Bargains galore at Winfield's villagewide garage sale

Bargain hunters hoping to score more deals before the end of the garage sale season might want to visit Winfield this weekend.

The Winfield Wide Garage Sale is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19 and 20. More than 70 households throughout the town are planning to participate in the fourth annual event.

Originally started as a way to promote Winfield, the villagewide garage sale gives Winfield residents the opportunity to sell a variety of items to a large number of visitors. Winfield-area restaurants also benefit from shoppers stopping by to grab a bite to eat.

Meanwhile, everything from clothes and toys to electronics and furniture will be for sale on driveways around Winfield.

"There's a lot of choices for people who want to buy," said Rick Loechl, chairman of the Winfield Wide Garage Sale Committee.

One big difference this year is that the event is happening in September. Loechl said the villagewide garage sale is being held in the fall because it almost didn't happen at all.

Due to other commitments, Loechl wasn't able to find time to organize the garage sale for June. But when he considered skipping a year, residents - including several village trustees - reached out to him.

"When I decided I was going to take a pass on it this year, I got all kinds of feedback," Loechl said. "You never know how important something is to people until you don't offer it."

Loechl said it's clear the garage sale has become a Winfield tradition.

"People look forward to it," he said.

For shoppers planning to experience the event for the first time, Loechl has a piece of advice.

"If you are looking for things that are competitively priced and rare, you've got to come out on Friday," he said.

Garage sale headquarters will be next to Antiques of Winfield, 27W461 Beecher Ave. in downtown Winfield. Buyers should stop there first to get a list of participating sellers and a map of sale locations. Coupons for restaurants sponsoring the event also will be available.

"Our spreadsheet lists every (participant) and has a quick summary of the main things they're selling," Loechl said.

He said anyone wanting to get an idea of what will be offered can view various "Winfield Wide Garage Sale" listings at GarageSales.com.

For information, visit winfieldwidegaragesale.com.

If you go

What: Winfield Wide Garage Sale

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19 and 20

Where: Garage sale headquarters next to Antiques of Winfield, 27W461 Beecher Ave. in downtown Winfield

Info: winfieldwidegaragesale.com