And so does the vandalism.

Bathurst’s main makeshift second-hand car lots are on the Mitchell Highway outside the basketball stadium and along Hereford Street, opposite the Bathurst Bulldogs rugby ground.

The sellers’ thinking is obvious: they want to maximise the number of people who will see their car – and, hopefully, stop and take a closer look to see whether the vehicle suits their needs and their budget.

But it’s not just potential car buyers who see these vehicles sitting empty and unattended by the road.

It’s like leaving your doors unlocked at night – there was a time when you could do so without worrying about someone taking advantage of your trust, but those days are long gone.

Which brings us back to Bathurst police.

Local officers are aware of the trouble that can occur at these makeshift second-hand lots – indeed, they have been called to see the result of previous vandalism attacks.

The latest was on the weekend, when a car parked outside the basketball stadium was burnt out.

And you can bet it won’t be the last of this type of anti-social behaviour.

So local car sellers have a choice. You can either heed the warnings from police – which include, at the very least, taking your car home overnight, when vandals are generally most active.

Or you can take your chances.

It’s your decision. But a mistake can be costly.