Garage sales are usually held in the Midwest during the temperate months of spring or fall. But on the last Saturday in January, bargain hunters in West Central Missouri bundle up and head to Clinton.
For more than a decade, the Clinton Parks and Recreation Department has opened the 10,000-square foot hall of Benson Convention Center for the Snowflake Garage Sale. For one day, Jan. 27, it’s the hottest venue in Clinton for both vendors and buyers.
“Last year, we had close to 1,000 people,” said Paula Huffman, who has organized the sale for the past seven years.
It’s a bit of a crush when the doors open, and last year, the sales floor was busy all day long, she said. But usually the crowd starts to taper off by noon. By 1 p.m, she said, many of the vendors, especially garage salers who don’t want to pack their stuff and take it back home, start marking prices down, offering half-off or fill-a-bag specials.
Paula’s advice:
“Get there early if you want something,” she said. “Get there late if you want a bargain.”
Don’t be surprised to see shoppers with red wagons in tow, to carry their kids and their finds, or people pushing big shopping carts. Others carry large tote bags, Paula said.
“I’ve seen baby clothes, fishing gear, furniture, golf clubs and hunting bows,” Paula said.
Paula is manager of the Parks and Recreation office in the Benson Center, which opens for the Snowflake Garage Sales at 8 a.m. on Jan. 27. There is no fee to attend the sale, which goes until 2 p.m. Vendors include garage salers, crafters, upcyclers and artisans, as well as people selling collectibles and antiques, and people raising funds for local organizations.
It’s already too late to get one of 60 tables, which went up for grabs on Dec. 4. This year, there was a line of people at the door, waiting to sign up at 8 a.m.
“They want the same space they had last year, so they get here early,” Paula said.
Half the spaces were sold by Dec 5, and all the spaces were sold before the end of the year, she said.
“That’s a record,” Paula said. “I still have people calling and asking for a space.”
Records show that holding a garage sale in late January was the idea of Cathie Goth, a former Parks and Rec office supervisor. In 2014, Cathie revised the craft show that ran every year, after a larger town started having a craft show the same weekend, Paula said, which drew off vendors that came to Clinton.
“So Cathie switched the event to the Snowflake Garage Sale,” Paula said.
Most of the 60 vendor spaces are 10-by-10 feet long, and come with two 8-foot tables and two chairs. The booths, as the spaces are called, along the wall rent for $40, the center tables are $30, the corner table goes for $20 and single tables for $10. The money raised goes to the Benson Center, Paula said, which is used for the county fair and civic events as well as conventions and industry shows.
Vendors include civic groups who use the Snowflake Garage Sale to raise funds. The Greater Golden Valley Quilt Guild will be selling raffle tickets for the “Opportunity Quilt” they make every year, and will have this year’s bed-sized quilt on display. The Quilt Guild uses the money from the raffle to buy batting and material to make smaller quilts, which they donate to local organizations, who use the quilts for fundraisers.
Members of the Clinton’s Mid-Day Optimist Club run the concessions, and also have a booth, Paula said. Boy Scouts from Troop No. 430 will be on hand to help people carry heavy items to their cars.
“They do accept tips, and usually have a booth,” Paula said.
Vendors come from Osceola, Lowry City and Sedalia, Paula said. There are three exclusions on sales: no guns, no knives and no gas engines. Some families use the sale as an incentive to go through the house after Christmas and clean out closets, then sell clothes and household items they no longer use.
“One of my regulars got three booths this year,” Paula said.
While the sale focuses on garage sale and craft items, there will be a woman who will be doing make-up demonstrations this year, Paula said.
Returnees include crafters who make insulated metal coffee cups. Also plan to pick up some homemade baked goods, and drop by the booth of an author from Osceola, to visit and check out his historical novels and war memoirs.
Paula said her favorite vendor from past years was a woman from Booneville who took vintage coats and ‘upcycled’ them into purses and accessories.
The Snowflake Garage Sale has not been snowed out in the seven years she’s been here, Paula said, although it was canceled due to the pandemic in 2021. Knock on wood, the weather will not be bad this year, or conversely, nice — if it’s unseasonably warm, people would rather be outside, she said.
Otherwise, the Benson Center is the happening place to be on Jan. 27. The Snowflake Garage Sale is a good reason to get out of the house, visit with people you haven’t seen for a while, or meet new people. Concessions are served out of the kitchen in the entry hall, where communal tables are set up. The Optimists will be serving coffee, biscuits and gravy for a late breakfast or “elevenses.” For lunch, get a chili dog or Frito burrito pie and a soda, Theresa Evans of the club said. The proceeds support the Optimists’ efforts to provide services for local youth.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Paula said. “Vendors have a great time, and people love to come shopping, to see what kind of bargains they can find.
“I hope the weather will be nice, but not too nice.”
The Benson Convention Center is located at 1008 E. Sedalia Ave., Clinton, MO 64735, on the northeast corner of town just off the intersection of Hwy. 7/13 and Hwy. 52. Sedalia Avenue is an extension of Price Lane, which connects to Green Street.
