I first discovered the Ferguson City-Wide Yard Sale when I worked for the city of Ferguson in 2008 and was tasked with promoting it. That first year, on the morning of the sale, which back then was in May, I ran around for an hour handing out signs and maps, but at some point I was able to visit some of the houses on the map for myself.
That first year, according to my Facebook memory feed, I walked away with a lovely quilt ($3) that I still use regularly, some table linens ($5), a French press ($2) that my daughter inherited and used for 10 years, and a lovely antique buffet ($30) that I bought from then-Mayor Brian Fletcher. I still have that buffet (with eternal plans to refinish it), and it is still in regular use in the dining room of the house I bought in Ferguson five years ago. It often makes me think of Brian, who embodied the definition and spirit of public service. He loved Ferguson.
Even after I left my job and went to work for the City of Kirkwood, I still attended the Ferguson city-wide yard sales, and two years later, Brian talked me into buying his mother’s antique bedroom vanity with mirror ($30 – see pic). He was a great salesman. More recently, in 2018, I posted on Facebook that I had found the following items at the city’s yard sale: A framed Renoir print (“Luncheon of the Boating Party”), a farmhouse-styled ceramic pitcher (pic), a box with about a dozen Lego kits, three purses, a lovely decorative pillow (pic), two Farberware pots with lids, jewelry, a three-candle wrought-iron candelabra, and some other small items, for a total outlay of about $45.
Don’t you just love a great yard sale?
Well, you will get your chance on September 18 when the Ferguson City-Wide Yard Sale is BACK after a pandemic year off. Here’s how it works:
Hosting a Sale: Register by phone at 314-521-7721. Register by September 6 to be included on the Yard Sale Map.
Signs: If you already have a sign from previous years, please re-use it. If you need a sign, they can be purchased at City Hall for $5. Note: This is either a purchase price or a refundable cost (deposit) if you wish to return your signs after the sale and if they are returned in good shape. Sign refunds will be made at City Hall, September 20 through 25 only and will not be given for signs picked up during previous years.
Shopping the Sales: Pick up a map between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., on Friday, September 17, or after 9:00 a.m., on the morning of the sale at either Ferguson Public Library, 35 N. Florissant, or Paul’s Market, 1020 N. Elizabeth. Maps will be available at the Ferguson Farmers’ Market on the morning of the sale, beginning at 7:30 a.m. You can also download the map from the city website beginning at 4:00 p.m., on Friday at www.fergusoncity.com.
Join us on September 18 – whether you want to sell or buy. Did we mention it’s also a great way to meet your neighbors – those you know and those you don’t!! See you September 18!!