Two Woodward-Centered Community Garage Sales
Story by Sara E. Teller
Photos by Bernie LaFramboise
FERNDALE WILL SOON BE HOSTING TWO COMMUNITY-WIDE GARAGE SALES, TO TAKE PLACE ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDES OF WOODWARD. Organizers set up a polling system on the Ferndale Forum Facebook page, asking members to vote on two separate weekends for each side to hold their sales.
The East Side will be on Saturday, June 17th. The West Side opted for Saturday, July 8th. Both will last from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. with rain days on those Sundays.
“Anyone in the 48220 zip code who wants to participate can plan their own sale at their own property,” said Carey Gufstason of Ferndale’s Glass Action, who helped to coordinate the events. Those who wish to participate can also “encourage neighbors to have a block sale to drive more traffic their way and set up Craigslist ads.” The organizers are asking that anyone who chooses to post an ad list it under the heading “Ferndale Garage Sale (East or West) Side” so the posts are searchable. “The sale won’t be at a building or lot,” Carey clarifies. “Just individual homes that wish to sell.”
“It’s like any other city wide sale,” she says, “You pick a date and do it! Ours is unique only because Woodward splits us in two, and this is a fun way to support and explore each other’s sides of Ferndale.”
The garage sale has received quite a bit of traction on Facebook. “This is really word of mouth via Facebook,” Carey says. “If someone on Academy wants in, they simply plan their sale on the East Side date. When shoppers see on Craigslist that there are 30-plus houses all on one side of Woodward having a sale, for example, they can get around and see more possibly, in a concentrated area this way. Then come back weeks later for the other side.”
Carey says the purpose of the sale is to unite the community of Ferndale in a fun way. “The root is a traditional, city-wide sale. Having two creates a fun, community opportunity. In the end everyone gets new treasures, meets new neighbors and makes a little cash cleaning out your cupboards.
In the last several years online buy/sell/trade pages have really kicked up a lot of off-season selling, and I confess, I got way into it,” Carey says, “But it’s different. It’s usually a ‘porch-pick up’ kind of thing and most times you’re not coming face-to-face. Old time yard sales are a fun way to mix it up with the community.”
Carey encourages members of the community to “Invite out-of-city friends and promote in the old-fashion and also new-fangled ways. Take lots of pictures, make ads, make signs. Just be sure they’re in spots that are okay to display them or they’ll be pulled down. The City of Ferndale does not enforce permits to have a garage sale. This is all by individuals willing to put their sales together.”
The garage sales are a great way to promote health and wellness during the summer months, as well. “I always encourage people shopping to bike ride around if the weather permits,” Carey adds, “And, also a great piece of advice to sellers: Don’t hold unpaid goods for buyers, but make an exception for bikers to return for their items post-sale.”
As far as other advice, Carey says, “I like to donate goods after the sale and would ask others to consider it instead of putting it to the street. If you call Purple Heart, Grace Centers or other organizations in advance, they’ll come get your goods sometimes that day or the day after. Imagine if they had trucks and trucks full of goods just from Ferndalians? That would be awesome!”
