Intake for the 85th Annual White Elephant Sale Begins June 29, Sale Itself Opens Friday, July 14

The perennially popular White Elephant Sale (WES) is back!

The sale, hosted by the Ladies Benevolent Society of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, will be held this year on Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15. 

For those new to the town or folk who have never participated before, this sale is one of the main events on both the town and church calendars.

It all starts with the intake period when you can drop off unwanted items at the church from your house — perhaps your basement, attic or closets — or yard.

Garage, tag and rummage sales may be everyday affairs, but few, if any, can match the size and color of this one. The sale items are organized into some 20 departments that fill the church buildings as well as every available space on the lawn.

The WES has grown so large that it has become a true "community event" since many of the donations are from non-church members and quite a number of volunteers are also from outside the church. 

The sale raises a significant amount of money for missions and good works both locally and throughout the world.

Some of the beneficiaries include food pantries, health organizations, family support centers, children’s programs, literacy volunteers, affordable housing, and disaster relief worldwide.

Mark your calendars now for the dates of this year’s sale. Intake begins on Thursday, June 29, and runs daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Saturday, July 1. 

Then there is a three-day break for the July 4 holiday, after which intake restarts Wednesday, July 5, through Friday, July 7, again from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

Details of items that will be accepted are below and on the church website. Note that this year lamps or audiovisual electronics will not be accepted this year due to space limitations.

The sale itself will be held on Friday, July 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday, July 15, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Most departments offer items at half-price on the second day. There may be some mask restrictions on inside shopping.

For more information about the sale or if you would like to volunteer to help in any capacity, whether with intake, the sale itself, or clean-up, call the church office at 860.434.8686 and/or visit www.fccol.org/wes.

See you at The Sale!

Here is a summary of items that are / are not accepted by the White Elephant Sale. For further information, visit www.fccol.org/wes.