OBIFD Hosts Another Successful Auction and Sale

August 20, 2014

Perfect weather, lots of bargains, generosity and community spirit all came together to make for another great weekend at the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department annual auction and yard sale.

Hundreds of people attended the two-day event, which features a community yard sale and silent auction on both days and a live auction of mostly donated treasures on Sunday, August 9.

More than $45,000 was raised at the 21st annual event to support the non-profit fire and rescue department. It was the second-highest amount ever raised at the auction and sale, trailing only last year, when two valuable boats and a motorhome bolstered the total to record levels.
Buyers look for bargains at the yard sale.

“We were so pleased not just because we were successful in reaching our financial goals for the weekend, but that we hosted one more event that brings the folks from all over Harpswell together for a great time,” said Mike Helfgott, president of the OBIFD Board of Directors.

Over the years, the event has grown from a modest fundraising idea which raised about $350 in 1993 to a highly anticipated community event which has provided thousands of dollars to help equip and train members of the all-volunteer fire and rescue squads.

Crowds line up early for the Saturday yard sale.
“It was great fun watching people leave our yard with armloads of items, some of which they really needed, others that they merely wanted, and some that they had no need for at all,” Helfgott said. “Perhaps they'll bring some of them back next year to pass on to other neighbors.”

Among the items generating the most attention this year were a teak dining room set, which sold for $1,000; a large set of wicker outdoor furniture for $1,025; a life-sized carved wooden dolphin for $675; a concrete gargoyle for $550; a power boat for $775; and another small boat and trailer for $450.

Buyers found many bargains in the numerous pieces of vintage wooden furniture, including $310 for a 19th-century recliner, $250 for an old bureau from a former Orr’s Island hotel, $175 for an oak table, $125 for a grandfather clock, $90 for a drop-leaf cherry table, and $250 for a set of 1950s kitchen chairs and table. Numerous other pieces of furniture and antiques sold for less than $100.

Prospective bidders preview auction items.
The auction included several special items sold to fund specific purposes. A hand-made local quilt, originally raffled several years ago to raise money for the department’s scholarship fund, was donated back and auctioned off for $550, again to benefit the scholarship. A blueberry pie, baked fresh especially for the auction, was sold for $1,000, continuing a tradition of four-figure bids for the first pie to benefit the scholarship fund each year. Two other pies sold for $200 and $110, and a bidder paid $200 for a pair of old roller skates which are signed by the winner each year and then returned for “sale” the next year.

Meanwhile, the two-day yard sale on the fire station grounds and in the adjacent old Orr’s Island Schoolhouse featured a wide variety of household items, sporting goods, rugs, furniture and more, with costs ranging from a few cents to a few dollars. Many terrific bargains were had because the large number of quality items at the auction meant more things were sold at the yard sale for less.
Auctioneer Malcolm McFarland gets bids.

Fire Chief Ed Blain, who served as an auctioneer, attributed much of the success to the generosity of donors who provided a wide array of quality items for sale and then opened their wallets to buy other treasures donated by their neighbors.

“I was very pleased with the record turnout and record-breaking numbers,” Blain said.  “Saturday's yard sale nearly doubled our numbers in past years and was indicative of the high quality and exceptional deals that were available.”

Blain said he heard from so many people that the yard sale and auction has become the top social event and one of the highlights of the year in the islands community.  Many people told of planning their visits so they would be sure to be in town for the event.
Buyers check out bargains at the Orr's Island Schoolhouse.

As the auction and sale has grown, it has involved more and more volunteers, who work year-round to make it a success.

“I want to thank our community volunteers who tirelessly helped to set up and run the event through the weekend,” Blain said. “They too often fade into the background of the event and don't get nearly the recognition they deserve. The department could not possibly do this without the help of all the volunteers.”

Those volunteers have already begun working on next year’s auction and sale, which is scheduled for August 8 and 9, 2015, including collecting donations, which are accepted year-round.

All money raised helps fund the operation of the all-volunteer department, which provides fire and rescue services for Orr's and Bailey Islands and portions of Great Island east of the Mountain Road bridge and south of Stevens Corner Road on Route 24.

Chief Ed Blain shows off the new patient monitor.
At the start of the auction, Blain provided a tangible example of where the money raised at the event goes and how it benefits the community.

Blain held up a new patient cardiac monitor recently purchased with $ 30,700 raised from donations, including last year’s auction. The advanced monitor, which will improve patient care by emergency medical technicians, gives OBIFD the same key piece equipment used by the town’s other rescue squads and paramedic service.

For more information about OBIFD or volunteering, visit the department's web site at www.obifd.org.