-- Patricia F. Doering, Editor

NEWS FROM THE EDITOR
Patricia F. Doering

    Happy Spring 2005! With all of the rains we’ve had this year in San Diego County, everything is indeed green, growing and in a state of replenishment. It’s one of my favorite seasons. In Poway, CA where I live, hills are bursting with new blades of grass, the California poppies are blooming and everything has that fresh, rained-on look.

    Spring is also rummage sale season in San Diego and I suppose that occurred because women simply enjoy "cleaning things out" in the Spring. We encourage that but please, don’t just toss all that junk into the trash -- recycle it or better yet, donate to your favorite charity-operated thrift store where others will find your discards and perhaps enjoy them more than you did! It always amazes me when I visit thrift stores. There are so many near new items there! And treasures -- absolutely unmarred, undamaged treasures. Rummage sales are even better sources of finding everything you could imagine for your home. And the largest rummage sale of the year--the Thursday Club Rummage Sale --is coming up again in Balboa Park, in the Gymnasium next to the Aerospace Museum. Scheduled for April 9th and 10th starting at 9 AM, this sale is spectacular. Go very early; people line up as early as 6 AM and believe me, this sale is worth the wait! The Thursday Club distributes the proceeds from this sale back into the San Diego community, donating money for all kinds of worthwhile causes and they have been doing this for 78 years! The sale is well supervised by Thursday Club volunteers; however, checkout can take a little time so it’s important that you buy whatever it is you are interested in and leave early; otherwise, you may have a long wait. There are other worthwhile sales following this sale in April and May (see our Calendar of Events, under Rummage Sales) but none in the Spring with this kind of quality and quantity. Anyone redecorating their home or moving into a new one--even young newlyweds--could save tons of money by shopping these sales.

    Our other recommendations include the Public Administrator’s Auction and the Police Auctions. However, you need to allocate lots of time for both sales. Auctions typically take more time, unless your item comes up first. But remember, the Public Administrator’s Auction resembles an estate sale, which it really is. Someone passed away who may not have left a will or instructions and that means that there can be collectibles and valuable items here. Whatever you do, enjoy the season. It’s a bargain hunter’s paradise.