Community members snagged hundreds of bargains, and the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee raised substantial funds for its iconic self-built float at a yard sale Nov. 8-9 at the War Memorial Building.
The sale was its second of 2024 to help pay more than $140,000 in expenses incurred in creating South Pasadena’s entry in the Jan. 1 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.
“This sale was the best one financially so far,” said Steve Fillingham, chair of the event, by email the day afterward. “We surpassed the last one by more than 10% monetarily.” For several years, the committee has held these sales twice a year.
He thanked the community for the many donated items that made the sale so successful. “We had more donations than ever before,” he said. “The War Memorial Building was full after Nov. 5, the first day items could be dropped off.”
Janet Benjamin, who partnered with Fillingham on coordinating the sale, expressed appreciation for the volunteers who made the sale logistics possible. “Helping were dozens of float team members, their friends and families, scouts, middle school and high school students, and one church’s youth missionaries.”
On the first day, shoppers stood in a long line outside the building before the official 8 a.m. opening. They were eager to be the first to find unexpected “treasures” that may await them. Fillingham said that when the sale opened that day, “droves of jewelry vendors and resellers appeared to inspect valuable pieces.”
Sale items included jewelry, cookware, holiday décor, toys, electronics, books, tools, sports equipment and garb, outdoor décor, furniture, bedding, men’s and women’s clothing and shoes.
Some unique collectibles, Fillingham said, “were a set of samurai swords, a remote-control Chris Craft boat and a vintage Hoosier Cabinet.” One customer, Elise Doyle, purchased a set of antique Staffordshire ceramic dogs and gave them to her dog’s veterinarian as a gift. Another collectible, an American Girl Doll, was for sale. A young girl was interested in buying it. She was debating whether to purchase the doll or not since it would be from her own savings. Another customer approached her and said, “Here, sweetheart, here is another $20 toward your doll.” She was able to buy it.
Items not sold were donated to a veterans’ organization at the end of the sale, said the SPTOR organizers.
