The volunteer elves of The Closet’s Annual Everything Christmas Sale are ready for the rush. Photo by Mercia Hobson.
The Closet of Greater Herndon opened the doors to its annual Everything Christmas Sale on Friday afternoon, Nov. 10. An hour earlier, people started lining up on the sidewalk at the special two-day sale site, the Herndon Moose Lodge 2274 on Center Street.
Organizers chose the Moose Lodge because of its cavernous second-floor space. It would be an understatement to say that shoppers discovered a massive amount of gently used Christmas, holiday and seasonal items offered at deeply discounted prices. For some, their thrift shopping would be aspirational or sustainable, but for others, their thrift shopping would be done out of necessity because new items would be too costly.
Whatever the reason, profits from The Closet’s sales go to support local community service organizations and post-secondary education scholarships for students from local high schools. Items that The Closet cannot sell, whether returned to their store or offered at their booth at the Dec. 9 Herndon Wintermarkt, are donated to needy communities in the western part of the state.
Lead Laura Greenspan of Reston told how The Closet collected the items between Dec. 22, 2022, and last week. On Sunday, teams of volunteers began to tackle the daunting task of unpacking not one but two storage units filled with the donated holiday decor. Throughout the year, volunteers meticulously sorted the items into over 600 bins. There were bins for stockings and stocking holders, candles, string lights, and lit decor. There were more bins for wreaths and garlands, nutcrackers, figurines, holiday dishware, mantle trees, and more. The oversized collection items, such as the tall faux trees and yesterday's classic steel runner sleds, would demand one-on-one carrying.
Undeterred by the enormity of the challenge, volunteers loaded and transported the items using two trucks. Youth crews diligently lent a helping hand on Sunday and Monday, taking advantage of the no-school day to tackle unpacking the mountain of bins and organizing similar items on tables. Other volunteer teams diligently priced the items on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
'We've had many great volunteers, many from our official faith-based organizations, the community, and even some of our longtime shoppers, who have come to help. Athena is our best merchandiser; she's been here daily," Greenspan said. “And today, finally, we’ll find out how it turns out.”
The Closet of Greater Herndon Area, Inc. is a nonprofit thrift shop in the heart of historic downtown Herndon located at 845 Station Street. The Closet is a faith-based volunteer-driven organization of 20 congregations, among them the First Baptist Church, Shorshim Jewish Community, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and St. John Neumann.“The Closet has become a favorite with a wide range of shoppers, from those needing essential clothing items and household goods at bargain prices to collectors and antique buffs who check The Closet’s shelves for unusual books, plates, and collectibles at a fraction of retail prices. On shopping days, eager shoppers often begin lining up outside before the store opens,” states the organization’s website.