Angels gigantic garage sale begins Friday

By JUSTIN DENNIS

jdennis@vindy.com

CANFIELD

“Everything and anything” is up for grabs at Angels for Animals’ 25th annual Gigantic Garage Sale, set for this weekend at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

The shelter has rented seven fair buildings now mostly crammed full of donated furniture, clothing, housewares and keepsakes for sale. It might be the largest garage sale in the state, said shelter director Diane Less – at least for this weekend.

“There is great stuff here, and they have it priced to sell,” she said.

Last year, the garage sale brought in about $144,000 – not including the building rentals and security costs, she said. Proceeds go toward the shelter’s about $2 million annual budget, which is always in need of a boost. Less estimated it costs about $5,000 to keep the doors open each day.

This event is coordinated by about 200 volunteers who worked since last weekend to bring in donations by the truckload and sort them for sale. Some of it was left over from the shelter’s holiday antiques sale, but the majority of it is new.

“If you’ve ever sold stuff – it’s a pain,” Less said. “This way, they don’t have to feel guilty. They’re not throwing their stuff away. It’s actually doing someone some good, and they get to just drop it off.

“The most amazing thing about this sale – everything comes in three days, everything leaves in three days. ... This building will be empty at the end. There will be nothing left.”

The garage sale kicks off with $10 early bird entry from 9 a.m. to noon Friday. Admission is otherwise $2 until Sunday, when entry is free and all items are half-off. From 2:15 to 4 p.m. Sunday, entry is $10, but goods are “all you can take.”

In the antiques building: a 1950s toy robot with the original box. In the furniture building: some manufactured and “very fragile” veneer pieces that are entirely unmarred. Many of those pieces have some hidden heritage, said volunteer Jerry Dixey.

“Because this Youngstown-area community is so many generations old ... we get treasures that come out of estates that have been in the family for years,” he said. “We get a wide mix of things. It’s not just plastic furniture. ... We get some old, classic stuff.”