By Gary Garthwait
For those who have participated in the Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage Sale since its inception four years ago and for those who are hearing about it for the first time, much fun lies ahead as the two-day event is being planned for the fifth year. The sale is scheduled for Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at multiple locations between Lolo and Darby. The event has the potential to make sellers of antiques, vintage and traditional garage sale goods happy, because their sought-after items are just right for shoppers looking for unique items and for garage sale bargains. Positive comments from buyers and sellers in previous years should encourage both to participate again this year. Buyers have reported great success in finding desired items and surprise purchases, and sellers have appreciated the opportunity to sell personal and business items as part of this valley-wide event.
In its fifth year, the sale is organized by an all-volunteer committee of local business leaders. It is building on the successes of previous years and promises to offer something of interest for both seasoned veterans of the event and for those who will be participating for the first time. Veteran sellers know that they can either join a Hot Spot at one of the designated Bitterroot Valley participating businesses or set up their own individual sales at their home or business. The expected 300 sellers have been accumulating desirable and interesting items all year, knowing that the sale draws many people from the Bitterroot Valley, all parts of Montana, and from approximately 10 other states and Canada. Buyers come to supplement their vintage collections, find bargains on household goods, and to stock their antique shops in other areas of the state or beyond.
Sellers can find all the information they need at the sale’s website, bitterroot50milegaragesale.com. The website details the procedures and costs for signing up as a seller. It will show what is for sale at each location, and it will provide sale addresses and a map of all sites, making it easy for customers to find the sites they want. Each seller is provided with one Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage sale sign and is encouraged to provide additional signs showing the way to their sales that make it easy for buyers to find their sales.
Buyers can also learn all they need to know about the sale on the website, including the map of Hot Spots at local businesses and all the individual garage sales associated with the event. Hot Spots feature the host’s inventory of vintage and antique items, and they also include individual sellers of crafts and garage sale items. Individual garage sales throughout the valley will describe what they have for sale and provide an address to buyers. Buyers can print the map or obtain it at participating Hot Spots so they can plan their itinerary and make a plan to search for desired items. The map will also be published in the Bitterroot Star in the June 26th edition.
For those wanting additional information about the Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage Sale, there are various ways to learn more. The website offers all the information most participants will need, but people are also encouraged to call the community coordinators associated with local businesses along the 50-mile route through the Bitterroot Valley. They include Gary at the Creamery Antique Mall (Stevensville, 406-207-6054), Bonnie at the Sweets Barn (Lolo and Florence, 406-926-1269), Rebecca at the Bitterroot Antique Mall (Hamilton and Victor, 253-548-6460), Tammy at Cowgirl Corner (Corvallis, 406-207-0972) and Juli at Hidden Treasures (Darby, 406-360-9086).