Highlights
- As restrictions ease around Australia, garage sales are slowly returning
- Migrants say their early garage sale experiences gave them insight into the Australian lifestyle
- 'Garage sales are an opportunity to interact with people': Nicholas Charalambous, who just held his first garage sale since the pandemic started
When Fathima Mohammed came to Australia six years ago as a student from Sri Lanka, she found unexpected joy in rummaging for pre-loved goods at garage sales.
It wasn’t just the opportunity to buy household essentials at knock-down prices that kept her coming back.
“As a new migrant, it was helpful to get many things for cheap but, even more valuably, garage sales gave me an insight into the Australian lifestyle," Ms Mohammed told SBS Malayalam.
“It became a kind of hobby for me and my family, visiting garage sales. We always had such a welcoming experience.”
"Seeing things like camping gear, fishing rods, bicycles, porcelain plates and other collectibles in a garage for sale was completely new to us.”
With restrictions easing, Ms Mohammed said she has no qualms about once again hitting the garage sale trail.
For the past two years, garage sales have largely come to a halt Source: Getty Images/Joanne Levesque
From the hand-drawn signs to the tables piled with bric-a-brac and family heirlooms – the garage sale is a strange phenomenon for many migrants who might be unaccustomed to setting foot on a stranger’s property.
"We had never even heard of garage sales in India, so our first visit to one 14 years back was a totally new experience," said Manoj David, who lives in Melbourne.
''I was curious to know what it is all about - I'd see the balloons hanging on the electric posts. One weekend I decided to check one out and was surprised to find used items at low prices."
These events gave us a chance to speak to local people and learn a bit about their lifestyle. I remember one garage sale even had a barbecue, which made it even more fun
“Just hearing people explain the history of how these collectibles were passed down from their ancestors was really interesting.”
However, while Mr David cherishes his early garage sale memories, he acknowledged that many people have moved towards online marketplaces due to convenience.
“We can now easily compare different products on online marketplaces and get the full details of a product before making a purchase.”
For many, garage sales are a chance to de-clutter the home and make a little cash in the process. Source: Delys Paul
The impact of the pandemic
For the past two years, garage sales have largely come to a halt, in line with state-based guidelines regarding social distancing.
While local councils may also set their own restrictions, some like Melbourne City Council and City of Casey say they do not have data on the number of garage sales that have taken place in their locality.
But now that garage sales are slowly resurfacing, some feel there aren't as many visitors as before.
This month, Nicholas Charalambous held a garage sale at his house in southeast Melbourne.
“It was our first one since the pandemic started. We didn’t have as many people compared to a few years ago, and I think both COVID-19 and online marketplaces have played a role in that."
"Previously we advertised in the local paper, and many people would come from the local area. But that is not the case now."
"I don't think garage sales will die out, but the number seems to have reduced.”
He further explained that a garage sale is much more than a chance to de-clutter the home and earn some extra cash in the process.
“Garage sales are an opportunity to interact with people. There are a lot of nice people out there, and we wouldn't meet them otherwise,” Mr Charalambous added.
Melbourne-based couple David and Dianne McKinnon also just held a garage sale.
David and Dianne Mckinnon are donating the money raised from their garage sale to Cancer Council. Source: Delys Paul
After the recent passing of David's mother, they decided to clean out her property and donate any funds raised to Cancer Council.
“My mother was an avid photographer and had many cameras. They went very fast,” Mr McKinnon said.
“There were many collectibles, including old-school tools which belonged to her father,” he added
For Mr McKinnon, garage sales are hassle-free compared to selling online.
“I still think garage sales have a place - it’s like a one-time clean up.”
He said the laidback Saturdays and Sundays when garage sales are held offer a chance to socialise as well.
They’re an opportunity to see new faces, I was talking about old cars with someone I met today... So we meet many people whom we usually don't meet.
Not everyone shares such positive feelings, however.
Leo George, also from Melbourne, said garage sales are often a waste of time and also a place where one picks up things that are not necessary.
"I organised a garage sale when I moved houses a few years back, but this time I am selling my old stuff online and they are going fast,” he added.
Mr George admitted that online selling is not perfect, either.
“Though used items sell fast online, they may not quickly give you the price you want. So I ended up selling at lower prices than what I was expecting,” he added.
'One man's trash...': A selection of vinyl records for sale at a garage sale. Source: Delys Paul
Online meets offline
For the last six years, Carol Bakker has been the admin of 'Garage Sales in Melbourne Australia', a public Facebook group where people spread the word about garage sales.
Ms Bakker, whose group has more than 2,500 members, told SBS Malayalam that it has been COVID-19, and not new technology, that has impacted garage sales the most.
“As restrictions have eased in the last few weeks, garage sales have returned,” she said.
According to Ms Bakker, many people still opt for selling their items to a local crowd from the comfort of their home, rather than online where answering questions and organising delivery can be time-consuming.
“Online platforms can be more of a hassle than they look. People often get frustrated when buying or selling online. Unrealistic offers are an issue.”
Ms Bakker added that sometimes you end up dealing with businesses online rather than individuals.
“Social media can work well for high-end items, like car parts or camping gear. But for lower priced items garage sales are still the place to go,” she said.
