SHELBY – You couldn’t go anywhere in Shelby this weekend without finding a yard sale sign on a corner, or tables with clothing, DVDs and knick-knacks out in yards.
From Thursday to Saturday, it was yard sales aplenty as part of an organized, citywide event to get the community out in the sun.
Residents from all over Richland County found their way into Shelby’s city limits to check out what residents had to sell. It’s an event for everybody who wants to join, embodying the mantra, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”
The event’s Facebook page allows residents to submit their addresses and times of sale, providing sale-goers with a map to the aforementioned treasure.
For some, selling is just about pocket change and clearing garage space. They’ll pass on the toys their kids outgrew, the clothes that no longer fit, and another family will scoop them up.
For others, it’s about preparing for a change of scenery.
Tyler and Sammi Bellomy are a young family befitting the latter. The two hosted their yard sale, not just to clear space, but for a more specific goal.
“We’re trying to downsize our house and sell it, eventually,” Sammi said. “Right now we just have a lot of unused house decor, kids’ clothes, toys, a stroller, a wagon and some adult clothes.”
Over the weekend, families like the Bellomy’s use their yard sales to gather pocket change and clear room, whether for a moving truck or a growing family.
The flip side is the buyers.
People who go door-to-door during the city’s exodus of stuff and things, collecting as they go. Some are recent college graduates looking to build their professional wardrobe or decorate their new apartments.
Others are new parents, looking for cheap toys they can’t find in stores.
Some are simply out for the sake of community, soaking up the beautiful weather and communing with neighbors amidst the trading of goods. Intentional or not from the buyer or seller, that’s the result of events like this.
