Santa Cruz hosts city wide garage sale

Some neighborhoods in Santa Cruz were turned into a marketplace.

“I did get a beautiful blue vase,” said bargain hunter Vicki Traylor.

Traylor said the 17th annual city wide garage sale in Santa Cruz is a bargain hunters dream.

“I love it, but it’s a little overwhelming because you can’t possibly get to everything you want,” said Traylor.

Dozens of homes are registered for the two day event. This weekend they’re selling anything from trinkets to antiques and collectibles.

“This gives people a chance to pick and walk through,” said garage sale host Steve Ricar. “Get their hands on it as opposed to buying it online where you can’t really see what you’re getting.”

Seller’s said don’t be afraid to ask for a cheaper price.

“Oh this is $3, could you go for $1.50?” said Daniella Laset who sold her belongings. “Usually it works for students because we’re just trying to get rid of stuff.”

The city said the neighborhood sale is not just about getting rid of your old stuff. Reusing, repairing and reselling old items is the goal. Locals can also earn some extra cash and help out the environment.

“I think it’s a good step towards building a more, I guess, sustainable future,” said UC Santa Cruz student Eva Tang.

As part of UC Santa Cruz’s Zero Waste Goal, the school is encouraging students who are moving out for the summer to help find their old books, clothes and furniture a new home.

“It’s a big problem because like a lot of people just acquire a lot of stuff,” said Tang. “But they can’t really like move anything or bring it back home with them.”

Often, things end up on the curb or in the trash and eventually in waterways, the bay or landfills.

“Within a day if it’s out on the streets it just become unusable,” said shopper Cam Rowland. “So it’s nice to see a city coming up with an idea to like limit what we’re going to do with this stuff.”

The garage sale is also taking place this Sunday.