Garage Sale Trail

AS FAR AS shopping sprees go, there’s nothing quite like rummaging through pre-loved goodies at a garage sale. Part of the joy is never knowing what you’ll find (and not realising how badly you wanted that pair of neon pink parachute pants until you rescue them from a cardboard box).

These days, a good garage sale is as rare as an original 1960s troll doll – which is where the Garage Sale Trail comes in. What started on the front lawns of Bondi in 2010 is now a nationwide campaign that sees more than 10,000 garage sales run across the country for one massive weekend. Its organisers are on a mission to reduce waste and encourage reusing among local communities; this year, their goal is to find new homes for two million items.

So here’s how it works: to run your own garage sale, visit the website and register your event. If you live within one of the participating local councils (most of Melbourne’s councils are involved), then it’s free to register. Garage Sale Trail will then send you promo materials to help put the word out, plus they’ll list your sale on their website. Keen shoppers can then use the website as a guide to all the sales in their area.

For heaps of ideas on how to host the ultimate garage sale, visit the website. Our tip: bake! Luring shoppers in with sugar always works a treat. Rose Johnstone