Huge garage sale sets up shop in Mount Prospect

Pay attention, bargain hunters: The residents of more than 500 homes in Mount Prospect will be selling toys, clothes, furniture and numerous other items all weekend during the 19th annual Mount Prospect Villagewide Garage Sale.

The participating homes are located all over the village, and the event is expected to attract thousands of people to the area. The sale will run Friday, May 18, through Sunday, May 20.

“It’s become a huge community event,” said resident Tom Zander of Picket Fence Realty, the primary organizer of the garage sale.

Zander and his wife, Mary, started the garage sale in the early 1990s. It was more of a neighborhood event then, and the Zanders advertised it via the real estate newsletter they used to send out.

Over time, interest in the garage sale grew, and when Picket Fence Realty opened its Mount Prospect office roughly 10 years ago, the Zanders expanded the sale to include the entire village.

It’s free to participate as a seller, and interested residents still have time to sign up. Residents can register online at the sale’s website, mpgaragesale.com, or call Picket Fence Realty at (847) 259-8600.

The website also allows sellers to advertise their items with text and photos. Shoppers can contact sellers and in many cases make purchases through an anonymous email link on the site.

Shoppers also can use the website to see what’s for sale, and where. A quick look at the site Wednesday afternoon showed that a poker table, snowblowers and Coach purses are among the items available.

“That’s the beauty of an event this size — you’ll be able to find almost anything,” Zander said.

A map of participating homes and driving directions to Mount Prospect also are available on the website.