... Another person's treasure

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. David Liapis
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  A community yard sale hosted by the 366th Force Support Squadron brought together 24 vendors and 250 shoppers hoping to find great deals, May 19, in the Gunfighter Service Center parking lot.

Between the months of April and September, dozens of base housing residents open their garages to deal seekers. One drawback to this popular pastime, particularly with fuel prices on the rise, is driving all over base.

"Every weekend there's always a bunch of signs out for garage sales all over, and instead of going from house to house to house we thought, 'Why don't we bring everyone on base together and do one big event and have just a one-stop shop?'" said Stephanie Jouett, 366th FSS Community Center event coordinator. "So we just put it out there and hoped it would be a big event, and so far it's been a great event."

Marian Hoff, one of the hundreds of excited shoppers, said she loved being able to get good deals on quality items, as well as the benefits offered by the consolidated shopping location.

"It's a great opportunity for people to get out, and for people who may have limited time to come to one place," she said.

Some vendors came to simply unload unwanted items, while others came to raise money for charity or squadron events.

Tech. Sgt. Eric Bair from the 372nd Training Squadron Detachment 7 was just one vendor who raised money for his squadron. He recommends shopping at yard sales because people never know what they might find.

"One person's junk is another person's treasure," said Bair. "You can find some pretty good deals."

Bair and other vendors stated they would donate their unsold items to the Airmen's Attic or other local charities such as the Idaho Youth Ranch.

Those who missed this opportunity to discover hidden treasures should keep their eyes open for the next community yard sale or look for sale signs Saturday mornings during the summer months.

"We are definitely doing this again," said Shelly Turner, 366th FSS Commercial Sponsorship Coordinator. "We're just not sure when."

As always, avoid distracted driving (particularly when "scanning" a sale while idling by, trying to decide if it's worth stopping) and be on the lookout for other sale-goers and pedestrians.

For questions on how to obtain garage sale signs or with general questions about hosting sales in base housing, call the base housing office at 828-2781.

Gunfighter Videos

ACC News

Air Force News

 

What to See More Photos? Check Them Out Here!

How to Download Photos:

The best place to download hi-res photos and videos from Mountain Home AFB is the 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs page on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
An account is required to download any photos and videos!

Another source to download hi-res photos from the Mountain Home PA is the 366th Fighter Wing Flickr Page
No account is needed to download content.

Spacer. Do not delete