail and a heavy box to carry back to the car.
Find your next selling opportunity on LocalBoot — search car boot sale listings across the UK to discover venues near you with the buyer footfall that makes clothing sales worthwhile.
Written by Paul Bond · hello@tradewaveast.co.uk · 25 Jun 2026
