One Man's Trash...

"I don't take good pictures," confesses Mary Kilgour to the photographer. Each picture is blurry, because she is in constant motion.

Kilgour, a member of Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church in Regent Square, is moving dishes and other kitchen items from boxes on the floor to the tables above.  Just an hour ago, the tables had been full of items donated for the church's bi-annual rummage sale, but now that the first wave of shoppers has come through and claimed their treasures, there are plenty of spaces to be filled.

The rummage sale, held yesterday, coincides every spring with the Regent Square Civic Association's community yard sale.  This is the 17th time Kilgour has organized the rummage sale, and it has built momentum over the years.

"I let in 145 people who were waiting outside," says Tom Kilgour, Mary's husband.  "Even on years when it's raining, we still have a line down the block waiting to get in. One time, I talked to a guy who came all the way from Altoona."

Shoppers shared some of their favorite finds.  "These things are $200 at the store," one woman said, referring to a Leap Frog children's learning system selling for $4.  Another gentleman was eyeing up the $100 pool table in the area of the sale where large items are kept.  As a young man perusing the antique glassware stated, "I like the stuff here because the people in this neighborhood tend to have good taste."

For those with a sweet tooth, there are also baked goods prepared and sold by members of the United Methodist Women group.  "We had two trays of buckeyes, but they were gone within the first hour," said church member Veronica Greenberg.

Proceeds from the sale go toward church improvements, which in the past have included multimedia technology as well as new tables and chairs.

After the dust has settled, Mary Kilgour will begin all over again, collecting for the next sale in the fall and recruiting volunteers.  For her, organizing these sales is a labor of love.  And while the donated items may change each time, one thing is certain: the church's doors will continue to open to people in the community who come seeking treasures.