What Does It Take to Make an Awesome Garage & Estate Sale?

Posted October 31, 2014

What Does It Take to Make an Awesome Garage & Estate Sale?

We are counting down to our massive Charity Garage & Estate Sale! We have a terrific inventory of fabulous items this year. From beautiful and funky, to cheap and thrifty, there is truly something for everyone!

We are often asked about the planning that goes into the sale, specifically how long it take to get all of the items and set it up. So here are some answers for inquiring minds:

– Club members (volunteers) start planing the sale more than a year in advance. Our 2015 Event Chairs have already been named and they will shadow this year’s team to learn the nuances of the sale.
– We begin collecting merchandise for the sale in January. Our Club members and volunteers work hard every Monday (and many even come on other weekdays.) We had several Saturday work days this year. These volunteers work in all weather from the cold of winter to the heat of the Texas summer. We stop accepting donations in mid-October.
– We start hanging banners and preparing the floor of the Palmer Events Center on the Friday before the sale.

Since today is Friday, see what our hard workers have been up to already:

– On the Saturday before the sale, we do a huge inventory move out day. We all come together to load thousands of boxes on to moving trucks and furniture into 18 wheeler trucks. Since our volunteers are meticulous during the year, the boxes are well packed and labeled. Together, we are able to load all of these boxes in about 6 or 7 hours.

Here’s what it looks like in the beginning:

– The merchandise is taken to Palmer Events Center, where it is unloading and setting up for the sale kicks into high gear. Our sale is known for being incredibly organized and that’s because we take a lot of pride in our displays. There’s a lot to do, but our team is full of energetic, hard working people!

Here’s one of our awesome volunteers from a previous sale:

– We set up all week and finally, it’s time for our famous Preview Party! This year’s Preview Party is Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. Get your ticket here! This event is not to be missed! Tickets include shopping, food and a lot of fun!

Here’s last year’s Preview Party:

– The sale is finally underway! Our general sale days are Friday through Sunday. This year’s dates are Friday, November 7 – Sunday, November 9.

Friday – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – $7 admission; $5 tickets available at Randall’s customer service desk.
Saturday – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Free admission
Sunday – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Free admission; 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Our Famous Box Sale

There is free garage parking on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

– We close the sale down with our famous Box Sale. Purchase and empty box, line up and get ready to shop! If it fits, you keep it. The Box Sale begins promptly at 3 p.m.!

Here’s our famous Box Sale:

– When the dust settles from the Box Sale, we are done! There is very little to no merchandise left. We pack up our displays and head back to the warehouse. Ready to start working towards the next year!

Thanks to our supportive community – those who donated items, sponsors, volunteers and shoppers! It’s because of you, that we are the largest charity sale in Texas!

Go to www.settlementhome.org for more details.