Portland folks love vintage stuff. And we love a bargain. Thrift stores, secondhand stores and garage sales are right in our wheel house. It’s just in out nature to enjoy secondhand stuff.

So, this weekend in Ridgefield, Washington about forty-five minutes north or Portland, is going to be pure heavy for the thrifty lover of second hand and vintage treasures. This community garage sale which offers forty-dollar tickets for early entry is a thrice yearly event that offers gobs of hidden treasures waiting for the right person to come along. Is that person you?

This accurately named community garage sale discharges thousands of products and has never ever disappointed me. Plus if you get the early bird entry, which I wholly recommend, your odds are fantastic that you will get that hidden treasure you’ve been seeking. Last year, I found a really cool gold pocket watch you know, one of those numbers with a chain. It works like a dream and I feel super cool when I have it on. There was also a really cool vintage dresser that now completes our bedroom. Some rugs and I even scored one of those environmentally friendly manual lawn mowers. Ever aware of my impact on this planet this was my favorite find.

You an find all this kind of stuff and more Think of this as the Portland Saturday Market but for old stuff instead of crafts and yummy food (though you can certainly find those things here too!) Hundreds of individual sellers set up shop with historic collectibles, trinkets and charms, clothing, electronics, tools, and pretty much everything else under the sun (or rain such as it is here usually in November), and it's the shoppers' job to figure out just how much they're willing to lug home. Last year, we made the entirely environmentally irresponsible move of bringing both of the family vehicles, which we filled to the brim. This year, maybe we will just save ourselves the trouble and rent a U-Haul. Who knows! The possibilities are endless!

The best part for the sellers, though? They get to keep 100% of their sales. This is a community garage sale that affects the individuals in the community, not some corporate bigwigs or even the organizers of the event. What could be more Portland than that?

So even though you may have to do some poking around at the Northwest’s Largest Garage Sale and Vintage Sale, you can rest assured that you'll ultimately uncover something special. It’s worth the drive from Portland, one hundred percent.

For more information check out http://www.nwgsales.com/. I’ll be the guy in the U Haul. Say hello!