From a modest start to what is now a heavily anticipated national program, the Garage Sale Trail returns to Australia each October to encourage local communities to engage with and host good ol’ fashioned garage sales, and we aren’t just talking dusty old books and fur coats. On October 22nd, registered garage sales across the country will form one large, synchronised treasure hunt with people selling off their wares – big or small – or offering up some unconventional goods, like adoptable kittens, or multi-million dollar yachts (someone has legit registered the huge yacht that was used in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby for sale this year).
The simple act of buying and selling at a garage sale aims at solidifying a sense of community while also encouraging people to recycle and reuse, taking responsibility for others ‘waste’ in a fun, engaging way. It’s an idea which has won awards for the sustainability and community campaign, which was founded in 2010 by Andrew Valder and Darryl Nichols and has seen people sell off everything from a beachside apartment and a hovercraft to an actual highland cow.
With last year’s event seeing almost 3 million pre-loved items for sale at over 13,000 garage sales across Australia, the sixth annual Garage Sale Trail is most definitely the ideal time to go hunting for treasure and that ultimate bargain. Another stat from last year: Garage Sale Trail redistributed enough items to fill 100 kilometres of shopping trolleys – the opportunity to get people on the path of thinking more about reuse and how it benefits the environment is massive.
In addition to that aforementioned yacht, other sales that have been registered for this year so far include The Cat Protection Society in Newtown (Sydney), which will be hosting a kitten adoption day and fundraiser as part of Garage Sale Trail. There’s also a $55,000 helicopter which has been listed in regional NSW.
“At a time where we’re more isolated than ever, events such as Garage Sale Trail that bring communities together can have significant social outcomes,” said Valder. “Holding a garage sale and getting to know your neighbours means that you’re contributing to a connected community that’s healthier, happier and even more prosperous.”
To outdo again the success of last year’s Garage Sale Trail, Australians are encouraged to bring out their ‘good stuff’ from garages, sheds, spare rooms and attics to sell. The first 2,500 sellers in participating council areas who register before September 25 will receive a free promotional pack to maximise their garage sale’s success. Registrations are free, open now, and can be done so HERE.
Pictured: Angus Stone selling things. Supplied and used with permission.
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