In pursuit of the white elephant at Cokesbury

By Ken Mammarella Contributing Writer

In order to best describe the long history of the white elephant sales events at Cokesbury Village, simply let the numerical figures tell the story.

The first is $400, which was the amount that was raised from baked goods sales at the Village’s first sale on Jan. 26, 1979, just three months after the community first opened. The second number is 120, which accounts for how many volunteers from the Village help put on the successful event. One more is $8,000, the amount raised when a Tiffany lamp – found clearing out a storage locker that belonged to a resident – was auctioned a few years ago. And a final pair: the sales generally earn $50,000 to $60,000 a year.

But these numbers cannot express the camaraderie among volunteers and good feelings the sale generates. The volunteers are helping donors get rid of stuff and buyers find new treasures. They’re extending the useful life of household items, clothing and furniture, rather than letting them be trashed. And volunteers, other residents and community members enjoy the activities funded by the sales.

“If you work the White Elephant Sale, you have a lot of fun,” said co-chair Bob Netherland.

“It’s so much fun to price and wrap,” Valerie Adams said on a recent Tuesday while doing just that. Volunteers also ensure that electronic gadgets work and items are complete.

The big white elephant sales – so big and with such great values that people line up in advance to be first in the door – run three times a year, this year in March, July and November. Smaller furniture sales occur in between, and a furniture catalog is published every two months. Volunteers also reach out to trusted dealers for specialized items.

Next sale is July 28-29

The next big sale is Friday-Saturday, July 28-29, running 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Smaller items are arranged in and near the du Pont Pavilion, near the ambulance entrance of the complex, 726 Loveville Road, Hockessin. Furniture is sold from a storage shed in a parking lot.

The sales benefit the Cokesbury Village Residents Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports multiple committees and their activities: concerts, classes, lectures, cultural programs, special-interest groups for residents, beautification of the campus grounds, more books for the library and entertainment and participatory activities for residents in the assisted living and healthcare units.

“All things that will enrich the lives of people at Cokesbury and in the community,” Netherland said.

The association has a Facebook page that people can access to learn sale dates and other information. Members post a sign two weeks before each major sale at the corner of Lancaster Pike and Loveville Road. Furniture-only sales are advertised at least a week before. It also sends notifications to an email list. To get on the list or for other questions, write to Netherland at rnether@comcast.net.

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