Variety is not only the spice of life but is the life-blood of a successful rummage sale. The donaters rose to the challenge and offered up everything on the “wanted items list”, everything from „nuts to bolts”, everything including the kitchen sink and a luxury toilet seat. Everything, that is, except for musical instruments! So, looks like noone had any extra accordions, guitars or bagpipes hanging around? Well, there's always next year. Yes, next year the AKEN women will be hoping for at least a few harmonicas!
And what about the new venue you ask? As much as they loved their old home at the corner of Carlton and Jarvis Streets, the AKEN team discovered that Esto House was actually an ideal place for a sale the magnitude AKEN Basaar #25. A spacious entranceway, a spacious foyer connecting the spacious large hall and the semi-spacious centre hall made the flow of movement comfortable and easy for everyone. No crushed bodies, no need to render first aid to any overexuberant customers! And a parking lot – what a luxury for shoppers and volunteers alike! And the best part of all for the veterans of the Hiigelbasaari days – no stairs to climb! Memories of traipsing up and down from basement to the third floor balcony of St. Andrew's Church linger on and on…..
You had to see it to believe it! ʺGargantuanʺ is the word that come to mind when trying to describe the scene beheld by the customers as they entered the large hall of Esto House on the day of the sale. Stuff on the tables, stuff under the tables, wall-to-wall stuff everywhere! A treasure trove for bargain hunters who love to rummage through, to purchase and to own previously owned stuff.
But the whiff of home baked goods wafting through the halls of Eesti Maja eventually resulted in the inevitable – a sold out Cafe and Bake sale located in the centre hall of the building. The other half of the centre hall was devoted to a hugely expanded, hugely successful Esto Boutique where Estonian handicraft enthusiasts had a heyday outbidding each other to purchase items such as amber necklaces, brooches and bracelets as well as beautiful silver brooches (ʺsõled”), bracelets and necklaces with viking ship pendants.
According to an old adage ʺsuccess breeds successʺ. Yes folks, there will be another Giant Rummage and Bake Sale, another Hiigelbasaar in 2017 and it will be even more successful than this year's sale. Guaranteed.
Ellen Leivat, AKEN committee (and proud owner of a viking ship pendant)
