Shoppers corral deals at St. Charles barn sale

You know it's a friendly affair when you buy furniture and the vendor throws in a couple of free protective pads to help you out.

That's what happened to Geneva resident George Bultmann, who on Saturday picked up a dresser and a hutch his wife Samantha had bought earlier that day at the annual St. Peter Barn Sale held at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles.

“I like them, they're solid furniture,” Bultmann said, while two volunteers loaded the furniture in the back of his Cadillac Escalade. The total price tag? About $50, he said.

From cookbooks, toys and bicycle helmets to treadmills, lawn mowers, fridges and much more, the event attracted an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people on Saturday, organizers said. The two-day sale benefits St. Peter Catholic Church and School in Geneva, and is expected to net about $100,000, which will go toward paying off the parish's building debt, said event co-chair Lisa O'Leary-Volk.

The gates opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday, but people were lined up outside as early as 6 a.m., said volunteer Cliff Burns, who was in charge of security. “A lot of people are interested in the hardware and furniture,” he said, adding that it took about 10 days for hundreds of volunteers to bring in the thousands of donated items for sale.

Cousins Josefina and Bernarda Garcia, of Aurora, said the low prices for items in great condition is what prompts them to come to the sale every year. They left loaded with shopping plastic bags containing mostly decorative flower arrangements, but also bedding and kitchen items. “We come with friends and relatives, we really like it a lot,” Bernarda Garcia said.

The sale is a great way to replenish juniors' wardrobes without having to spend a lot, said Hilde Smith, of Batavia. Her daughters Emily, 11, and Anna, 13, also bought some paint and a sombrero, as their grandma Lisa Thormodsrud, of Oakbrook Terrace, looked on.

Carl and Stacy Kelly, of East Dundee, and their 9-year-old grandson, Dereck, spent $37 at the sale, but the most expensive item they bought — $20 popcorn — benefited the Boy Scouts. As for Dereck, he proudly sported a $2 leather briefcase.

The sale continues Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road. Each day breakfast is served starting one hour before the gates open. Admission is free, while parking is a $1 donation.