Published: September 26, 2009 06:39 pm      

Toy Shop fall rummage sale begins Thursday

Event raises funds to purchase new toys for Christmas

DUNCAN — It’s time once more for the annual treasure hunt that’s also known as Toy Shop’s fall rummage sale.

Because of Toy Shop’s many years of service to the children of the Duncan community, local residents are generous in their donations of used items to the fall sale that provides funds with which to purchase toys at Christmas, and bargains abound for those who like to shop.

This year’s sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Stephens County Fair & Expo Center. The sale fills several rooms of the Conference Center each year with used clothing, furniture, toys, household goods, decorating items, sports equipment, books and the ever-popular “miscellaneous.”

“We have everything but the kitchen sink,” said Lynn Samples, “and some years, we’ve even had that. We get some really nice donations.”

Samples and Kathy Snider are co-chairmen of Toy Shop.

The fall sale is the larger of the two sales held each year. The spring sales are held at the Stephens County Historical Museum. Donations may be dropped off at the fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the sale begins on Thursday.

“The funds we generate with our rummage sales are used to purchase new toys and gifts to supplement those donated throughout the year. Monetary gifts are also appreciated,” Samples said.

She emphasized that items donated for the rummage sales are not passed on to the children, but the funds generated by the sale of those items are used to purchase new age-appropriate gifts for the recipients.

While many local individuals and organizations donate new and gently-used toys throughout the year for Toy Shop to give directly to needy Duncan children, non-toy gifts for teenagers are always needed, especially for teenage boys, she said. Gift cards, CDs, wallets, cologne and other such items are needed for those too old for Hot Wheels and Barbie dolls.

Just over 1,180 children were served last year, representing 465 families.

“Raising money is critical for us this year because of the economy. We expect that more families will register their children for gifts this year, and that the number of donations we receive will drop. We’re recycling more dolls than ever this year, and the guys are already working on the donated bikes to spruce them up to look like new for the kids who ask for them,” she said.

Toy Shop workers will get some help this year in moving the rummage sale items they’ve collected throughout the year from storage to the fairgrounds. The youth of Immanuel Baptist Church have volunteered to move the boxes and bags of donations.

Dates in November will soon be announced for parents and guardians to register Duncan children to receive gifts at Christmastime, Samples said.