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Jumble sale

Compared to driving across North Africa my contribution to the fundraising effort for Gaza was rather more modest. It took the form of organising a jumble sale in the community centre yesterday and, as the photo makes obvious, lacked something of the romance and drama of motoring across the trackless desert. We raised about £200…

Liam
2–3 minutes

Compared to driving across North Africa my contribution to the fundraising effort for Gaza was rather more modest. It took the form of organising a jumble sale in the community centclip_image001re yesterday and, as the photo makes obvious, lacked something of the romance and drama of motoring across the trackless desert. We raised about £200 – there is a wheelbarrow of loose change to be counted and some pledges to come in so it’ll be a while before the final tally is done.

Churchgoers of my acquaintance had said that that jumble sales can pull in a rough, thieving crowd who shove each other out of the way and try to nick the stock. Our democratic secular version lacked any of that sort of thing and people were incredibly generous both in terms of what they gave and not taking too much advantage of our obvious inexperience in the trade. It turns out that there is a sub-culture of sale goers. Our first customers arrived half an hour before opening time and some of them stayed for almost two hours rummaging around leaving with enough clothes and bric a brac to fill a car. Maybe they spent a tenner.

Top tips if you are planning to run your own sale are:

  • · Don’t accept any VHS or audio tapes. No one buys them.
  • · Coats sell quicker and for more when you hang them up.
  • · Make sure you have a supply of plastic bags.
  • · You want to be left with as little stock as possible so sell, sell, sell at whatever price.
  • · Have a stock of bin liners to bag up the unsold stuff.
  • · Wash your hands thoroughly when you have finished.
  • · Scrap your plans for the evening. You’ll be knackered.

There is a school of thought which says “activists gravitate towards individual moralism, either in the form of charitable donations or individual boycott of Israeli produce.”  That’s probably true but if you tried to organise a meeting in the same community centre about the necessity of rejecting the imperialist policy in the Middle East it’s not apparent that the Saturday would have been anymore productive. Everyone who helped out yesterday has a good basic grasp of what the issues are and wanted to do something tangible. That made it a big success and showed that little community based initiatives can have a bit of an impact too.

Big thanks to Amanda, Bo, Charli, Glyn and Rebecca.

3 responses to “Jumble sale”

  1. charliemarks Avatar
    charliemarks

    I’ve been to many Catholic jumble sales in my time, but never have I encountered any rough, thieving sorts. Where have I been going wrong?

    Add electrical items to the list of no-nos. No one wants to buy used electricals, and think of the negative publicity if by chance someone does buy Auntie Mary’s old TV and ends up being fried to death…

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  2. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    Charlie – my source was Church of England. Maybe denial of the doctrine of transubstantiaton has an effect on their behaviour.

    Fair point on the electrics. I should try and find out if the man who bought the heater and the toaster is still ok.

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  3. Nick Fredman Avatar
    Nick Fredman

    Thanks for the pointers, I had independently proposed doing the exact same thing in our locality. Jumble sales are also a feature of the Australian DSP tradition, must be deep within the Pabloite genetic code, or something. We might donate to the convoy too, though that’s yet to be decided (it might be a bit late, we’re put it off partly due to the understandable frenzy of charitable activity currently happening for the victims of the Victorian bush fires).

    In the context of not being able to organise a rally earlier, it seemed like a good way for people to actively show solidarity. Not least comrades and supporters who now with kids and creaking bodies find it hard to attend let alone organise “Rock against [bad thing]” type late night fundraisers.

    I think such events can have political content too, with literature and petition tables, maybe a corner with chairs and DVDs playing if you’re got room (we’re also planning to have falafel and mint tea to raise extra dough and encourage people to hang around).

    In the large affairs I previously helped out with in Sydney, involving military-type organisation, dozens of comrades, hired trucks, clipboards and rosters everywhere, revolutionary vigilance was needed against shady second-hand booksellers and clothes dealers barging in at 8am to pick the eyes out. Here in the sticks it’ll probably be far more relaxed.

    In Australia I think it’s now illegal to sell second-hand electrical goods without certification from a licensed sparkie that the product is unlikely to fry anyone in the near future, so we’ll probably avoid those.

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