THE Vinnies Gawler monthly garage sale returns this Saturday, August 1, at its warehouse on Howard Street, after months of COVID-19 restrictions forced its closure earlier in the year.

Warehouse manager Des Wallace said while it will be great to start getting rid of everything piling up, it’s also a chance for the Vinnie’s community to come back together.

“Ever since we had to stop we’ve been hearing from all our regulars ‘when are you doing the garage sales again’, so it’s fair to say they’re all looking forward to it,” he said.

“We have a lot of young families come through, as well as collectors, and dealers all looking for a bargain… it also operates a bit like a men’s shed in a way.

“(The men here) are all retired, and it’s an outing for us every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday when we operate here, and the blokes look forward to it – so it’s a social gathering for us as well.”

With the garage sale set to clear out space in the warehouse, Vinnies will be resuming its furniture pick-up and delivery service, where it provides furniture for people in need, such as domestic violence victims. Mr Wallace also pointed out that the garage sale is a primary source of the charity’s fundraising efforts, making it a crucial part of the operation.

“It’s really the only fundraiser that we have,” he said.

“That money all get spent back here locally, too. It all goes towards the food parcels we make, clothing donations, vouchers, and more. It goes to the areas dedicated to people in need, so it’s great to have it back up and running.”

The garage sale kicks off at 7.30am and runs through the morning.

If people have furniture or goods they would like to donate, call Vinnies Gawler on 8522 4229 to organise its pick up, or visit the store at 48 Murray Street, Gawler, and enquire within.