It was a bargain lover’s paradise over the weekend of June 9-10 as Ballston Spa hosted its annual Village-Wide Garage Sale.
Heat and humidity didn’t prevent hundreds of people from hitting the sidewalks to haggle over prices. Anyone with a basement, attic or garage that needed cleaning out in Ballston Spa and Malta seemed to have done so in advance of the two-day shoppers’ and sellers’ extravaganza.
I just moved here, so this is my first time, but I think it’s a great idea, said Faith Savage, who sat in the shade of a maple tree by her apartment in Village Green to sell her wares.
`I put prices a bit high so that people can make their best offer,` said Savage
With three tables laden with dishes, glasses and knick-knacks, Savage estimated she stood to make about $50 once she sold out and closed up shop.
`It’s mostly for the fun of it,` she said. `It’s also a good excuse to clean and sort through the things I never use.`
Drivers searched for shady spots to park along East High Street and walked from one sale to another on the broad lawns and porches of the Victorian homes in the village’s historic district.
As the sun beat down, much of the money being pocketed was by entrepreneurs selling icy bottles of water for a buck apiece. At least one home set out a dish of cool water for canines taking the stroll.
On Eastern Avenue, sisters Cheyenne and Elaina Gagne helped their mom, Lisa Gagne, organize enormous tables of clothes and toys.
`Baby clothes are the No. 1 thing people are buying,` said Lisa Gagne. `I did a sale up in Sacandaga last weekend and made $600. These are just the leftovers. The trick is to lure people in with larger items, and then they start sorting through the clothes.`
You name it, it was likely for sale at one of the dozens of garage sale sites. There were Dora the Explorer kid’s chairs, wooden sleds, bird cages, fishing rods, tiki lights, gold-painted frames, tea towels, bug zappers, Christmas ornaments, televisions marked `still works,` bicycle helmets, skateboards, candles, shutters, aluminum siding, Smurf coffee mugs, stuffed animals, canoes, cheese plates, roller blades, lawn mowers, stoves and refrigerators.
The clear winner in the most frequently spotted items for sale: exercise equipment, especially weight benches and stationary bikes. Also being pawed through were the enticing boxes of discards curbside, marked `free.`
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