CHERRY VALLEY, P.E.I. — David Lavie is all about standing out at the 70 Mile Yard Sale.
“You always gotta have something new. People see the same stuff.”
This year, he took some old licence plates – most from P.E.I. – and recycled them into bird houses. They were easy enough to make, and licence plates are always unique to an area, meaning they’ll stand out to come-from-aways.
“Tourists want a P.E.I. souvenir,” he said. “(It’s) a simple novelty.”
The Hazel Brook man was also selling wallets made of duct tape and various other odds and ends lined along several tables. He and his wife watched the yard sale blow up across south-eastern P.E.I. for 10 years before deciding to get in on the action.
“It takes us about a week to get ready,” he said. “And we go hardcore.”
This was the annual event’s 22nd year, taking place during, Sept. 21-22. Islanders and tourists alike moseyed along the highway to shop at one of over 150 yard sales between Stratford and Wood Islands.
To get good business, it helps to have a couple yard sales gather on the same lot. That way, drivers are more likely to pull over to see what’s in store, Lavie said.
“That’s the key right there.”
A little bit of haggling doesn’t hurt, either. He marks his products $5 more than he wants to earn, meaning he’s always looking to give a discount to customers.
“There’s only two times today I said no.”
For Lisa Burt, the annual event has proven to be a lucrative side venture. She rented a U-Haul truck to transport her odds and ends from Grand Tracadie to Buster’s Service Station in Cherry Valley, she said.
“This is just a way to make some extra money.”
Her yard sale featured books and VHS movies – a good deal for customers if they filled a grocery bag. She set everything up and secured it the night before, trusting no one would steal anything.
“It’s all on good faith.”
When The Guardian spoke with her on the afternoon of Sept. 21, business was booming, she said.
“By one o’clock I made a grand.”
For many people, it’s just a chance to get rid of stuff. Lucien Duffenais has been travelling from Kinkora for 15 years to sell off items he had accumulated.
“It’s just something to do, I guess,” he said. “We don’t charge a whole lot.”
His odds and ends included a wide variety of porcelain figurines. Business for him was steady, and it wasn’t a bad way to spend a sunny weekend.
“It turned out to be a lovely day,” he said.
