All About Rummage

updated 10.15.25

Mark your calendars for the first weekend in May and last weekend in September for the semi-annual fundraiser. 

Sale hours are Fridays 8am - 7pm and Saturdays 8am - 1pm. 

IMPORTANT RUMMAGE SALE 
INFO FOR EVERYONE!

COURTESY REMINDERS

• Please be quiet & courteous of other groups in the hallways while we are moving big, heavy things.  Don't block any entrances - especially the front office.  Don't drag anything on the new floors!  
• On Weds / Thurs, volunteers will be arriving at all different times. The gym doors may or may not be open so you can try knocking loudly on the outside gym doors / kitchen window or go to the main entrance (West doors).  You can also message GroupMe to be let in.
• Because the preschool is in session on Friday, we need to stay out of that side of the church for any reason.

DUMPSTER REMINDERS

• We need to fill dumpsters as efficiently and safely as possible!!  Why?  
• 1) They are expensive so we don't want to waste any space. 
• 2) We want to be good citizens and keep as much as we can out of the landfill. 
• 3) We don't want any injuries or damage to nearby vehicles, property, etc.  
• There will be things throughout the week that will have to be thrown away - not just at the end.  Remember to open the dumpster door and fill it from back to front.  We have to close the dumpster door at the end of each night so people don't go exploring or illegally dumping.
• Don't throw things over the top of the dumpster!!
• At the end of the sale, furniture needs to go into the dumpster first before we start chucking all the small things.  REMEMBER - FURNITURE FIRST!
• Things we are trying to keep out of the dumpster(s):  tires, refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, audio / stereo equipment, cell phones, computers, printers, phones, fax/copy machines, TVs, monitors, VCRs, DVD players, video cameras, video game consoles, wireless devices.  Leftover electronics & appliances are the first load that goes to Savers after charities take what they want (or the Smash Room or the metal recycler).

SAFETY REMINDERS

• Wear closed toe, comfortable shoes!
• We have some work gloves but feel free to bring your own!
• When building the big yellow shelving unit, move slowly and watch in all directions so nobody gets hurt. 
• Pro Tip: If you are trying to install or remove one of the shelf bars, communicate and make sure someone else has a good grip on the other end!
• Be careful opening bags & boxes that may have sharp / dangerous items. Watch out for broken glass!
• If you find something dangerous or illegal, call a parent for help.  Don't try to move it!
• Be careful lifting boxes that may not have the bottom sealed. If it's heavy, grab a friend.
• Lift with your legs, not your back.
• Downstairs Storage: Avoid avalanches by working from the top down.
• When unloading from the loft, make sure you have more than one ringer to support heavy boxes overhead.

RANDOM SETUP TIPS

• Bring heavy book boxes and the "fragile wall" up last if you can so they are not in the way during most of setup.
• When you find loose books on the sorting table, grab an empty box and fill it.
  
• Line book boxes along the back wall while we are sorting so they are not in the way.
  
• When you find clothing, put it in a garbage bag for Crossroads in the donation closet.
  
• When you find valuables / collectibles / antiques, take them to the collectibles counter for someone to price.
  
• When emptying boxes, don't tear them down. Stack them as efficiently as possible in the table closet. It saves a lot of time later so we don't have to tape them back together.

SALE REMINDERS

• Ringers, don’t take payment! Send everyone to the cashier!  Even if customers want to tip you, take it to the cashier!
  
• We cannot tie down large items for customers onto their vehicle (or provide materials to do so) - it is a liability issue.
  
• Stay busy when customers are around - it’s not a great look to have people lounging on couches in the hallways or front lawn.  
  
• Thank customers for coming and remind them about the $5 bag sale on Saturday.
  
• Hand out grocery bags on Saturday morning to customers who don't have one.
  
• Bring a water bottle & stay hydrated!!!

RUMMAGE INFO FOR PARENTS

During rummage week, the ringers will begin Tuesday evening during the last 30 minutes of practice with setting up tables & shelves.  Wednesday, ringers will be bringing up rummage from the basement storage area and parents & volunteers will be sorting it to tables / different areas in the gym. Thursday, parents & volunteers will finish up the small items area and display everything while ringers move all furniture up from basement storage. If furniture goes quickly, ringers can help in the gym.

Both parents and ringers are expected to participate during rummage week for the set-up, sale, and clean-up. Parents will receive an email from SignUpGenius with volunteer shifts available and ringers will sign up for their schedule for the week in the music room during practice. We also have parent volunteers coordinating meals and snacks donated by parents and a parent oversees packaging & pricing items for the bake sale. 

On Saturday, it is ALL HANDS ON DECK!  Please be prepared to stick around until about 4pm for clean-up and driving leftover donations to drop-off locations.  

YEAR-ROUND
RUMMAGE COLLECTION INFO

For more information about scheduling a pick-up or what type of items are allowed, contact the Rummage Coordinator:  

Kelly Oaks

 

ACCEPTING RUMMAGE DONATIONS

When accepting donations, we need to keep in mind that we cannot store certain items for safety reasons including liquids or hazardous materials.  Ask folks to please empty tanks of yard equipment / machinery / tools that are gasoline-powered before donating.

Although we appreciate every donation for the sale, due to storage limitations, we cannot accept certain items. PLEASE do not accept any of the following: sleeper sofas, recliner sofas, extra long couches, tube TVs or computer monitors, entertainment centers, mattresses, clothing, large appliances, large exercise equipment, or pianos.  Keep in mind items that are hard to sell (ie: big, heavy desks) are also hard to dispose of and there's only so much room in our rented dumpsters!

We should also remind people dropping off items at the church to please not leave donations in the hallway by the collection closet or blocking gates in the basement area.

ELEVATOR INFO

The door opening to the elevator is 36” W x 84” H. Inside measurements of the elevator are 69” L x 84” H x 54” D (at most -  the part by the elevator buttons is only 49” deep)*

* On the back wall 30” from the floor,  there is a 2” tall bar that sticks out about 2”.  If your rummage object is shorter than 30”, you will have an extra 2” budge room on the depth.

If the elevator stops working, the first thing to check is to make sure the track is clear of any debris.

ARRANGING PICK-UPS

We schedule pick-up's or a drop-off day at CUMC on alternating months.  We typically take off the months of June and December for tour and the Christmas concert season but if necessity demands, we may need to make exceptions to that rule.

Pick-ups are limited to within a 10 mile radius of CUMC in most cases. Please ask people donating to have items ready for pick up in front of the house or in the garage.  They can request a pick-up through this google form.

We can provide a receipt with the tax exempt ID number upon request.  The IRS requires that a tax-exempt organization send a formal acknowledgment letter for any donation that is more than $250. The donor will use this letter as proof of their donation to claim a tax deduction.  We also like to send thank you cards for large or expensive donations.

EMPTYING THE CLOSET

Many community members will deliver their own donations to church and put them in the rummage closet which needs to be monitored because it can fill quickly - we need to move items to the downstairs storage as soon as possible so it doesn't overflow.  

MAKING RUMMAGE PURCHASES DURING THE OFF-SEASON

If you want to buy something you find in the rummage basement storage, you don't have to wait for the sale!  You can pay the treasurer at any time - cash, check, or Venmo accepted. A suggested price list and scan code are posted in the basement for your convenience.  Remember, rummage donations fund summer tour!  If you see something cool in rummage and take it home without paying, it is not fair to all your hard-working fellow ringers - they have earned the money that would come from a sale and you are also short-changing yourself!  You can probably sell that cool thing for a lot more at the rummage sale and it will help pay for a fun activity on tour.

  

RUMMAGE PICK-UP INFO FOR RINGERS

 

Ringers are scheduled once a month on a Saturday morning (9am - 12pm or whenever finished) for either a donation pick-up request or a drop-off day at CUMC. Parent drivers are needed for the pick-up dates - the rummage coordinator will provide a calendar.  

What to Bring:

Closed toe shoes, work gloves, and a water bottle.  Wear TWBR gear if you have it!

What you Need To Do:

Empty the rummage closet, help hitch up the trailer (if needed), complete assigned pick-ups.  Offer tax donation forms to the donors. Unload donations and store in the basement.  Be mindful and courteous of our guests from Family Promise.  We want to be as quiet as possible and watch to make sure nobody wanders into the rummage area - sometimes there are small children so we need to make sure they are supervised. 

Parents:

Work with other parents to arrange enough drivers for the van / trailers and all ringers (with seat belts) for each scheduled pick-up. The rummage coordinator will provide pick-up locations and details.  

Ringers:  

If you have a conflict for a rummage day, it's YOUR responsibility to contact the rummage coordinator to let them know.  You may have another assignment as a substitution.

If you've made it this far... maybe you'd like to be the next rummage coordinator!
😜

Tips for Future Coordinators (by Ann Rutherford)

Keep in mind that the coordinator is just that... a coordinator, not the sole rummage person.  It is their job to be the contact person, schedule groups, remind groups, etc.  It is absolutely NOT their job to do all the pick-ups on their own!  

Ringers AND parents should be participating in pick-ups!  It is the ringer's job to find a back-up if they have a scheduling conflict and parents can help remind them.  Do not just assume that someone else will do it!  

Rummage pick-ups / drop-offs should be planned for one Saturday morning per month.  We try to schedule between 9AM-12PM so it's not all day.

If dividing into small groups, have the lead ringers divide the choir up into groups, usually 5-6 per group.  Each group gets a month.  So, for example, if there are 3 groups, Group 1 gets Sept, Group 2 gets Oct, Group 3 gets Nov.  We take December off and start again in January.

Historically, we have NOT been doing any pickups in Dec or June\ due to the busy concert schedules (and holidays and graduations and tour, etc).  That being said, we've still done some when things come up.  And we do still need to empty the closet on a regular basis - even during those busy times.

When you have a rummage sale coming up, you may need to schedule extra pick-ups and EVERYONE can help with these - not just assigned groups.  Advertise a drive-thru rummage drop-off on the Weds & Thurs nights before rummage sales where ringers will help folks unload.  Have the front office put the dates / times in their e-mails and on church signage.  Ask Christa to put it on social media.

Pickup Requests:  Be sure people know how grateful we are for their donations.  Offer them a tax donation form if they want - most people don't want them.  

People want this to be an on-demand service, just remind them this is a group of very busy teens with practices, school, and work.  Either you can put them on the schedule for the next pick-up or they can drop off at the church closet on their own.  

Tell them the next available Saturday pickup day, and that TWBR will be there between 9AM-12PM.  Ask for their name / phone / address and confirm it is within 10 miles of CUMC.  Make sure you get an idea of how much they want to donate (how heavy, how big, how many boxes, etc).  Pictures are even better!

If no pick-up requests are coming in, it might be good to hold a drop-off day.  Call the church front office and ask them to include it in the weekly e-mail when you are doing it.   Drop-off days are also really good to do the month before rummage sales.  If it's getting crazy, double up and schedule two rummage groups to cover the month leading up to the sale.

The week before a Saturday pickup - send a GroupMe message to the group that is scheduled for that week.  Don't send it to the whole GroupMe, everyone else doesn't need all those messages pinging their phones.  Make separate rummage GroupMe groups.  Give them an idea of what is requested (how many pick-ups, what is getting picked up, addresses, etc) so they can plan their weekend.  By Friday, send out a final list to the group of all the who / what / when / where / why's - requests, addresses, contact info, photos (ask for these from requesters so groups know exactly what they are going to get).

Text Lita (801.915.2421) to make sure the church will be unlocked during the scheduled rummage times.  You can also check the church calendar to make sure there are no conflicts like funerals, conferences, Polish School, martial arts, etc.

Pick-up Rules: Requests must be within 10 miles or less of CUMC.  Donations must be easily accessible in the garage, outside or just inside an entry (without significant stairs to deal with), NOT upstairs, downstairs, etc.  Our kids are impressive and strong but they are kids, they are not professional movers.  Reject donations that are dangerous for our ringers / parents.  Example - heavy furniture needing to be moved down stairways, etc.  Also, warn people we are not responsible for any damage to homes before you start moving anything.  Do not leave teens alone inside homes with strangers!  

ONLY parents can drive for bell activities, including rummage pickups. Be certain each group has enough adults to drive with everyone having their own seatbelt.  You will need to schedule drivers with a hitch to haul the trailer for large items.

Expectations for Rummage Pick-up Saturdays:
Arrive at 9, wearing work clothes, closed toe shoes and gloves. If you have old WBR gear, it's nice to wear it - it looks more official.  Empty rummage closet into the basement before you start on pick-up's.  Be super thoughtful / respectful of anyone staying in the Family Promise space as you do your work.  Family Promise generally uses the CUMC basement housing August - October and February - April. The families usually arrive on the first Sunday in August and leave on the first Sunday in November. They will return on the first Sunday in February and leave on the first Sunday in May.  This is the general rule of thumb, but there may be a few exceptions.

Head out for scheduled pick-ups.  Sometimes it works to divide and conquer - example, if there's a small pick-up one direction and a bigger pick-up the opposite direction, send an SUV to the small one with a ringer or two and send the trailer to the bigger one with everyone else.  Just figure it out depending on requests and what you have available (drivers, ringers, vehicles, etc).

Parents should call or text the donation contact when you are on your way so they know you are coming and can give you any tips to find them.

Bring donations back to the church and take them downstairs to the storage cage - don't leave pickups in the closet! It will fill up faster than you think!  No one leaves until all the work is done.

Certainly not required - but grabbing a few treats never hurts - donuts and a drink usually make teens smile : )