So my first World Race fundraiser was, for lack of more modest terms, an epic success. 🙂
It was just a simple garage sale. A garage sale in Vinton Iowa, population 5,500.
I figured a garage sale would be relatively easy to put together, and my aunt Sara volunteered to help me with everything.
I borrowed the garage of some good friends of the family, who graciously allowed us to completely take over, turning their property into a market and parking their cars on the street for a few days.
I had asked a handful of people for donations, and we got tons! But more on that later.
I printed a few flyers and hung them up around town, put a free ad in the local online newspaper, and also put an ad in the printed newspaper, although it only ran one day instead of three (thanks to my own inability to read due dates. I was bummed, but you live and learn.)
I really didn’t know what to expect. I had a donor who was willing to match the money I raised up to $500, so I was hoping for $500 in sales and then to make a nice even $1,000 including the donation. That was my goal.
So Thursday afternoon my aunt, my dad, and I swept the garage, set up tables, and organized boxes upon boxes of stuff. I guess it was a blessing in disguise that no one has dropped off the bags upon bags of stuff that was meant to go to Goodwill…
Friday morning we arrived bright and early-7:20. By 7:45, someone was already waiting to come to the garage!! Woohoo!! That was extremely encouraging.
Lots of people came that day. Old people, young people, couples, singles… all sorts. We greeted everyone, offered them coffee, and told them that this was a fundraising garage sale in order to support me going on a mission trip to 11 countries in 11 months. Most people were really interested and kind. And generous!! After about two hours I realized how much I was using my skills from working retail at White House Black Market (greet the customer, treat them like a friend, and NEVER let them walk around with things in their hands. This is the Rose version, I wouldn’t want to give away the store’s secrets!). Anyway good salesmanship and a positive attitude does wonders anywhere, garage sales included! So by the end of the day when I counted my money it was more than I dared to hope for- $640 and some change.
That evening we received some more donations from some friends in the community, including a TON of baby/toddler clothes and toys. So we had to go back to the garage and sort the new merchandise, and although we were exhausted, we got through it and restocked the tables.
Second day was tiring but wonderful- still lots of people. Sometimes when we told people what they were doing, they went back home and brought things for me to sell! Complete strangers! It was such a blessing, and Sara made sure that the tables were well stocked at all times. It constantly looked like we just started the sale.
Also I must give credit where credit is due- I could not have done this sale without my dad. I constantly give him a hard time because he’s a packrat AND he works at an auction house, which is a lethal combination. He brought things to the sale out of the woodwork of our house/barn/garage, literally. I had no idea that we had two partial croquet sets, two old wooden ironing boards, FOUR miniature grill things, silverware sets, an assortment of old fishing poles, a bunch of saws, enough serving bowls to supply a church kitchen… you get the idea. However, people like that stuff. It sold. An old rusty wooden ice cream maker was gone before lunch on the first day. Who knew?
And besides making money, I met something really wonderful people and experienced some really wonderful interactions. Here are some of them-
On the second day a woman and her three year old daughter came in. The daughter was a shopper. Really. Within 10 minutes she had found herself Dora the Explorer slippers to wear (the little kid kind, you know the ones that have cartoon characters heads on the toes? These had Dora’s head on the toes. Like, the stuffed head that is not necessary to be there and sticks out two inches from your feet), a play baby carrier you wear on your back, a doll to go in the baby carrier, a purse, and a stuffed animal. She walked around the garage proudly with her treasures. It was adorable.
The second afternoon another woman and her daughter came in. This girl was very much into dance stuff- she found some ballet slippers (another pair of actual slippers, not dance shoes) a purse FULL of doll accessories, and a plastic ballet barre that I was worried wouldn’t sell (it kind of looked like a small goal, only it was pink and purple plastic. It was bulky and I was really hoping we wouldn’t have to haul it anywhere after the garage sale.) She loved it. She was really sweet and her mom was too, and after they started to walk away, the girl running ahead of her mother, I went to give them some chocolate chop cookies from the bake sale. Her mom held out the cookies on the yellow plate and said, “Honey look! Do you see what the nice lady gave you?� The girl looked back at her mom, looked at the cookies, and answered, “Cheese!!!� Why the girl thought I would be giving her cheese, I don’t know, but I loved to see her so happy with all that dance stuff.
One woman came and bought this old battered desk that my sister had once bought to refinish but never got to it. She told me as she was leaving, “I am so glad that you had this. My grandmother had one just like it. This makes me so happy. You have made my day!� Gotta love that. One man’s junk is truly another’s treasure.
One boy had a bag full of something and when I asked him what was in it he proudly replied, “CHOO-CHOOS!!!�
My sister got this crazy hot pink stuffed gorilla a few years back as a prize at school. This thing was huge. Seriously, like two feet tall with dangly gorilla arms. A woman came in and bought it, exclaiming, “I just love monkeys.� We knew someone would want that crazy gorilla.
One boy (elementary school) picked out two old hardcover books- “A History of European Colonization” and another one about US government (I think). Would you believe his dad is an 8th grade history teacher? 🙂
The last day a woman came in looking for small toys and balls. Turns out she was doing the Christmas shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse and her goal this year was to fill and send 220 boxes. How incredible is that? She was great to talk to and I hope to help her fill some of the those boxes later this year. But I never would have met her if she hadn’t stopped by.
I had a couple of really great conversations with people about poverty, traveling, international relations, and other things like that. That was really wonderful to me, because those sincere conversations can be few and far beween.
I also met a really nice youth group leader who lived across the street and came by to say hi every day. He was very nice to talk to and there’s no way I would have met him if the sale hadn’t happened.
Oo and I can’t forget the old man from a nursing home down the street that walked by and stopped every day- he had a bucket fashioned to his walker to put his things in. He was fun to talk to as well. He bought a small saw, amongst other things. I don’t know what he is going to do with it, but I think it made him happy!
There might be more stories, but the moral is that even though it was primarily a fundraising, God provided many amazing people and encounters for me that weekend. It was wonderful to bond with the community, my family, do some good for others, and get stuff out of the house!
Oh, and I raised about $1,600, before the $500 matching donation. It was more than I DARED to hope for, but God totally provided.
The garage!!!
My Aunt Sara getting ready to make a sign. But she wasn’t ready to take a picture 🙂
My mom said she liked this doll. I told her it was just because they had the same hair!
Who WOULDN’T want this gem????
