MAY 26, 2016 // 11
NGEST GARAGE SALE
the Richard Simmons VHS tapes, too.)
Safety fi rst: It can get a little wild
out there — what with fl atbed trucks and
U-Haul vans all running amok. Prepare for
vehicles to make sudden stops and erratic
turns, and try to be patient (and creative)
with parking. Most of all, slow down! A
bad case of the FOMS (fear of missing
something) can be dangerous. If you fi nd
yourself thinking about the next sale before
you’ve fl ipped even halfway through that
box of old National Geographics, you’ll run
yourself ragged. Try to relax and have fun;
remember, there are enough chipped Pyrex
pie plates for all of us.
IF YOU’RE SELLING…
Signs, signs, everywhere a sign: In a
forest full of trees, how does one little pine
stand out? Defi nitely NOT by announcing
itself with pencil, written on a paper plate,
and scotch-taped to the corner stop sign —
no way! For your sale to get the attention it
deserves it must be bold, it must be colorful,
and frankly, it must be spelled correctly.
(And for heaven’s sake, if you live three
blocks and two turns away from your main
sign, make more!)
Go big: Very small sales tend to look
picked over, even when they’re offering
great stuff. Consider teaming up with neigh-
bors or extended family — the “Huge Block
Sale” and “Multi-generation extravaganza”
gets more traffi c.
Be fl exible: It’s yours, and you love it —
it’s an attachment that’s understandable —
but let’s be honest: Unless it was stamped
by Louis Comfort Tiffany himself, that
godawful glass lamp isn’t worth any more
than the one across the street. Pay attention
to whether you’re making a fair deal or just
being overly sentimental.
Neatness counts: Organized sales make
more money every time. Clean, fold and
hang clothes (no piles, please), and group
like things with like things. Bag loose items,
wind and tape electrical cords, separate sil-
verware, etc. Conventional “his” and “hers”
tables are popular, but no one objects to a
little gender bending as long as it’s kept tidy.
Prepare for rain: We call it the World’s
Longest “Garage” Sale because the World’s
Longest “Yard” Sale has the potential to
get rained out, which just isn’t an option. If
you can’t set up in the garage, consider tents
or tarps, but whatever you do, don’t let the
weather get you down — it certainly won’t
stop your shoppers!
PHOTO BY LYNETTE RAE MCADAMS
PHOTO BY LYNETTE RAE MCADAMS
Vivian Wattum (aka: Grandma Viv), at her annual sale in Surfside, Washington. Wattum
holds her sale every year on Mother’s Day weekend, which frees her to peruse other sales
over the Memorial Day holiday, proving the fi rst postulate of the World’s Longest Garage
Sale: “Nothing ever leaves the Peninsula, it just gets passed around.”
Garage sales serve as major fundraisers for many local nonprofi t organizations, including
the South Pacifi c County Humane Society, whose annual sale is held at the animal shelter,
located at 330 Second Ave., Long Beach, Washington. This year’s sale takes place Friday
and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.