I Brake For Garage Sales -- Especially This Upcoming JDRF Fundraiser

Baby car seats sold at a local garage sale might be considered a great find if you are expecting, or if you are a loving new grandparent in search of a spare. Likewise, you can hit the jackpot when you spy almost-new play pens, brand new toys and baby books lined up in someone’s driveway.

Around the corner, you may brake for an American Girl doll, complete with a wardrobe of clothes to put away for Christmas for your 8 year old. If you are lucky, perhaps you’ll see a pair of hot pink UGG boots that are still in the box, or a Northface jacket that may fit your 10 year old.

Finally across town, you may stumble upon good deals on sporting equipment — some in better shape than others, depending on the interest the seller’s kids had at the time. It’s a lucky day when you come home to your tweens with gently used ice skates for a song, a bicycle with barely a scratch, or hockey stick without duck tape.

If none of these catch your eye, you may be someone like me who browses for things we just don’t need. As anyone who shops at garage sales knows, half the thrill is in the hunt. A book that looks interesting… a weight loss contraption… or yet another platter, teapot, or picture frame that can be added to existing clutter that might end up at your own garage sale someday. 

This September 28, 29 and 30, bargain hunters may be lucky enough to find some of these things -- and more -- at the upcoming JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund) Community Garage Sale Fund Raiser, to be held at 360 Grant Avenue in Oradell. Hours of the sale will be 9 AM to 5 PM.    

The fundraiser is the brainstorm of Oradell resident, Kim Wapelhorst, whose high school son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes several years ago. Instead of soliciting her friends and neighbors for JDRF walkathon sponsorship, she thought of the garage sale as a different way to raise money for diabetes research.  “In light of the current economy, I thought people would be more interested in cleaning out their closets rather than making a monetary donation,” she explains.  So far, 16 families have contacted Kim about participating.     

Make sure you mark your calendars for this community event and look for posted signs as a reminder. And if you are a local resident interested in donating new or gently used items to help a good cause, contact kwhite@deltadentalnj.com. All proceeds of the sale will go to JDRF.