It was a great day for Sale-ing

Matt Unrau

Valley Press

All over Sanders County last weekend thousands of worn books, various knick-knacks and outgrown clothes changed ownerships as approximately 60 yard sales sprang up from the ground from Noxon to Paradise in the county’s annual “Yard Sale-ing” event.

It was the third year that eager county vendors have laid out their unwanted items across front lawns in hopes of cleaning out their basements and swinging some profit at the same time.

Three years ago only forty vendors participated, but its popularity and number of vendors grew by ten ever since.

Bruce and Diane Laube are the instigators of the selling sensation.

The couple is originally from Illinois and Bruce explains that it was on a vacation trip that the two saw a similar event and wanted to bring it back to Sanders County.

For a $15 fee participants can gain an upper hand in the Laube’s marketing campaign, something they would not be able to afford if they went solo says participant and marketing volunteer for the event, Katrina Wright of Thompson Falls. “It helps with the additional marketing to drive people to our doors,” says Wright.

Wright who is the owner of the Falls Motel recently renovated their rooms from the original 70s vintage furniture and held their sale to unload this furniture.

With the heavy marketing campaign Wright was able to sell 80% of their merchandise and had guests from Idaho who journeyed to Sanders County solely to peruse the different sales.

She says people just enjoy a variety of yard sales, which mirrors the popularity of flea markets.

As the marketing volunteer she also reports that everyone she spoke with was very happy with the turnout and traffic for the event.

Bruce has three main reasons why he thinks the yard sale-ing is a hit and beneficial to the county.

The first reason is solely economic as any extra cash flow is a welcome sight in the recent hard times. Last year Bruce estimates that $20,000 changed hands. This is really good considering a typical paperback Tom Clancy novels may fetch a hefty 25 cents at an average yard sale.

Yard sales benefit both the sellers and the buyers economically as the seller can gain a little cash and the seller can find a great deal on any item.

Bruce also reports that the event attracts many out of area buyers from Missoula, Kalispell and Sandpoint, Idaho. Some of these deal seekers will spend the night also benefiting local restaurants and hotels.

The second benefit of the yard sale is that it builds a sense of community. “It’s an excuse to meet and visit your neighbors,” says Bruce.

One yard sale in particular was able to build a strong sense of community as it rallied around the cause of raising money for cancer research.

For the second time in three years volunteers held a yard sale in front of 1st Lutheran Church in Plains to raise money for relay for life.

Volunteers were very passionate about the cause. Donna Hedley is a cancer survivor and said it was a worthwhile project just because a lot of the volunteers were cancer survivors.

Kathy Miller is passionate because she knows if you count yourself, family members and friends nearly everyone is affected by cancer. “We can get so passionate about it, because it can touch so many people,” says Miller.

Miller was pleased to report that the yard sale had done very well as the group were able to sell 2/3 of their inventory on Friday, the busier of the two days.

Relay for life is the largest fundraiser for cancer research and has 8,000 relays going worldwide.

The last important benefit comes in the form of residents being able to put Sanders County on display. “It allows people to see the area and leave behind a little green,” says Bruce.

Many people from out of the area will find themselves meeting county residents and hearing about the tourism opportunities here and this drives them to come back in the future for vacations.

For more information please visit the yard sale-ing website sanderssaleing.com.