Car boot sales or boot fairs are a form of market in which private individuals come together to sell

household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...

and garden

good In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, p ...

s. They are popular in the United Kingdom, where they are often referred to simply as 'car boots'. Some scientific research has studied people's shopping habits at car boot sales. These groups of scientists see the rotation of surplus household stock as essential as it prevents waste and disposal costs, and also produces a small community where thriftiness and entrepreneurship flourish. The term "car boot sale" refers to the selling of items from a car's boot. Although a small proportion of sellers are professional traders selling goods, or indeed browsing for items to buy, most of the goods on sale are used personal possessions. Car boot sales are a way of attracting a large group of people in one place to recycle useful but unwanted domestic items that otherwise might have been thrown away. Car boot sales generally take place in the summer months. However, in a growing trend, indoor boot sales, and all-year hard-standing outdoor boot sales, are now appearing in some parts of the UK. Items for sale are extremely varied, including for example antiques and collectables, as in a

flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell Used good, previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development o ...

. Car boot sales are also very popular in parts of Australia, and have a growing presence in mainland Europe.

Locations

Car boot sales are held in a variety of locations, including the grounds of

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal educati