Monroe County's Largest Garage Sale
Friday June 10, 8:00 - 5:00
Saturday, June 11, 8:00 - 3:00
Former RCA warehouse behind Cook Pharmica
1300 South Patterson Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403-4828
Mapquest
Items of Particular Interest for Sale!
Contribute to the Garage Sale! From now through June 8, bring items to the History Center, 202 E. 6th St., Tuesday thru Saturday, 10 a.m to 4 p.m. From May 17 through June 8, items may be taken directly to the sale site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 812.332.2517 or use Mapquest for directions.
Items that sell well include:
| Antiques | Housewares | Toys |
| Collectibles | Appliances | Plants |
| Dishes, glassware | Artwork & crafts | Linens |
| Office supplies | Sports equipment | Bicycles |
| Furniture | Books and CDs | Jewelry |
Merchandise should be in good condition. No old computers, mattresses, console TVs, non-working appliances or clothing! Donations are tax deductible. For information call: 332.5475, 332.1300, or 332.2517.
About the Garage Sale: For twenty-nine years the Monroe County Historical Society has conducted the area’s largest garage sale. Having the use of a large warehouse for storage throughout the year has enabled us to accumulate and store donations from individuals, businesses and estates.
Gayle Cook, a co-chair of the event since its beginning, explains, “We didn’t start small. The annual event began in 1982 when an insurance company donated the entire contents of a variety store after a fire insurance settlement. We had to sort and re-price every item in the store.”
The idle Seward Iron Works at 8th & Rogers provided the first sale site. In 29 years, seven different locations have hosted the sale including the vacant Tom O’Daniel Ford showroom where the Convention Center is now. Cook recalls, “Some of the locations were rather primitive. The vacant Mace Grocery building had no running water except for the rain coming in the roof. We kept moving 30 buckets from place to place as the leaks shifted.”
Mary Lee Deckard and Kathy McFall, and others, have been co-chairs throughout the 29 years. Deckard says, “What impresses us most is how much we enjoy and look forward to the garage sale. It is like keeping a store for a month. We do all the sorting, cleaning and displaying. We have lots of laughs and get to know each other really well.”
Thirty History Center volunteers will spend more than 500 hours preparing for the sale. Each item is pre-tagged before teams of three walk through the warehouse and write a price on each tag. Over the course of weeks, other volunteers wander through the maze of items and suggest price changes based on their expertise in a particular field.
“The biggest challenge is getting donated items that are in good condition,” says McFall. “We frequently look on eBay for comparables and then price our items lower. This ensures that antiques and valuables are priced acceptably for dealers and bargain-hunters. We have even sold large items like boats, cars and pianos.”
Most items not sold during the first day will be half-priced the second day and free on Monday or donated to local charities. Some special items may be kept for the History Center’s auction in February or sold on eBay.
For more information, contact the History Center at 812-332-2517 or 812-332-5475.
