High participant total for Sanders Sale-ing

by Danielle Switalski
| June 23, 2010 1:06 PM

Following the annual spring-cleaning, residents of Sanders County fill their yards with unwanted or excess clothes, knick-knacks and treasures for the annual Sanders Sale-ing event.

The fourth annual Sanders Sale-ing event that is set for June 25 and 26 and 78 community members throughout Sanders County have signed on. This is the highest number of sales Sanders Sale-ing has seen since it started four years ago.

For two days, visitors and local residents will have the chance to shop until they drop at 78 yard, tag, garage, sidewalk sales and flea markets in Sanders County that are set up at various locations all along Highway 200, Highway 28 and Highway 56 at Bull River Junction. The event promotes both the numerous sales and the scenery along the less traveled highways throughout Sanders County.

Heron, Noxon, Trout Creek, Thompson Falls, Plains, Paradise, Dixon and Hot Springs are the eight Sanders County communities participating in this years Sale-ing event, which is meant to promote tourism throughout this part of Northwestern Montana while offering visitors and residents a chance to shop economically.

So far tourism seems to work cohesively with Sanders Sale-ing as Katrina Campbell, co-owner of the Falls Motel and member of the Sale-ing marketing committee, said in years past during Sanders Sale-ing, they have had guests from Idaho, Wash. and throughout Mont. come specifically for a weekend of shopping.

"It's the county wide yard sale to help the economy in these communities. People come in from out of town and stay and shop for two days and that is good because they will go out to eat, get gas, get lodging and their buying stuff at the sales in the different communities," said Campbell as to why the Sale-ing event is positive for the whole county.

Campbell said the reason the event has been so successful and keeps growing each year is because of its reputation. Sale hosts pay a fee to be a part of the Sale-ing event and every penny of that, said Campbell goes towards marketing the event.

Sanders Sale-ing was started in 2007 by a group of local residents, headed by Bruce and Diane Laube. The Laubes decided to create an event that would promote tourism while helping to develop cooperation among the different towns within the county. They suggested a countywide yard sale based on an event they used to attend outside of Chicago.

"It was so much fun meandering through the small towns, searching through various yard sales, meeting neighbors and friends, that we thought, ‘why not do something like this in Sanders County?'" said Diane Laube.

For residents who live off the beaten path, flea market areas are set up. In Thompson Falls the Falls Motel offers a field adjacent to the motel for a Friday Only Flea Market.

"There are six groups taking advantage of this in-town opportunity. It's the first year we've done this, but feel it will grow each year as the word got out," said Campbell. "Participants are selling household items as well as brand new merchandise like beaded purses and home decor."

A new goal for Sanders Sale-ing is to have each community make separate community maps.

The only town that has created their own sale-ing map so far is Thompson Falls, but Campbell said they are hoping the other towns will hop on board in the future.

The yard sales begins on Friday, June 25th and will run through late afternoon on Saturday, June 26th. Participating yard sale sites will be marked with official Sanders County Yard Sale-ng signs.

Attendees can download a list of all the sales and directions from the event's Web Site: www.SandersSaleing.com or pick up the information at any of the participating sale sites.

The Sanders County Yard Sale-ing event is part of the Thompson Falls Community Development organization and is sponsored by Whitefish Credit Union and the Falls Motel. For further information call Bruce and Diane directly at (406) 827-0404 or go to the website www.SandersSaleing.com.