look at the box again, inspect a few more items without enthusiasm. Look at the seller, let him see you are interested in the few items in your hand and maybe, just maybe you could also be a sucker for the rest of the itemsVisit boot sales, jumble sales, collectors’ meets and antiques fairs. Find a stall selling lots and lots of items you want to buy, preferably ‘same kind’ items reserved to one specific part of the stall, preferably away from more expensive individual items. This idea works best with boxes of toy soldiers, stamps, postcards, newspapers, prints, pamphlets, buttons, badges, and other tiny items where upwards of twenty are housed in one container.

Now wander round aimlessly, try to look vacant, pick over the items, hold one or two in your hand while you finger the others, pay no real attention to the others in the box but continue sifting, move items around without damaging them of course. Do this while the rest of the stall is overrun with visitors inspecting those more expensive items. When it gets really busy, spend a long time looking at those few items you put to one side, look at the box again, inspect a few more items without enthusiasm. Look at the seller, let him see you are interested in the few items in your hand and maybe, just maybe you could also be a sucker for the rest of the items.

m more expensive individual items. This idea works best with boxes of toy soldiers, stamps, postcards, newspapers, prints, pamphlets, buttons, badges, and other tiny items where upwards of twenty are housed in one container.

Now wander round aimlessly, try to look vacant, pick over the items, hold one or two in your hand while you finger the others, pay no real attention to the others in the box but continue sifting, move items around without damaging them of course. Do this while the rest of the stall is overrun with visitors inspecting those more expensive items. When it gets really busy, spend a long time looking at those few items you put to one side, look at the box again, inspect a few more items without enthusiasm. Look at the seller, let him see you are interested in the few items in your hand and maybe, just maybe you could also be a sucker for the rest of the items

.

Now wander round aimlessly, try to look vacant, pick over the items, hold one or two in your hand while you finger the others, pay no real attention to the others in the box but continue sifting, move items around without damaging them of course. Do this while the rest of the stall is overrun with visitors inspecting those more expensive items. When it gets really busy, spend a long time looking at those few items you put to one side, look at the box again, inspect a few more items without enthusiasm. Look at the seller, let him see you are interested in the few items in your hand and maybe, just maybe you could also be a sucker for the rest of the items

hout damaging them of course. Do this while the rest of the stall is overrun with visitors inspecting those more expensive items. When it gets really busy, spend a long time looking at those few items you put to one side, look at the box again, inspect a few more items without enthusiasm. Look at the seller, let him see you are interested in the few items in your hand and maybe, just maybe you could also be a sucker for the rest of the itemslook at the box again, inspect a few more items without enthusiasm. Look at the seller, let him see you are interested in the few items in your hand and maybe, just maybe you could also be a sucker for the rest of the items.

I reckon seven times out of ten the seller will be boiling with frustration, you are blocking his stall, those items you are looking at were brought just to raise money to pay his stall fees if buyers were scarce for those more expensive items. But those buyers for more expensive items have turned up, and you are blocking their access to the stall.

“Why don’t you have the whole lot for a fiver?” he says, his eyes pleading with you to pay up and leave.

Why not indeed? So the seller gets what he wanted, a clear stall, and you get what you wanted, a fabulous box of goodies to list individually on eBay, starting price $4.99 each. Many will sell first time round, any that don’t sell second time round you’ll bundle back in their container and charge $29.99 or best offer for the whole kit and caboodle.