ITHACA, N.Y. — The First Unitarian Society of Ithaca’s annual Grand Recycle Sale is just over a week away, leaving no time to waste for those looking to donate used goods. The three-day sale will take place Saturday, Aug. 19 to Monday, Aug. 21. As volunteers get ready for the big weekend, the last “intake day” for donated goods will be Sunday, Aug. 11.
The Grand Recycle Sale is an Ithaca tradition dating to the 1950s and is one of FUSIT’s primary fundraisers. Items from furniture to shoes to artwork are sold in “shops” throughout the FUSIT building at the corner of Buffalo and Aurora streets, with the goal of reducing waste while bringing the community together and offering thousands of low-cost goods.
Volunteers began accepting donations for the 2019 sale in June, and will meticulously sort, tag and setup all the goods for sale before next weekend. Community members have two more chances to contribute to the inventory. Donations will be accepted 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7 and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11. at the garden entrance on Aurora Street.
Organizers ask that donations are clean, sorted and in good working order. In essence, they want donations that are going to sell. “Polishing and prettying things up will boost sales,” the complete guide to donation reads. Other guidelines include labeling goods and providing user manuals when possible.
Some items are not accepted, because organizers say they don’t sell. For example, stained clothing, incomplete games or broken electronics. Consult the guide for a full list of acceptable and unacceptable items.
When the sale kicks off, volunteers will get to take a first pass before the building opens to the public. Doors will open to everyone at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. Here’s the full sale schedule:
- 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 (Full price)
- 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 (Half price)
- 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19 (Free, monetary donations accepted)
Featured image: 2018 Grand Recycle Sale, courtesy of event page.