As God is my witness, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You can't beat good old church rummage sales.
Did you just see that lightning strike?
But seriously, every single time I see a sale on Craigslist and it's at a church I am there.
Why? Well, I'll tell you.
Pam's Top 3 Reasons To Shop Church Rummage Sales
- OLD ladies price the stuff
Church rummage sales are normally run by the little old ladies of the church who also price the items. And they have NO IDEA what stuff is worth.
McCoy vase for 25 cents. Box of pristine vintage Vera napkins $1. Box of stained and mismatched Tupperware for $49.99.
It makes no sense, but who am I to judge if they aren't researching values on Ebay.
- OLD people donate the stuff
The older people in the congregation look at this as a way to help out the church and get rid of their old stuff all in one fail swoop. They'll donate stuff they have had for years. YEARS!!!
Pyrex. Typewriters. China. Old cameras.
You name it, they just want to get rid of it and you want to own it.
- OLD fashioned charity
You thought this was all going to be about me, me, me, right? Wrong!
A lot of the time the money raised goes to funding mission trips or something for the youth group, so you can feel good about giving them your money.
Better than the neighborhood yard sale where the homeowner is saving up their yard sale profits to buy a new beer cooler.
Normally when I go to a super-duper, ridiculously priced, Grandma Jenkins must have been drunk when she priced this shit type of sale, I'll throw a little extra in as a donation to the church when I check out.
I don't want to be a jerk and just skip out of there and then when I get up to Heaven God will be sitting there with a big old notebook of all the times I screwed the churches over.
Nope, not going to chance it.
Oh, almost forgot. All the stuff in the first photo (vintage leather Samsonite suitcase, metal two-drawer filing drawer, round wooden cheese box and the mini-wine barrel planter) was $7.
Yet another vintage picnic basket that I really don't need, but can't stop buying was $2 and the pink Pyrex was a buck.
The badminton racket, galvanized tub and not-so-vintage Cracker Jack tin set me back $4.
All found at church rummage sales.
I rest my vintage loving Samsonite case!
Have you been to any good church rummage sales recently?
Other thrifting articles you may like:
How To Clean And Restore Thrift Store Finds
Angela K.
I LOVE rummage sales! Church or school, it doesn't matter! Years ago, I worked just down the street from a huge church, that was also a private high school. The PTO of the school, and the church elders had joined forces to hold a very massive week long rummage sale. So, naturally, everyday on my way home, I would scope out the wares as I drove past. On the last day of the sale, I finally stopped- pretty much expecting that all of the good stuff would have been long gone. Boy was I ever wrong! Tucked under a folding table was a brand-spanking-new, all leather, black and white Titleist golf bag. The kind that, on sale cost about $260. I knew that my husband would LOVE that bag, and his birthday was less than a week away. So, I grabbed the bag- thinking that it has been passed over all week because they wanted some outlandishly high price for it, and I would probably just end up dragging it back to it's place under the table. I wandered around the sale a bit more, bag in toe, and found a few flow blue plates to add to my collection, and a stray twin headboard (that I had decided I would make a bench out of). At this point, I couldn't carry anymore, and they were getting ready to end the sale- parents, and church parishioners, were running around starting to box stuff up for donation. So, I walked over to the lady with the cash box, fully ready to have a mild stroke when I heard my total- because after all, I knew that the bag was worth a pretty penny, and the flow blue plates that I had found were worth at least $50 a piece on eBay. She finally replied (after assessing my purchases) "That will be $10." WHAT!?! $10!!! Sensing my confusion, she smiled and said "$5 for the bag, the headboard is $1, and plates are a buck a piece." I gave her a $20, and told her to keep the change to help their cause, and loaded my car with a huge smile on my face. My husband loves the bag- even had a guy at the driving range offer him $200 bucks for it once. He still has it. I never told him how much I paid for it! LOL. And, from that day on, I have never passed up another church (or school) rummage sale.
Carrie Scovil
Church rummage sales are the best.The local schools do them also. Where I live the local churches hold them twice a year in the fall and then again in the spring. I didn't know about these until a friend brought me once what a score. I shop for anything and everything. I will buy for my sister she has six kids, friends, and other family members. Just went yesterday 3 boys shirts, 3 pairs of soccer socks,2 women tops, a pair of soccer shorts, five kids books, a kids laptop, life jacket, fleece vest, Melissa & Doug floor puzzle, Vtec baby ball toy, Fisher Price Giraffe, Baby Einstein Book that makes noises, Baby Einstein grip toy light up and makes noises, Leap frog Dinosaur that does the Alphabet, 2 wiffle balls, Zipper pouch full of alphabet stamp, animals, and shapes, A Fisher Price Pull Train, Leap Frog caterpillar that does numbers, colors and alphabet and a cribbage board all for $4. I have a Daycare so these were great finds. My husband asked why the cribbage board I said i can sell it on Ebay and and then everything would be free yeah. My daughters class now does one as a fund raiser and just about everything is 50 cents , 2hrs before the end its $1 a bag then the last hour everything that is left is free and they made $800 last year not bad for 1 day and about 6hrs.
Pam
I'll have to pay more attention to the school ones then!!!
Rachel
I went to a church rummage sale today and lunch and discovered your blog this afternoon! I laughed out loud when you talked about donating more than the items are priced because God is keeping track...that's exactly what I did! Several of your posts made me laugh out loud..I will definitely be coming back to read more of your blog!
Pam
Thank you, Rachel! Glad to see you here 🙂
Sue Pagels
You always have the best funniest shortest posts!! And the photos are always glorious! My find was a Van Briggle matte butterfly vase for a whole twenty five cents. Practically ran with it up to the money lady!! Yes, I always add extra too when I shop at a church resale or a rummage sale.
Pam
Wow!!! Great find! I'm always nervous checking out when I find one of those type of deals, because I keep thinking they're going to tell me they put the wrong price on it, it's really $49.99 🙂
Diana Martinez
I say this stuff all the time and people never believe me but I LOVVEEE these sales. I am always going when I see them. SOOO glad to see someone else get in on it. Thanks for posting!
Ann
What can I say that you haven't already about church sales? They rule! Last summer I picked up 16, yes sixteen, mint condition Gurley candles. Still wrapped in cellophane. Jack o lanterns, witches, choir boys, baby deer…..25 cents each. $4.00 measly dollars….I about fell over. Was trying to casually GRAB all those suckers before anyone else saw them. Love your site and your style. I've visited many times, this is my first post. I'll be back!
Kim K.
You are such a great writer, Pam. You totally crack me up!! I honestly have never been to a church rummage sale. Estate sale...absolutely. Maybe I need to send Chris out to a few of those this summer while he's home playing.
kim @ Hunt & Host
I couldn't agree more! Great finds...I have a few of the same ones. lol!
Jemma
What great finds! I haven't been to one for so long-guess I need to get going!
Pretty pictures too:)
Jemma
Debrashoppeno5
You are so right about the church sales. I find the same goes for the sales at over 55 condos.
Gay Correll
Yes, church rummage sales ARE the best! I have found everything from original watercolors of Paris for 2 dollars, (with commentary by the little lady who donated it written on the back), a box with some cruddy but mostly wonderful Christmas ornaments for a quarter, old kids' books, cool old glassware/crocks, etc., etc. and at cheap prices. But, I always just give a donation more than the total because it is going for a good cause, and I DO believe that the Good Lord is keeping track. (Just as I will someday be accountable for the toilet tank lid that I broke at our church when I was a stoopid kid many, many years ago. My mom said the noise was so loud that many of the oldsters who were napping during the sermon were jolted out of their slumber...)
Pam
LOL, I'm picturing you explaining the toilet tank lid to God now! I think that one is forgivable 🙂
Melissa's Antiques
Church rummage sales ARE the best. I have a few on my list that I hit every year. Your wording with "Grandma must have been drunk when she priced this shit..." is so spot on! I laughed out loud. 🙂
Stacey
You crack me up Pam! I didn't realize that Craig's List is the way to find them. I'm on it now. Thanks!
Florence
What have I been missing out on all these years in passing them up??? Another picker friend told me they were pretty good & he always goes. Now I cant wait until the next one rolls around!