One-of-a-kind garage sale features vinyl records, benefits food pantry
Record enthusiasts are having a vinyl sale with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Libertyville Township food pantry.
The sale is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 19 at 129 McKinley Ave., Libertyville, and will include more than 1,000 new and vintage vinyl records of nearly all genres and music styles from the personal collections of five people. Some memorabilia, such as vintage posters, also will be available.
Admission is a nonperishable food item or a suggested cash donation. All donations and some of the proceeds will be donated to the food pantry, according to Lance Schart, a Libertyville resident who proposed and organized the event.
"We don't have a goal in mind," he said.
"There's no expectation everyone is going to donate the full amount, but they've all said, 'We'll donate something,'" he added.
Prices will range from $1 per record to market value based on Discogs global music database pricing guide.
The idea to have a vinyl-only garage sale has been kicked around for a while among the members of the Black Vinyl Monday club that meets at the Green Room restaurant in downtown Libertyville.
"Many 'record convention' vinyl sales charge $5 to $20 for admission, so the idea of folks donating a few nonperishable food items to help their neighbors was an easy sell for me and my friends," Schart said.
He said that hunger is an important issue and that donations to the food pantry will directly benefit the community. Local musician Ike Reilly connected him with Libertyville Township Supervisor Kathleen O'Connor.
"We've never had anybody do anything like this for us," she said. "It's kind of a cool thing."
The cash-only event will feature live bands from Libertyville High School playing in the expansive backyard, kids selling lemonade for the cause and perhaps a surprise or two.
Each of the participants has been collecting for 30 years. One is former music industry executive and two have active eBay stores, according to Schart.
"They'll be pulling out some decent stuff," he said. "Some of it is collectible."
What can buyers expect? There will be a complete Beatles stereo 16-record set (records in sleeves only, no LP artwork) for $100, for example. Other offerings include plenty of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Kiss and other classic hard rock selections.
Schart said he will donate "nearly all" his proceeds. Those who attend can donate $1 and choose a "mystery record" from 170 prepackaged items from his personal collection. Visit @lvillevinylsale on Twitter for a preview.