The countywide Sanders Saleing yard sale event is a great way to purge items that have been sitting in your garage or basement gathering dust. It’s a great community event. However, there’s a drawback when it comes to the tons of items leftover. What do you do with it? You can pack it up for next year, take it to the dump, or donate it to local organizations and thrift stores. The problem is, many items that should probably be thrown away end up at thrift stores and the organizations end up throwing them away.

One of the most shocking realities of a countywide yard sale event was learning that so much of the unsold “stuff” was donated to local thrift stores. Behind Little Bitterroot Thrift Store in Thompson Falls and Plains, mountains of donations accumulate following the countywide sales.

The yard sales are great for our local communities and bring in hundreds of visitors who boost our local economy and help people get rid of unwanted items. Full transparency: I am the current president of the Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce, and we organized this year’s event. I was thrilled to see how successful it was.

However, in the aftermath of the sales, the local thrift stores have been inundated with leftover yard sale items that people don’t want to go through yet again. Residents generously donate to local organizations who make money off their leftovers. However, we need to be responsible with our donations. The thrift stores end up taking load upon load to the transfer station, and each load costs the organizations money. What started as a thoughtful donation can actually become a financial burden for these local non-profits.

The local organizations definitely appreciate donations. Don’t stop giving to them. What I’m suggesting, though, is to make your donations more thoughtful. If you have junk, throw it away. If you have genuinely usable items in good condition that just need a new home, consider donating them.

— Annie Wooden