Jewelry and books are big sellers at the annual Century House thrift sale – but shoppers never know what treasures they’ll find.
Vance McFadyen, president of the Century House Association, estimates that thousands of items sold at the March 28 sale, raise a “substantial” sum for Century House.
“I bought a Limoges saucer plate for 50 cents,” he told the Record. “There are definitely good deals to be had.”
Members, also known as friends of Century House, donate all of the items.
“We encourage them, if they’ve had something in a box for 40 years and haven’t looked at it, they would be better off making a bit of money for the association,” he said. “Some of the stuff is quite interesting.”
The sale is so popular among thrifters and treasure hunters that it’s not unusual for people to start lining up two hours before the doors open. The lineup often stretches from the front door of Century House to Eighth Street and past the New Westminster Lawn Bowling Club.
“Especially over the last 10 years, it has grown each and every year – the amount we get to sell, plus the amount we raise,” McFadyen said of the sale that’s in its 30th year. “We generally get between 600 and 800 people. I think this year we were somewhere around 700.”
Funds raised at the thrift sale go toward equipment, special projects and items for community dinners held at Century House.
“It’s one of our major fundraisers,” McFadyen said. “We have two actually – the thrift sale in the spring and the craft sale in the fall. Both of those are our major fundraisers.”
Shoppers will find a bounty of goods at the sale, including housewares, jewelry, plants, books, clothing and textiles.
“One of the biggest sellers is jewelry and the white elephant items,” McFadyen said. “We had someone donate seven Royal Doultons this year. We sold those for $30 each, which is a pretty exceptional price.”
Good deals abound for run-of-the mill items and collectibles alike.
“We had one item – it was a ladies laptop desk. We jokingly called it a ladies laptop computer antique, but it was just a little box that you could sit on your knee and lit up. It had little compartments in it and a spot where you could sit and write,” McFadyen said. “It was from 1895. It was marked and dated.”
Checking online, volunteers determined the item would sell for $300 to $350.
“We listed it at $75,” McFadyen said. “It was one of the first things that went.”
In the week leading up to the Saturday sale, people drop off donations at the seniors’ centre located in Moody Park. Volunteers go through every item, testing electrical items and making sure there’s no junk.
“We don’t put junk out,” McFadyen said. “People are very excited when they find a good buy.”
Following the sale, Century House received an email from a woman who regularly attends thrift sales.
“She said she really enjoys coming to Century House’s thrift sale. She said it is the cleanest, most organized, friendliest and has the best customer service thrift sale that she has ever gone to and ever goes to,” McFadyen said. “That was really nice to hear.”
About 40 volunteers help with the thrift sale, accepting and sorting through donations, pricing items and helping out on sale day. Many people volunteer a few hours of their time, but others put in 20 to 30 hours to make the sale a success.
“Everybody works so well together,” McFadyen said. “It is so coordinated. Everybody has fun and enjoys doing it. It makes for a very pleasant week.”
