095 Rummage!

The Wonders of Rummage

Until I became involved in the Rotary Rummage sale, I had little interest in garage sales or thrift shops, but a few years of organizing and sorting rummage changed my outlook. 

This year sale proceeds go to the ChildSafe Center. The sale will be at the Armory on Saturday, June 4 (full details at the bottom). We select a different beneficiary each year. Volunteers from the beneficiary organizations are a big help as are high school students from the Handley Interact club, family member and friends. Every year we worry that there will not be enough stuff for a sale, but there always seemed to be. We started unpacking the tractor trailers last week and began household pickups in earnest. 

I am amazed at the huge volume of things that come in and even more surprised how it all gets organized and sorted in time for the sale. For a number of years the sale has been at the old Armory ar SU. The first floor is completely filled to overflowing and the yard outside is also full.

These photos from earlier sales show a lot of rummage but do not show IT ALL!

Trish Stiles in the Boutique section.
We get some very nice things.

Libba Pendleton folding clothes.

It takes a person with special characteristics to enjoy rummage sale work--a passion for order among chaos, curiosity, a sense of humor, a strong back, and a willingness to get dirty. 

It is amazing what some people put in boxes and send to the sale. I think some folks just gather the boxes in the attic and garage and send those, never looking inside. Last year a sorter proudly presented a Madame Alexander doll box to the folks at the Boutique, only to discover it was filled with rags! A box we unpacked this year was taped shut and labeled "packed in 1975." We pull a lot of loose change out of the boxes; it all goes to the cause. It is fun to unpack boxes--some many diverse objects seem to be in each one.

The early work entails moving boxes or the diverse contents of a box all around the Armory to the proper category location.

Categories include: 

Housewares & nick/nacks

Jewelry
Books and audio-visuals 

    (surprise!! my section!)
Toys
Lawn, garden & hardware
Seasonal & bric/brac
Sporting goods
Clothes and shoes
Boutique

Office supplies & equipment
Indoor furniture

Outdoor furniture
Exercise equipment
Baby clothes
Pictures & artwork
Linens & bath
Electronics and photography

Crafts

The sorting, a lot of folding, and pricing of the items takes much time. Just when you think you have your section organized, another big donation comes in! Good news and bad news! A small percent of the clothing is priced individually; most is sold by the bag. The morning of the sale, the outdoor furniture, equipment, and big sports and exercise items are pulled out of the trailer and placed in the outside area next to the Armory.

It is difficult to believe in the early going that we will be ready for that first batch of people, the early birds, who pay $10 to shop at 7 am before the free admission at 8 am. I did the early bird a few times, but discovered the stuff I was interested in did not go early anyway!

The work is fun and the rapport with fellow obsessive-compulsives is great. I have a much greater respect for "stuff" and try to think each time I start to buy something, "Is this going to end up at the Rummage Sale?"

Except, of course, for the stuff I buy at the Rummage Sale!

Trish        

To Donate and/or come to the Rummage Sale:

And one final thought: