One of my readers suggested recently that we need to take a second look at the City of Santa Ana’s garage sale policy. As he pointed out, we went from 52 possible garage sale weekends to only 4, when the ordinance was changed awhile back.
I think he has a point. He also had this to say, “Especially in light of the economy, with foreclosures and job losses our 4 garage sale policy is OUT-OF-TOUCH with reality. Garage sales are a good source for people who are struggling to buy clothes, toys, appliances etc. It’s also an extra hardship on those who have to move, if they miss the “approved week-end” they are forced to give their stuff away.”
We have a garage sale weekend coming up this weekend in fact, on September 5 and 6. But who would schedule this on a holiday weekend? That too seems misguided.
You can read the City’s official garage sale policy at this link.
So what do you think? Is it time to revisit this policy and perhaps allow a garage sale the first weekend of EVERY month?
I think we have some caring, compassionate City Council Members who might help us. Councilwoman Michele Martinez grew up poor in a home affected by drugs and gangs. Councilman David Benavides was once a youth minister. Councilman Sal Tinajero lost his father to violence and is a teacher. They would be a good place to start. And Council Members Claudia Alvarez and Vince Sarmiento are smart and experience in community affairs. They too should hear from us.
Click here for information on how to contact each of our Council Members.
As for allowing more garage sale days, personally I disagree because too many people abused the purpose of a real garage sale by having mini stores each and every week same time same place and calling it a garage sale.
I agree somewhat with Andree but i do think we need more than 4 per year. I think we could safely at least jump to 8 per year. I cleaned out my garage in late June and will have had to wait 3 months’s to sell some stuff. And as Art mentions, times are tough and a lot of folks need to sell their extra good right now rather than just give them away. Anyway, this issue definitely warrants some conversation at least. One positive about the quarterly garage sales is that it’s a lot of fun and lots and lots of people come out…would that be lost?
curious,
How about having the city list every address that registers for a garage sale, in some kind of accessible calendar database?
There are folks who love to go to these sales. They could use the list to hit them all. While they are in town perhaps they will spend money on our local restaurants and the like.
No other city promotes garage sales as something positive. Why not lead the way?
Why should SA go back to looking like a GARBAGE TOWN every weekend? I have lived here when it did thru the central corridor, when there was a swap meet at the Eddie West stadium and Santa Ana college.
Maybe the identified weekends are not ideal, however when people held yard sales every weekend they were not selling just household items, but new merchandise and stolen items, that was how they made a living out of the apartment they rented on Chestnut and other streets throughtout SA.
As for other venues of sale: there is the Pennysaver, craigslist, swap meet at Coast College, Golden West college and Cypress college.
2-3 years ago i served on a 7-11 committee with SAUSD when they were approached about using Century as a weekend swap meet site. The sports league objected strenously and stated they would pull their league out of century if they agreed to a swap meet.
For the record the city of SA does not want a swap meet within city limits.
SA has several industrial area complexes that might suit as potential swap meet venues.
“Estate Sale”. You must obtain a permit via the city and there is documentation you need to complete. This is an altnate to the weekend yard sale and can occur during the week.
Yard sales occur in the City of Orange but only with permits and they are “policed” and cited if they do not have a permit. SA doesn’t issue permits, but will cite you for having a yard sale on non yard sale weekends.
So, in my household’s opinion we would not look to see GARBAGE WEEKEND re occur.
Mary A Bloom-Ramos
Mary,
Thanks for your input. I don’t think anyone wants to see garage sales take place every weekend, citywide. But it seems reasonable to allow them more often than we do now, and to allow them at the discretion of the residents.
I do like the swap meet idea – but doing that in a park would not be good as we are short on recreation space. It would be better to do it somewhere such as a large parking lot. But the downside of swap meets is that they often have stolen merchandise and other questionable materials for sale.
The issue does deserve consideration…
Hi Silly Art!
Yes, I think one weekend a month would be satisfactory.
I agree that just 4 per year is rather restrictive, but that is an old law enacted when people were constantly having garage sales every weekend and turning their residential neighborhood into a “commercial” area. Nobody likes that many strangers in their area, and no one likes to see that much stuff in the front yard all the time. I agree that once per month is better, and a follow up with code enf. to make sure the stuff is off the yard the next day.
From an economic and ecologic point of view, as stated in the article above, more garage sales make sense, if only once a month.
For example, in between clearing out excess clutter I have had to donate many quality items because of lack of storage in my garage only to see them resold later at almost the same retail price I paid! Not good, and does not serve the people who need things, and then they just sit on the store shelf forever besides. I would have sold the items directly to the person for a reasonably inexpensive price if there had been a convenient garage sale. Garage sales do serve a need as we get our unwanted items recirculated and used rather than dumped into a landfill or re-retailed at a too high of price!
“Swap meets” cause litter and traffic jams, who wants that on their property.
Let this issue be decided for benefit of the people, economy and environment in mind. I propose yard sales to have set hours, say 8 – 1 PM, one weekend a month.
Is there a shortage of venues to selling personal property?
It would be nice if the minutes of the many meeting that were held before the changes were made could be published. Before spending time to make changes to a systems that seems to be working, check on the history and learn why the change was made in the first place.
I see a couple posters have already shed some light on the reasons Santa Ana went to 4 per year.
I thinks we should have more garage sales but not all at one time. I think we should divide Sant Ana in to how ever many sections. One section has a garage sale on a certain weekend, then the next section and so on. Other wise every body is having a garage sale on the same day and how can you look at all of them? You can’t. It would also cut down on selling new merchandise and stolen property.
YEA MORE LIKE 2 A WEEEEK DATS GONA B AWSOME SERIOUSLEEE…..
I totally agree. Some people really used to rely on this extra income. This is one small way to ease pressure on those of us who struggle daily in this economy. Besides one man’s junk is another man’s treasure and won’t end up dumped in an alley.
I feel that quarterly garage sale is good for the city organization, however people should be also be given the option to request for 1 permit per household per year for exceptional case. We moved to this city not knowing of the quarterly rule. Because of that, we missed the September permit able weekend to sell after cleaning out the garage. We called the city and found out we had to wait til first weekend of December to hold a garage sale. Now that the anticipated weekend is here, we face being rained-out. Does the city provide an exception to the rule then? I don’t know, because I called on Friday before the selling weekend to find out that Santa Ana City is closed every Friday.
I propose 1 permit per household per year for exceptional case such as moving also. Families may have to move during economic difficulties and like to reasonably sell their stuff for some extra moving cash. Time frame sometimes can’t fit to the permit able garage sale weekend.
Consideration on these type of accounts would much be appreciated