DOTHAN: In the Peanut Capital of the World, some of the shrewdest shoppers aren’t in expensive stores. They’re in a stranger’s driveway at 6:45 a.m., clutching a coffee and eyeing a lamp.
Grove Park in Dothan will hold their semi-annual yard sale this Saturday (October 17th) from 7am-12pm. Grove Park is off Highway 84 West in Dothan.
Yard sale and thrift store devotees say the hunt is half the fun, and the other half is telling everyone about it afterward. A solid wood dresser, a name-brand jacket or a shelf of paperbacks can cost a fraction of retail price. Many regulars will gladly tell you what they paid, whether or not you asked.
The surprise is a big part of the appeal. No two sales are alike, and a great find could be hiding under a card table. One weekend it’s a vintage record. The next it’s a complete set of dishes, plus a fondue pot nobody in the family has ever used and nobody will admit to buying.
Dedicated shoppers also say it’s good for the planet. Buying used keeps items out of landfills, which means a casserole dish from 1987 gets a second chance at life, and so does your dignity when you explain the purchase to your spouse.
Then there’s the community. Yard sales bring neighbors together, and thrift stores often support local causes. Plenty of shoppers say they’ve made friends while chatting with sellers or sizing up the same end table as a rival.
Veterans of the circuit offer a few tips:
Arrive early for the best selection, and expect to find that someone else got there earlier.
Bring cash and small bills.
Check items for damage before you pay.
Haggle politely. Nobody wins a fight over a $2 candle holder.
For Dothan’s bargain hunters, the next big find is only a few driveways away, at Grove Park. Organizers are asking everyone to share the news with friends. The sale runs until noon, which gives you five hours to buy a lamp, a bookshelf and a teapot, and the rest of the week to figure out where they go.
