CANFIELD — The annual Angels for Animals Gigantic Garage Sale for 2021 is almost here, but a lot of work already has been happening behind the scenes.

Items are coming in, being priced and arranged for the thousands of customers who will flock to the fairgrounds Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The sale has come a long way since it began 27 years ago.

“I remember our first garage sale was at a volunteer’s house,” said Susie Cope, who co-manages the Antiques and Uniques building with Denise Miller during the sale. “This is my 25th year as a volunteer.”

Founder Diane Less started the shelter in her barn, and moved it to a renovated chicken coop. Angels for Animals was incorporated in 1990 and Cope first got involved when it was in the coop.

Less said the sale grew like the shelter and today it is a key fundraiser.

“Last year, we brought in $154,000 in three days,” Less said. “Of that, our net profit was $125,000.”

She said the overhead goes to leasing the barns at the fairgrounds, covering expenses and security, and renting tables that are needed to fill the buildings.

“We are renting 660 tables this year for eight buildings,” Cope said. “Earlier this week we had a professional moving company come in and make five trips to bring items from storage to the fairgrounds for this sale.”

Among the buildings where the items will go are the Main Building that covers housewares, holidays and toys; Book World for books, DVDs and records; Man’s World for outdoor, garden and tool items; 50-cent World for odds and ends; Clothing for clothes and linens; Furniture; the Food building, and the Antiques and Uniques building, where Cope does her best to ensure items bring in the best profit.

PRICING AND STAGING

Items that are donated this weekend go through a staging area in the main building. Volunteers price items and separate them into buggies to be taken to the proper building. The items are then put on display in the appropriate building prior to the opening day of the sale, unless Cope and her team decide to claim it for their building.

“Our goal is to maximize the money,” Cope said.

An example would be an antique that was priced for $1 in the Main building. If Cope discovers it, the item is moved to Antiques and repriced to match what it is.

Cope uses auction sites such as eBay to find similar items and see what price they fetched. One recent donation was an unusual green glass bottle with a rounded bottom. The neck seemed to indicate a place for a cork.

Cope went to eBay and typed in “glass bottle with a round bottom” and several came up. The bottle is a vintage wine bottle and several sold for around $20 and up. Cope said she would price it at $10 considering the area and there would be no shipping charge. That took a couple minutes to track down, but when one considers the amount of items at the sale, it adds up to a lot of work.

“Donations take close to two weeks, working eight to 10 hours a day to price and place,” Cope said. “In fact it takes hundreds of volunteer hours to put this sale together and run it for the three days.”

VOLUNTEER HELP

Angels for Animals depends on volunteers to help with the show. Community Outreach Director Kimberly Moff said volunteers are needed. She welcomes individuals and groups such as scouts, church groups or organizations. She is hoping for enough to work shifts.

“We are also in need of friendly canines to work as donation dogs,” Moff said.

The dogs would simply be walked around wearing a donation vest to collect money.

For those wishing to volunteer, call the Angels for Animals office at 330-549-1111 or call Diane at 330-502-5352 or Robin at 330-506-2839. The donation window is now closed.

“We never know what is going to come through that door,” Cope said. “I take each item personally though and handle it with care and respect. I appreciate that donors want to help the animals.”