P.J. Thomas: It's mud-sale season in Lancaster County
SPRING IS in the air and bargain hunters are everywhere as the annual season of mud sales kicks off in and around Lancaster County.
SPRING IS in the air and bargain hunters are everywhere as the annual season of mud sales kicks off in and around Lancaster County.
This eclectic series of auctions, most of them fund-raisers for local volunteer fire companies, is where the real bargains are - not at the outlet malls for which the region is famous.
The name "mud sale" refers to the time of year when the auctions are typically held, just when the rich, fertile farmland is beginning to thaw. Companies and individuals donate merchandise, which can range from everyday groceries to antiques and cattle.
For some, attending these sales is just sport, like browsing flea markets. For others, this is serious business. Either way, thousands wade through sometimes ankle-deep mud, happily searching for great deals.
"People come from all over - Delaware, Ohio, Maryland - to buy bargains," said Randy Prier of Cochranville, who was looking for an Amish-made dresser for his wife at one recent sale.
"And it's a good way to recycle. You know what they say: One person's trash is another's treasure."
The first of more than 14 auctions scheduled for the season was sponsored by the Honey Brook Fire Company and held at the Romano 4-H Center in Chester County. It began at 8 on a cold Saturday morning in late February.
By 7 a.m., pickup trucks had filled one parking lot, as parking attendants in bright orange vests and volunteer firefighters in their gear directed a continuous stream of slowing traffic along Route 322. A second lot filled quickly and latecomers were forced to park along the shoulder of the two-lane highway.
Meanwhile, a straggling line of Amish drivers steered their black, horse-drawn buggies into a designated lot.
Outside, people inspected farm equipment, shrubbery, Amish buggies, and even livestock for sale. Another crowd gathered in a large tent for a chance to bid on an odd assortment of lawn equipment and supplies.
"Who'll give me five?" the auctioneer prattled while two young assistants held up push brooms for the crowd to see.
Most of the crowd, though, headed to a large tent where anyone expecting to buy merchandise must register and get a numbered bidding card.
The aroma of hot pretzels and brewing coffee wafted to the top of the yellow and white tent, leading everyone to a makeshift kitchen where dozens of Amish women scurried about. While some prepared breakfast sandwiches, others folded stromboli or pulled soft, brown bread from the oven.
A trio of auctioneers took turns selling an odd hodgepodge of groceries.
"Who's gonna give me $8? Who'll give me eight?" the auctioneer barked as a young Amish boy, clad in black and wearing a straw hat, held up an eight-pack roll of toilet paper.
"No one? All right, then, how 'bout three? OK, I see three over here, can I get four?" The pack sold for $4, about $3 cheaper than you'd find in stores.
Next, the boys held up a case of sodas.
"Who'll give me $5?" the auctioneer continued. And so it went as bags of chocolate, boxes of cereal, crackers, cleaning supplies and more were sold.
The Ivan Stoltzfus Co. was just one of several auction companies skillfully urging the crowd to buy.
Fast as lighting the gavel went down as a handmade wooden dry sink was sold. Next came a set of antique lamps, then Depression glass, black memorabilia and handmade birdhouses.
One of the most popular locations was a room where hundreds of Amish quilts were offered for sale. A woman who is a regular at the events explained the auction process: "They start out with the small pillow covers, pot holders and stuff. Next they sell the small quilts and then the big ones.
"Get a number and a list [of sale items]. You're going to see something you want to buy," she wisely advised as a charming, brightly colored child's quilt with a Noah's ark design was auctioned for a mere $20. Far less than you would ever pay in a store.
A queen-size, log-cabin-design quilt sold for $180. The buyer, delighted, knew that similar quilts sell for $100 to $200 more in stores.
The excitement is infectious at these auctions. If it's bargains you want, you'll find them. But besides your purchases, you'll leave with a good feeling knowing you've contributed to a worthy cause. *
P.J. Thomas is editor and co-publisher of Pathfinders Travel Magazine for People of Color, a nationally distributed publication founded in 1997, and co-host of "Travel with Pathfinders" on WPGC-AM in Washington, D.C. Contact her at