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Get headed to the starting line, folks. The Coupeville Lions Club Garage Sale is about to begin. “Starting line” is no metaphor. For this garage sale, there is literally a rope holding people back until the figurative starting gun fires. It’s Central Whidbey’s version of the Oklahoma land rush, only instead of land people are out to grab bargain-priced pieces of furniture, household items and electronics. Lions Club members expect at least 200 people will be waiting behind the rope when this year’s sale begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 29. It continues Sunday until 2 p.m. The last day of school in most communities means the kids are out for the summer. In Coupeville, it means the Lions Club can start moving tons of donated garage sale items into the elementary school.
On Friday, June 14, a pride of Lions filled trucks at their secret warehouse surrounded by farmland. They waited impatiently for 3 p.m. when school building would become officially available. “School ends today and we move in,” said Ron Boyer, Lions Club president. Actually, they only started moving in that day. They were looking forward to two weeks of moving items from secreted locations to the school.
In this a particular warehouse, donated items literally soared to the ceiling. Lions climbed around the stacks, handing items down to other Lions, who hauled them to the trucks. It was hard work. “I joined last week, and if it’s any indication of the work we will be doing I’ll be out of here next month,” complained Jim Brannan, the club’s newest member. The other Lions laughed and told him things would only get worse until the sale begins. For the Lions Club, the garage sale is more than worth the effort. Al Sherman helped start the annual blow-out sale 23 years ago, and since then he has seen it help fund a myriad of community projects. “This is the granddaddy of all garage sales,” said Lion Bob Clay, while Lion Bill Bainbridge described it as “a club effort — actually a community effort.” In Coupeville, as in many tiny towns across America, the Lions Club is one of the pillars of the community. Sale proceeds provide the flags that line Coupeville’s streets on patriotic days, support other projects and make scholarships possible for deserving students. “We gave away $15,000 the other day,” said Boyer, referring to scholarships given out to graduates.
People donate to the garage sale all year long, but the Lions don’t take junk. They make sure all donated items are clean and in working order, including computers and other electronic equipment.
That’s why garage sale fans keep coming back year after year, and it’s why a rope is needed to hold them back.
By JIM LARSEN Whidbey News-Times editor

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