Crowd sold on Carson City’s first community garage sale

Buyers and sellers alike were sold on Carson City’s first community garage sale on Saturday.

“We didn’t have enough to stage our own yard sale so this has been perfect,” said Christy Chamberlain. “It’s been very successful.”

By noon, Chamberlain had sold a bicycle and DVD player, seen some interest in her large-screen TV, and was hoping to unload some of the 1,000 or so casino chips her husband collects.

She and her husband were among 30 sellers who filled up the Carson City Community Center parking lot, each paying $10 for two parking spaces on which to display their wares from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Another 27 sellers held sales at their homes and paid $5 to be located on a map available at the Carson City web site.

Like Chamberlain, most of the sellers at the Community Center had smaller items, from clothes to toys to knife sets, that were easily transported to the site.

“I’m selling crafty stuff. I like to upcycle and recycle,” said Cathy Powell, who came from Minden to participate. “It’s been well run. I’ll probably do it again next year.”

Deborah Hiney brought items left over from yard sales she had held this summer.

“I’ve sold lots of yarn,” said Hiney. “It was very easy to sign up. I was actually excited to see it in the newspaper.”

No seller was more excited than Maddox Sweet, 11, who was there with his grandmother and mother.

“My son sold the most. He made $98,” said Brenda Sweet.

Maddox cleaned out his room of no longer used games, including Pokemon and Minecraft, and plans to use the money to fill it up with his new passion.

“I love Legos,” said Maddox. “We’re going to LegoLand Oct. 4.”

No buyer was happier than one-and-a-half year-old Piper, who hugged a large, pink, plush pony purchased there.

“It’s as big as she is,” said Supervisor Lori Bagwell, who attended the community sale after championing the idea.

Piper was there with her great grandparents, Louise and Virgil Berry, who bought his own treasure, a Bob Ross paint set, named for the painter who taught on a PBS program for many years.

“I dabble at it,” said Berry when asked if he was a painter.

Another buyer was new to town and happy to find dozens of sellers in one place.

Daniel Andrews from Knoxville, Tenn., is in Carson City on temporary assignment with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“We always go to yard sales to buy what we need while we’re here,” said Andrews.

And for those items left unsold, a bus from the Senior Center was scheduled to stop by if sellers wanted to donate to its thrift store, which was also part of the event’s appeal.

“It’s been awesome, especially for the first year,” said Dan Earp, recreation superintendent, Parks, Recreation and Open Space, who organized and managed the sale. “We got a lot of sellers and had a pretty steady stream of buyers.”

Even Parks & Rec was represented.

Vern Krahn, senior park planner, and his wife Colleen, were there selling clothing, CDs, ski helmets and decorative pillows.

“We had all these miscellaneous boxes hanging around,” said Vern Krahn. “There’s so much going on, at the park, the pool. The parking lots are full.”

At the same time, a skateboard and scooter competition, sponsored by The WheelHouse, attracted about 100 kids, aged 8 and older to Mills Park.

Carson Animal Services Initiative, or CASI, held its annual Pooch Plunge fundraiser at the Aquatic Facility’s outdoor pool.

And the weather — sunny and 60 degrees — cooperated for all of it.

“Overall, it’s just a great day,” said Earp.