Professional car boot sale reseller Chris Hayden is a master at turning trash into treasure - and reckons many of us could be 'sitting on pot of gold' with one particular item.
Known as Car Boot Chris, the 44-year-old says he left his police job four years ago after his successful side-hustle now brings in up to £5,000 a month.
Back in 2015, the entrepreneur, who lives near Rhyl, in Wales, took advantage of Facebook Marketplace to resell gems he found at car boot sales.
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He once picked up an ultra rare Team USA Olympic Podium jacket for £4 and sold it on eBay for £225.
“I would probably rely on looking for items you had in your childhood and you wish you still had now because some can be worth money,” he told The Sun
While people have been selling old video games and trainers for years, Chris has advised resellers to also keep 'half an eye on what’s going on in the real world'.
Chris, who also has a YouTube channel, cites the new Barbie film as an example, with old dolls being sold for a premium online.
The businessman said: “I didn’t pick up any Barbie dolls myself but there are a lot of Eighties Barbies being sold on eBay right now.
“If there are talks of a remake for a classic film, like Gremlins, it may spark a revival in interest for those items.”
The one item, many of us are probably still sitting on is a Sony Walkman, as Chris explains: “For example, this weekend I picked up a Sony Walkman that was very similar to one from when I was growing up.
“I paid £1 for it and on eBay, they are worth around £50.
“If you had been able to keep all of those things you had as a child you could now be sitting on a pot of gold right now.”
Chris - who typically goes to two or three car boot sales a week - says: “There can be up to 200 stores at a car boot sale so there’s plenty of stuff for everyone and no need to rush around really.
“If I was a niche seller who was only into games, I would go up to every stall and ask them if they have any games because that's what I’d need to survive.
“I’m an everything seller, so I’m chilled out and not worried about running around.
“I can take my time looking in the boxes and make sure I don't miss anything.”
Time to take a look in those old cupboards at home that you keep promising to empty.
Anish Vij