ALL ISLAND GARAGE SALE

May first is coming quickly. The first Saturday in May And the event I envisioned when I first moved to Balboa Island 20 years ago. The Balboa Island - All Island Garage Sale. For many years I was in the housecleaning business and my clients were always giving me furniture and household items when they remodeled. I got to "redecorate" my own house with new furnishings at least once a year. Then I would sell the old items at a garage sale.

When I moved to Balboa Island I saw this was the perfect place to have a garage sale. I started small - with two streets - the "Opal-Topaz" garage sale. When others saw how successful that version was they asked me to help expand the idea. I told Mike "I am going to have an all-island garage sale". Mike said, "No one will ever come."

Was he wrong. It is a fun, fun, fun event - for Island Residents and outsiders. People start calling in September to ask me when it is even though the date is published all year long on www.balboa-island.com and on the program I distribute at the current garage sale.

The program has been an issue in itself. In order to keep the sale fun and fair I don't allow them to be distributed until after 7:30 am on Saturday morning. I used to have them printed at Staples. Strangely enough copies were leaking out before 7:30 am and people were showing up to buy the night before. Now I print them in house and no one ruins the fun. Everyone has an equal chance to find the wonderful bargains - no Friday night knocks on the doors :)

More about the garage sale in my next blog. Since I have been doing this for 20 years - crazy me - who does an event for 20 years - I have lots to write about.