Sunday, August 29, 2010

Our Mission Statement


After months of questioning coupled with a great deal of contemplation and discussion, the Secondhand Rosies would like to submit their unique mission statement to the world. We are hoping that this will dispel any rumors regarding our intentions and will allow us to just "be" the crazy pure hearted women that we truly are. Enjoy!


"What the Rosie's are NOT"

* A store or business
* "Flippers" who ransack sales to resell for profit
* Personal shoppers for the public
* Part of any "get rich quick" scheme
* Antique dealers

Call us crazy! But we are only in this for fun and to share and celebrate
our passion with others. We welcome you on board for the ride, and we
hope that our "Mission Statement" below gives you the road map for our
journey.
Our goal is to assist and promote non-profit organizations in their
attempts to fundraise through the resale of items, such as running thrift stores,
hosting annual organizational sales, or just organizing a first time garage sale.
We strive to provide ongoing commentary on the local
garage sale/thrift store/resale scene and promote discussion regarding this subculture. We attempt to use personal insight and life experience to detail the social aspects, motivations, and habits of the modern day hunter gatherers among us.

Happy Hunting!

Rosie W. &Rosie P.



Friday, August 20, 2010

The BIG SALE: Survival Guide and History

The Big Sale

Rosie W.’s Guide to the Legends Sale

*Get in line before 8am if you need excitement
*Wear comfortable closed toe shoes
*It’s good to bring your own sturdy bag or rolling cart
*Don’t carry a purse. Use a fanny pack or a wallet in a pocket.
*Prepare for heat and humidity inside

Now, where to begin?
OUTSIDE:
The outside area is usually jam packed with plastic containers, plastic racks, and other storage items as well as dishware and leftover dorm food (phewy, no ramen noodles for the Rosies).
The outside area that faces Red Onion is usually where the furniture and rugs are displayed.
INSIDE:
Front right: costumes, makeup, wrapping paper, jewelry, odds and ends.
Front left: posters
Mid left: big draw here with electronics, fans, and assorted “musts” for dorm rooms, so you will be in competition with new students and their parents.
Middle/middle: Clothing. Lots of clothing, prepare to dig and bump elbows. Some of the clothing may be in piles on the floor.
Middle right: usually shoes, but last year it changed a bit. This is a stage area, so you have to climb onto this platform, and it can be chaotic.
Back: Tons of bedding and linens. Again, prepare to dig.

Bathrooms are in the very back of this space.

Prices are usually cut in the late morning.

Remember that proceeds go to various local charities, so don’t fret if you over stuff. There’s always someone who could use one of your treasures.
************************************************************************
On the eve of the BIG SALE at ASU, I, Rosie W., wanted to look into the history of the sale as well as the community involvement component. Over 350 volunteer hours were accumulated in order to put on this year’s sale.
This information was gathered using the following three web sites with much of it taken directly:
http://act.appstate.edu/pagesmith/189
http://act.appstate.edu/bigsale
http://act.appstate.edu/pagesmith/192
“This event is open to the whole community and benefits the energy efficiency initiatives of 4 local organizations and a scholarship for ASU students. This year's energy efficient mini-grants recipients are: Western Youth Network, Mountain Alliance, Holston Presbytery Camp and Retreat Center, and Appalachian Child Development Center.”
BIG Sale Fun Facts:
Over 65 TONS of material was diverted from landfills last year
· $13,500 was raised to benefit the energy conservation initiatives of four local community partners*
· Over the past 10 years, thousands of students, staff, faculty, and community members got amazing deals on carpet, furniture, electronics, and so much more!
http://act.appstate.edu/bigsale
This event has a long history spanning over the last decade. “The BIG Sale was started in 2000 by a student, Natalie Knight, who realized the large amounts of "trash" that students were throwing away at the end of the school year. She started by collecting items herself and donating them to OASIS, a domestic abuse shelter. The volume of stuff became too much for her or OASIS to handle so she hooked up with a group called Dump and Run, a national organization that helps organize events like The BIG Sale on college campuses.
The following year, in 2001, was the inaugural BIG Sale in the form that it is today. The first sale took place on Duck Pond Field and raised $3342.27 for Watauga Department of Social Services Foster Care program.”
The event has continued to grow over the years with an expansion not only in the funds that were raised, but also in the scope of the local non-profits that benefit from it. The following details were taken directly from the web page http://act.appstate.edu/pagesmith/192.
2002: $3100 for Watauga 4-H
2003: $3700 for Stop the Litter! Initiative
2004: $5300 for Mountain Alliance and for New River Earth Institute
2005: $6300 for Legal Aid of North Carolina (Boone) and High Country Amigos
2006: $7100 for Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and Hospice
2007: $10,400 for Ashe County Partnership for Children, Hunger and Health Coalition, The Children's Playhouse, and The Hospitality House
**2007 marks the first year of the "Go Green to Save Green" mini-grant program for improving energy efficiency in the facilities of our community partner organizations.**
2008: $11000 for Mountain Pathways Montessori School, Mountain Alliance, WeCAN, and Legal Aid of North Carolina (Boone)
**Beginning in 2008, in addition to the energy efficiency mini-grants, proceeds from the BIG Sale also contribute to an on-campus fund established to promote international service-learning.**
2009: proceeds will benefit the Health and Hunger Coalition, The Children's Playhouse, Mountain Alliance, and Sugar Grove Developmental Dayschool
http://act.appstate.edu/pagesmith/192
ASU runs a program called Don’t Throw It Away and this is the collection point beginning for the Big Sale.
How does it work?
Students are asked to donate items in good condition that they would normally throw away at the end of the year or that they don't need anymore. Mostly anything is accepted! From shower caddies, lamps, and futons to clean carpets and non-perishable food items.
These items are dropped off in designated boxes located on the first floor of each residence hall.
Items are picked up nightly during the final exam period by wonderful volunteers. Volunteers are comprised of students, staff, and community members.
Items are transported to Legend's where they are stored for the summer to be sold at the beginning of the fall semester at The BIG Sale.
http://act.appstate.edu/pagesmith/189

In conclusion, this sale is one of the highlights of the High Country garage sale season. Its benefits permeate the local community and environment on multiple levels. It is truly an EVENT worth attending. Hope to see you there. Happy hunting!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Why the Church Rummage Sale?



Why the Church Rummage Sale?


I, Rosie P., was recently asked this question by one of our devout Rosebuds and it got me thinking….. typically, when I am making my weekly route, I place the church rummage sale at the top or very close to the top of my list. Is this a rational decision or an emotional one? In my mind, the church rummage has a wide variety of individuals donating to it; therefore, a better chance of striking it lucky. More to sell and all in one place. Seems like a no brainer to me. Also, I appreciate that churches have sales to fund mission trips, new roofs, or as fundraisers for local charities. This all suits my sense of a “good cause.” Sometimes, this assumption does not pan out and church sales can be a big bummer, but I still go. This is the emotional part of the church rummage. Coming from the Midwest, where Catholics and Lutherans abound, the church rummage sale was a part of my religious, cultural experience. It was a very popular way for churches to make money. I grew up on the Illinois side of St. Louis, Mo. in what would now be called a suburb. Thirty years ago, it was just a cozy German Catholic town settled on the bend of the Mississippi River. With a population of 35,000 and over a dozen Catholic Churches, the rummage sale was something that my grandma had marked on her calendar year after year. This was my thrifting boot camp, where I learned not only about the sense of a faith community, but also about the true meaning of the bag sale, how to dig through piles of clothes, roll them up tightly, shove them in a plastic bag, and fill up the trunk of the Chevy Nova with all of our finds. I remember those days with a huge smile on my heart. Of course, I do not hold all church rummage sales in such high esteem as those from my early years.
At times, I would assert that some churches suffer from the annual “Church Rummage Sale Fatigue” (CRSF). I propose that many factors play into fatigue. A bad economy plays a definite role. The same members putting it on year after year, the same households giving to the event, people run out of things to donate and this creates a less satisfying shopping experience for the yard saler as well as less income for the church. This can then create a downward spiral. Anyone who has orchestrated one of these sales knows the importance of good advertising, good pricing, organized display, quality items, and a wide selection. Once the donations begin to slip, it is hard to get back on the right track. Yard salers know that CRSF has set in. Solutions might include an every other year sale with rotating committee members and an ongoing storage space for donations that might fall on the off years.
In closing, church rummage sales will always be close to my heart as they were the avenue that let me cut my teeth as a young hunter gatherer. Even when I think that the church is too small or they are showing telltale signs of CRSF, I will be there with money in my pocket and a hopeful spirit. Happy Hunting folks! I will see you at the next rummage sale.

Rosie W.'s Church Sale Overview

Church sales during the 2010 Season have been less exciting than usual, and I am putting all my eggs in the St. Luke’s basket for Saturday. This church always hosts a sale with little treasures and great variety, although in recent years their decision to eliminate clothing has been a disappointment.
I share with Rosie P. the sentiment about giving a church sale priority over a private sale since it is guaranteed abundance with donations coming from church members. The down side is that I err on the side of purchasing more simply to support a good cause. There’s always someone who benefits from these impulsive moments, right?
So, St. Luke’s , get ready, we’re headed for the dishes, linens, jewelry, and art first, then round it out by viewing this year’s selection of plants and books with a quick sweep around the silent auction and a few munchies from the food booth.
And this sale will be held rain or shine they say……

Sunday, August 1, 2010

the Adventures of the Saturday Morning Hunter Gatherers 07/31/10


July 31 dawned with the promise of being a banner yard sale day. Sales galore, and covering them all looked to be the challenge. This soon changed when an early and unexpected cool rain hit the area and lingered for most of the morning.
The Rosies hooked up at 7:45 am at Greenway Baptist after Rosie P. had already scanned Wintergreen and the “Back to School” sale on 105. Sadly, the usual treasures were not to be found at Greenway Baptist Church this year. Both of us left empty handed.
We stopped by Bent and Straight Street only to find empty tents and no signs of life or commerce. But we put it on our list for a “drive by” later.
By the time we reached Dr. Forbes parking lot it was pouring rain, but the sale was in full swing under the front porch. Rosie P. found an assortment of older Fisher Price toys priced at $1 each, and Rosie W. found a brand new Coldwater Creek jacket (price tags still attached) for $1. Kudos, and a dozen roses to these folks for having a sale that offered variety and fair pricing.
Next stop was up Howard’s Creek to a tony new development and a sale down a long driveway. There we found a moose head, “no thanks”, and a few other oddities. But Rosie W. bought some well worn wind chimes for her cabin. Rosie P. would have purchased the old wool blankets for rug making, but they were priced too high.
On to Todd Community park…we figured that the sale would happen under the picnic shelter despite the rain….WRONG…it was cancelled.
We need to throw a few bathroom breaks into this tale by now…..but we eventually made our way back to town and back to Bent and Straight Streets.
Eeeek,no sign of life YET, but the rain had stopped, and their signs were still up. Soooo….Rosie W. decided to be brazen and get these folks going! (30 years of Social Work makes one either brave or stupid about knocking on stranger’s doors). With Rosie P. waiting in the car with the dogs, Rosie W. went looking for the sellers.
“Hello…hello….are you having a sale….” “Uhhhhh, yeah, uhhhh, we’re just waiting…..”
Well, that’s all it took, and these lovely young sellers (students) finally got it together and began hauling out all sorts of treasures.
By far, this was our best sale of the day, and we’re sorry that other Rosebuds may have missed this one due to the late start time.
We were there close to an hour and we amassed quite a pile of assorted goods: Jewelry, vinyl records (25 cents each), clothing, and books (hardbound copy of Middlesex). And we surely made some new friends and Rosebuds! The sellers were delighted to be rousted into action by the Rosies; so much so that they GAVE us a hand stenciled shirt that bears the advertisement for their yard sale. We promise to have this artifact on display at our event on August 11.
A good day, and a trunk full of happiness.