For the week of August 8 - 14, 2001

Garage sales offer up quality goods

Knowing where to go is secret of success

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

My escort arrived at about 7 a.m. Saturday morning. A cup of hot black tea in hand, I entered a world I’d never known.

The world of garage sales.

Express photos by Dana DuGan

This is no idle Sunday drive nonsense; no, this is serious stuff, where the best hunter bags the big score.

"It’s not about wearing other people’s clothes, you just don’t want to get up this early," my friend very perceptively announces as we head out in the early and quiet morning.

Our first stop is a storage unit in Hailey. My friend greets other regulars by name. There is an entire set of golf clubs in a bag, a huge bucket of golf balls, a lawnmower, a computer printer. There were apricot-colored Fiestaware, lots of good beaded jewelry, dog kennels, towels, newish pillows and blankets.

Every single item for sale was spic ’n’ span clean, and all the jewelry or smaller items were in zip-lock bags and clearly marked.

My big score of the day occurred here--a Swiss Army watch for $30. It is in perfect working order, clean as a whistle, and has a new battery.

Garage sale browsing is an art but one with rules, my friend told me. For instance, there is early-bird etiquette, which requires one to help move things out of the "space" while pawing the goods.

If an ad says no early birds than one must not go early. Simple as that. They usually begin around 8 a.m. and by 10 a.m. they’re pretty well picked over, I was told.

Neighborhoods matter. Ket-chum, Sun Valley, Elkhorn and the big houses and ranches down Broadford Road are good bets. Though that can be misleading, my friend says. "It’s like a treasure hunt."

We do several drive-bys, passing up any place that has clothes lying crumpled on the front lawn. We end up hitting five out of seven sales in two hours.

By the time we’re done, the sun is high, we’ve got new Fiestaware, new garbage bins, a necklace, a couple of brand new books, and most people are not even out of bed yet.

Once a person gets hooked on the deal-making aspect, it’s an addiction. And here in the Wood River Valley that addiction can be supremely quenched with very high quality scores.

One memorable sale had an entire three-car garage filled with unused designer clothes, still price tagged, and hanging neatly on racks. Donna Karan black pants, brand new, $5; sweater sets for $10 with original price tags of $300; and dresses for no more than $20.

The king of all local garage sales is The Community Schools’ fall extravaganza. It’s not just a necessity for back-to-school items, but a kind of social event. It takes place inside a huge indoor riding ring in Elkhorn. The arena and attached stables all house computers, linens, skis, kayaks, sewing machines, plates, furniture and, of course, a huge amount of clothes. Outside, there are hottubs, snowmobiles, bikes and heavy equipment of various kinds.

People are so eager for the score at this huge sale that they will pick up anything—the pile you’ve just made of carefully picked out sweaters for your kids, even someone’s handbag--is fair game. Once a woman opened my purse, rummaged around, and pulled out my glasses case and checkbook before I stopped her from actually buying it.

The other day someone picked up my thermos of tea that I’d set down and shook it, while she looked for a price tag.

We sift through the detritus of other people’s lives, half repulsed but also intrigued. What jobs did they hold that they had so many ties, ugly pumps or bad jackets?

One man’s junk and all that. But consider these scores: An entire set of redwood porch furniture, including a swinging bench, a table with an umbrella, four chairs, planters and benches--all for $100. Or barely used K2 Merlin skis with Marker bindings for $30. Or a trampoline for only $100 compared to the $400 new price tag.

"It’s a habit with a price," my friend, the addict, said. But such prices for such goods, and such glee when you bag the big one.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.