How we do Rummage: The Process

Volunteers – You are the most important part of the process. You are needed to sort things, to determine if they still work, to arrange, measure, cashier, pack, and clean-up. Sign-ups are required, whether paper or online. New people are paired with experienced helpers.

Sorting Days – These days are the initial Sunday and the weekdays prior to the sales. There should not be any donations accepted on the day of any sale. Donations from our congregation and the community arrive. Donations should not show up before Sunday because we rent out our space, so leaving items prior to the start date could cause problems. Helpers need to be aware of donations that are unacceptable if asked. See the listed items below. Items are sorted (damaged goods put in the trash) and then placed where designated. If you help sort for an hour, you can also shop. Any items selected for buying must be paid for and removed that day. No items may be placed in the kitchen or anywhere else for later.

Point of Contact Person- The POC person would be available during sorting to answer questions, explain things to people bringing in donations, and help encourage our volunteers. If a question or issue arises that the person does not feel they can handle, they can speak with Jeanne Robson. There are specialized tasks that can be done at any time before sales.

Electric and Electronics Tester – The job involves certifying that the items work and marking them as such, discarding any non-working items. We have equipment to help with this.

Large Item Pricer - Furniture and large items (pictures, large toys, etc.) not on our price list need to be priced.

Toy Consolidator- Some toys come with lots of pieces. Pieces need to be put in clear plastic bags and attached to the toy.

Hanger Coordinator – We try and use only clear plastic hangers if we have enough. Tubular hangers are collected and placed on the cashier’s table for taping together and pricing. Wire hangers may be recycled or trashed. Wooden hangers, if not curved, are kept for our coat rack in the back. Curved ones can be sold. This sorting is also done at cleanup.

Audio/Visual Checker – All items that come in plastic cases must be opened to make sure the appropriate disc or tape is inside. If empty, please throw it out.

Linen Organizer – We need to label items as to what size they are: i.e.- bed linens - Twin, Double, etc. Similarly label towels per price list. Tablecloth sizes should be noted.

30 Volunteers needed for Sale Days include the following:

• Cashiers and Baggers –Price lists are at each station, taped to the wall and displayed on tables. Saturday Sales are bag sales and half-price items. What can fit in a bag that we supply is charged $5. Items that are too large for a bag are half-priced. If people bring their own bags, then the cashier will make a judgment as to how many bags their one bag could hold. Comparable-size bags are charged $5, larger bags should be charged more.

Check out Control - individuals who help direct others to open cashiers. Helpers - assist in taking purchases to vehicles, Bad Weather Sale Days - guiding people to shelter during inclement weather and then directing them to the sale when we open, and for Security - ensuring that everyone has paid before leaving. Clean-up and Pack – typically, all clothing and accessories go into large black trash bags, while non-clothing items are placed in boxes. The tables and shoe shelves should be wiped down before being stored. Windowsills need cleaning, and the floor needs to be swept so we are ready for Sunday Fellowship and our renters.

Items that are unacceptable for our Rummage Sale include:

Large items such as sofas, exercise equipment, etc.

Upholstered chairs that are dirty, stained, or torn

Worn sports bottles and plastic ware

Worn-out pots, pans, or utensils

Mechanical or electrical items that do NOT work

Clothes or linens that are torn, dirty, smelly, or stained

Games, puzzles, or toys that are broken or missing parts

Computers or monitors

Tube Type Televisions Textbooks

Broken or dirty tools

What we need to sell should be clean, usable items.

Although some of the items listed above are unacceptable at our Rummage Sale, mostly due to size, you can DONATE them through the Random Online Rummage (RoR) sales organized by Kate Boyce. If you are interested and would be willing to handle the actual transaction from your home, send a picture, description, and dimensions to Kate at rummagesale@stpetersglenside.org she will get in touch with you. Since she handles the signups and advertising in April and October, it would be greatly appreciated if you contacted her for the other ten months to sell these items.

If you have any questions, contact Jeanne Robson at jcrobson@comcast.net. Thank you for whatever you can do to help us with these sales. They are the largest fundraisers that we do and the money we make helps the church and its ministries as well as the wider community.