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Saturday, May 14, 2016 • 8 am to 1 pm • Rain or Shine
In 2002, the Earlewood neighborhood had its first yard sale to benefit the neighborhood association. The popular yard sale morphed into the Big Flea.
This year the Big Flea is back but with a twist. On Saturday, May 14, Earlewood will be doing a neighborhood yard sale – but instead of coming to one central location, the yard sale will be at each house that chooses to participate.
The registration cost is $25 per member and $35 per non-member, which includes a one-year membership. You keep all your profits!! The registration fee goes towards the expenses of the Big Flea and to help the association, which works on safety and security, entrance bed beautification, Thanksgiving and Holiday parties, Porch Parties and other projects that make Earlewood an attractive place to live.
The Earlewood Community Citizens Organization (ECCO) will take care of everything — licenses, promotion, advertising, Yard Sale Map (printed and online), signage and more. Our job is to bring in hundreds of buyers to the neighborhood so all you have to do is get your “stuff” in front of your house to sell.
The starting point for the Big Flea is the Reformation Lutheran Church parking lot located at Union Street and Columbia Avenue. Here buyers will pick-up the printed Big Flea map of all the yard sales in Earlewood. They can also get a link to the on-line map with the street addresses of all the participating yard sales in Earlewood.
Complete the Big Flea registration form. ECCO uses this information to create the map of all the Yard Sale locations throughout the neighborhood. You must register by midnight Sunday, May 7, to get your sale on the Big Flea Map. The Big Flea Map of participating households will be handed out to buyers at the starting point at Reformation Church parking lot. The Big Flea map will also be on-line and for buyers who want to use the map to find the addresses of all the yard sales.
Here’s how to participate:
- Apply online and submit your registration fee via credit card. If you prefer, you can download an application form and bring it and your check payable to ECCO to Virginia Bedford at 3003 Park Street.
- Hold your Yard Sale on May 14 from 8 am to 1 pm.
- Have fun and keep all the profits.
BONUS! ECCO has arranged with His House to bring a truck to the Reformation Parking Lot at 1:30 pm on May 14th. If you have any items that did not sell, please bring them there for pick-up by His House.
ECCO will:
• Purchase the Garage Sale license from the City of Columbia. ECCO will pick up and pay for the license for every registered participant. The City of Columbia charges $5.50 for a garage sale license. The fine for holding a garage sale without a license is $25. FYI – City Inspectors will be in the neighborhood checking on licenses the day of the Big Flea.
• Purchase and place banners and signs advertising the Big Flea throughout downtown Columbia
• Deliver individual Big Flea yard signs and balloons to each participating house
• Paid advertisement in The State and Free Times
• Advertise and promote the Big Flea on Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist and all the garage sale web sites.
If you do not have your own yard sale, consider making donations to the Earlewood Table. Pick-up for Earlewood Table donations will be Friday, May 13. Call or text Virginia Bedford at 803-546-1482 to arrange for pick-up.
