How To Find Bargains at an Autojumble

Strolling amidst the myriad vintage treasures at Bealieu’s long-running Spring Autojumble got us thinking: Can you guarantee you’ll strike rusty gold? Well, we’ve been to our fair share of jumbles, and we’ve never come home empty handed. Sure, some events yield more than others – Ed’s personal best is 120 spanners in one day – but there’s almost always a bargain to be had, and with a bit of pre-planning, bargains-a-plenty.

Located in the heart of the New Forest, Lord Montagu’s Beaulieu Estate has hosted car enthusiasts since 1952, and Autojumbles have been held at the site’s National Motor Museum since 1967. The museum is well worth a visit – autojumble weekend or not. The Spring Autojumble is a more low-key affair than September’s International Autojumble, where as the name suggests, buyers and sellers flock from far and wide to exchange vintage wares. That said, the Spring jumble is a great start to a the rummaging season.

Autojumbles are a lifeline for the vintage vehicle enthusiast. While there’s never been a better time to find the parts you need online, there are still occasions when the component or tool you need prove illusive to even the most skilled Googler. Moreover, rare parts, tools and automobilia commands a premium over the internet, so it pays to get out there and rummage through boxes and buckets to find that Brough Superior magneto or rare “small a” Hazet tool box.

We’ve compiled a list of five tips and tricks to maxise your chances of autojumble success.

1) Make A List

While we can almost guarantee you’ll come home with all manner of things you never had any intention of buying, you’ll find your autojumbling experience is a lot better when you work out exactly what you’re looking for before you go. That might mean measuring an existing component or tool; perhaps jotting down a serial number or snapping a photo of the item you need. If you’re one of those people with lots of projects on the go, it’s easy to forget that you meant to look for something specific, especially is said project hasn’t be touched for a while.

2) The Early Bird Catches The Worm

The biggest bargains will go first. The most effective stall holders price items to sell, especially those of the larger, bulkier kind. You’ll often see a vintage motorcycle sell in the first half hour of an autojumble, and many events wind up before lunchtime. That said, sellers will often reduce their prices by the end of the day, so it’s well worth a second stab at an item if it looked a little rich for your blood the first time around. Just be aware that someone else might stump up the funds for it, so don’t miss out on something if you know it’s a good buy! As a rule of thumb, the most successful jumbler is the first to arrive and the last to leave.

3) Just Because You Can’t See It, Doesn’t Mean They Haven’t Got It

Even though the sheer quantity of spares, tools, and automotive ephemera can be almost overwhelming at larger autojumbles, like those held at Beaulieu, it’s worth being aware that stall holders may have more items with them than first meets the eye. Some will keep a little stock in the van to top-up a stall as items sell, while others simply choose not to get everything out on show, or have more back home they may be prepared to sell them if you enquire after it. Stall holders often specialise in something specific; be that aircooled VW bits, Snap-On tools or vintage brochures. Speak to the stall holder and they may have the very thing you’re looking for in the back of the van or else in the shed at home. Even if they don’t have it, they might know who has. Autojumbles are as much about meeting knowledgeable people as they are finding that missing piece of the restoration jigsaw.

4) Know When To Haggle – And When Not To

Cash is king. Very occasionally, a stall holder might take card payment, or bank transfer for larger items, but it’s worth holding enough folding to not miss out on something you really want. Loose change is handy too, and it’s novel to pay with something with coins these days! Decorative items, signage and the like, often commands a premium, but most tool sellers are only asking a pound or two per item.

Nearly everyone haggles, so don’t be afraid to ask for a discount – just don’t be too cheeky!

Top tip: bundle items together in order to get the best deals. And as we said earlier, sellers are often more willing to take a hit on an item if it’s left over at the end of the day. There will always be those who are inflexible on unreasonable prices. They’ll end up taking their stock home and will probably learn a lesson in the process. The most effective stall holders are those who buy carefully and sell at a small profit.

5) Don’t Miss A Single Stall

Standing in the middle of an unfamiliar field, surrounded by stall upon stall of old spanners, it’s easy to become disoriented and miss the bargain of the century. It pays to approach a jumble systematically, working your way along each avenue from one end to the other. Then do it all again, and check every stall, even if you don’t think there will be anything there for you. It’s amazing what you’ll sometimes find in the least likely places…

It’s no secret that the archetypal autojumbler isn’t getting any younger. But we need these events, like those at Beaulieu, to keep our hobby alive. So if you’re a younger reader who is yet to visit a jumble, we hope this article persuades you to get along to one of these events, and arms you with some helpful tips and tricks to make the most of your first autojumble.

We’ll see you at the Beaulieu International Autojumble on the 6th and 7th of September.