Honesty box selling

[Baldy]

Have you tried honest box selling or similar - whether plants or eggs or suchlike?

There is a fair bit of it in this neck of the woods so I guess it works for some - but I've had 70+ year old ladies going past my garden and lifting plants that I'm growing out of the ground. (This is north devon, the teenagers seem lov ely for the most part- or at least not interested in lavender plants, its the old 'uns round here)

Might just give it a go - but wondering what people's experiences have been (good or bad)

[Chestnut]

No experience of selling, but I do enjoy purchasing through the honesty box system when I get a chance!
One neighbour sells eggs/milk/spuds/onions on an honesty shop basis, plus other fruit and veg in season if he has surplus. It is ever so convenient to be able to pick up a pint of milk at any time of day or night and just pop the money through the letterbox.
Unfortunately, thefts are becoming more of a problem as the area gets more built up - last week he took the step of displaying photos from his cctv camera of two (brazen/large volume) thefts in progress....
I guess that’s not a problem if you are just selling surplus, but could put you out of business if you were ‘buying in’ stock.

[veggiechicken]

I used to put a table in the drive for plants (especially tomatoes) and surplus fruit & veg - with money to be put through the letterbox. Everything was the same price 50p on the basis that nobody needed change and if they had a £1 coin they'd buy 2 items.
I also sold honey and eggs but these were to callers only.
A lot may depend on where you live - I'm on a quiet countryish road, not many passing cars but a lot of people walk past with their dogs, so they had time to stop and browse.
These days, I just put unwanted stuff outside with a "I'm Free, Take me" sign.

[geepee]

Did this a few years back when living on a main..ish road with a convenient layby opposite.
Mainly Eggs,Tom's,Potatoes,Apples and soft fruit in season,sometimes quite a bit of stuff on display, others minimal.
A large sign saying 'All proceeds to Charity' (Which was true.)
the first couple of years were ok then gradually the 'Donations' went down and the volume of sales went up...!!
Ive watched and approached people help them selves and scuttle back to their car with stuff only to be given Excuses such as 'Oh ive just come back to get money but I cant find my purse'
Or 'I thought it was free coz you wanted rid of it' ( all items were clearly marked 50p) for the reasons VC says above.

My Conclusionn was that 'There is far more 'Takers' in this world than 'Givers' sadly...!!!

I stopped the stall and from then on gave surplus produce direct to charity organisations that feed the less advantaged and privileged.
Unfortunately without food donations these organisations cannot exist .


They do get enormous amounts from the likes of Supermarkets etc and my contribution is 'Small' to say the least.
Never the less, it gives me greater satisfaction from knowing it has gone to a good cause rather than somebody who thinks they can take it for free just because they can.
Gp

[Scarlet]

My friend used to do a table with her surplus seedlings, cutting and her excess courgettes. She stopped when somebody nicked the table!

[Baldy]

^^^ blimey - not the sort of thing that would happen here (the 70+ old lady isn't strong enough to carry a table)

hrrmmm... food for thought

[4Shoes]

There must be someone with a good news story.

There is a Farmer near Oldmeldrum that cut a hole into the side of his Barn to create a shop. Has honesty box, but also has cctv openly on display.

Is the secret having the table closer to the house?

I had given it a thought, but can't see people walking down a mile long "dead-end" lane on the off chance of getting it.

[Guest]

I will be doing a flower cart this year and it is not the theft/ none paying that bother me but the vandalism. There is a group of bored kids in the village - say no more. Thankfully if the flowers go walkies they can't cause much damage or panic, but I purposely haven't put stuff out for free for that reason. I also live in an all or nothing type village so won't be setting any prices and working on a 'pay what you think basis'. The flowers that are destined for the cart would only have the other option of compost heap so we shall see. I will let you know during the year how it goes.

I only tend to buy honey and bags of poo on an honesty system and the various places I have got them from have worked for years. Bearing in mind jars of honey are £4-5 a time there must still be a lot of decent people about Thankfully.

[Small pumpkin]

I do the honesty selling thing. Plants and eggs. It works very well. Occasionally I get short changed. Quite often I get more than I was asking.
I have a price list on the barrow and a little welcome not

Here's my little honesty barrow last year. It's not out yet this year.



This years new look money box for the barrow. I like to change something on the barrow each year so it looks a little different. Keeps people interested (hopefully)



In fact the honesty thing works so well here we have an honesty shop at the end of our road. The old post office, It sells, meat fresh and frozen, smoked fish, cheese, cakes, crisps, homemade jams & chutney, local crafts, cold drinks and there is a kettle and everything you need to make yourself a tea, coffee or hot chocolate.



It also sell locally grow fruit & veg. Some of which is mine.
Here's a sample of the salad bags I put in there. There's no risk to me putting stuff in there. I get paid by the owner if it gets pinched or not. Again she loses very little over a season

[burnie]

There's quite a few round here, most have gone to vending machines to stop the thieves, I've heard of money boxes being stolen as well as the goods on offer and we are very rural. I've never done it and I don't think I would either, Geepee is right, seems everyone thinks of themselves first these days sadly. I do barter round the village with plants and veggies that are excess.

[Snoop Puss]

Beautiful bags of salad, SP. I'd buy those, for sure.

Maybe you could start with lavender plants or anything else within reach of the lady thieves, Baldy. At least this would deter them from digging them up from the ground.

[veggiechicken]

SP, I love the Honesty Shop -and your barrow and salad bags. Almost enough to make me want to move to Mull!

I've never had anything nicked, vandalised or shortchanged from my table. When I sold at 50p there would often be more through the letterbox than I expected. The money was saved in a moneybox and opened at the end of the year. There was usually enough for next year's compost. Might have to do it again!

People usually bought plants they'd heard of - Gardener's Delight toms would sell faster than a tom with a weird name. Same with flowers so, if you're growing for selling, it may be worth producing surplus "common" plants.

[Baldy]

^^^ good idea VC - I've got tonnes of common tom seeds - never know what to do with em - might give it a go - which means I'd better get sowing

[Bacchus]

My daughter and I are gong to try this out this year (I'm trying to grow an entrepreneur ) . The plan is to sell eggs and surplus peppers and tomatoes. There's not that much traffic outside and I know nearly everyone who uses the road but we'll see how we get on. And I have CCTV that might be a help. We already sell a few eggs to neighbours and they have said it's a great idea.

I'm going to buy a metal money box and bolt it to something - but I don't expect there to be that much in it at any given time.

I did buy a lot of B&Q pots during their sale (at £1 or £2 each) so we might try flowers too - perhaps £5 per pot or something. That's if they grow...

[lottie dolly]

I done this a few years ago,worked well,i feel slightly inspired to do it again,thanks for the heads up about commonly know plants VC,me thinks some seeds need to be sown NOW in readyness,me just had an idea,yet to be put to MR,hehehe,perhaps he could sit out side on nice days and sell,peeps are used to seeing him sit out there,so why not near the stall,and also some eggs,sumat else to think about,of to see about a plan,thanks for the push peeps