This is a very special year for the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme because the Ladies Benevolent Society is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the perennially popular White Elephant Sale (WES). The sale will be held on Friday, July 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday, July 9, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The first rummage sale was held in one room of the church in 1920 and raised $200, which was a surprisingly large amount of money at the time. In 1936, the name White Elephant Sale was given to the annual event and has been used ever since thus creating this 80th anniversary. During the 1950s, the sale briefly expanded to include a country fair, horse show, and square dance, but, in recent decades, the sale adopted its current format and has become the two-day tradition we know today.
For those new to the town or folk who have never participated, this is one of the main events on both the town and church calendars. It all starts with the intake period when unwanted items from your house or yard – perhaps your basement, attic or closets — can be dropped off at the church. For a full list of items that can be accepted and also, those that cannot, visit the church’s website at www.fccol.org and click on White Elephant Sale and then Intake List.
Intake begins this year on Thursday, June 23, and runs daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Friday, July 1. There will also be three evening intake sessions from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, Tuesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 30.
Garage, tag and rummage sales may be every day affairs, but few – if any — can match the size and color of this one. The sale items are organized into some 24 departments with everything from sporting goods to boutique items, books to furniture, art to electronics, dishes to shoes, clothes and toys to antiques and tools – all spread out in separate departments in tents and inside the church.
The WES has grown so large that it has become a true “community event” since many of the donations are from non-church members and a significant number of the volunteers are also from outside the church. Large crowds line up to wait for the church’s bell to strike at 9 a.m. on the Friday when the sale begins. The second day starts earlier at 8 a.m. but still draws a substantial crowd since most departments offer their remaining items at half-price on the Saturday.
The sale raises an extraordinary amount of money — almost $80,000 in 2015 — for missions and good works both locally and throughout the world. Some of the beneficiaries include food pantries, health organizations, family support centers, children’s programs, literacy volunteers, affordable housing, and disaster relief worldwide.
For more information about the sale, to arrange pick-up of large items or if you would like to volunteer to help in any capacity — whether with intake, the sale itself, or clean-up — call the church office at 860.434.8686.
See you at The Sale!
For more information about the church or Ladies’ Benevolent Society, contact 860.434.8686 or [email protected] or visit orwww.fccol.org
Editor’s Note: Following is a summary of items that are / are not accepted by the White Elephant Sale.
Items that WILL NOT be accepted:
- Dirty or Broken Items or Junk
- Appliances (Large):
- Air Conditioners
- Refrigerators & Stoves
- Freezers
- Washers & Dryers
- Bike helmets [used]
- Books
Technical or Textbooks,
Encyclopedias - Car Seats
- Chemicals
- Computer monitors [unless flat screen]
- Luggage [hard sided]
- Fuel cans with Gasoline or Kerosene
- Guns, Knives, Weapons
- Magazines, Newspapers
- Mattresses, and Box Springs
- Paint
- Particle board furniture
- Rugs
- Sewing Machines
- Skis – old style downhill
- Stuffed sofas / sofa beds
- Tires
- Treadmills [more than 5-years-old]
- TVs [unless flat screen]
Items that will GLADLY be accepted [Quality Please]
- Antiques, Fine China, Silver
- Appliances, Small (Working)
- Art, Sculpture, Posters, Frames
- Automobiles, Trucks [call church]
- Baskets
- Bedding, Linens
- Boats, Canoes, Kayaks
- Bicycles, Tricycles
- Books: Child’s’, Non-Fiction, Fiction
- Clothes:
Child’s, Men’s, Women’s
Fine, Fashion
Vintage, Costume & Accessories
- Collections
- Computer Hardware (working)
- Christmas Decorations
- Curtains, Drapes
- Electronics (Working)
- Furniture, Indoor & Outdoor [call church]
- Gifts, Sundries, Knickknacks
- Jewelry: Costume & Fine
- Kitchen Items (Appliances, Dishes, Cookware)
- Lamps (Working)
- Luggage [soft side or Steamer trunks only]
- Musical Instruments
- Plants, Containers
- Shoes
- Skis – downhill must be “shape” style
- Sporting Goods [good condition]
- Tools (House & Garden)
- Toys, Stuffed Animals
- VHS, DVDs (Family Content)