It seems like every season in the UP has an official activity. During fall, it’s raking leaves. During winter, it’s snowblowing. During Spring, it’s still snowblowing. But once we get to summer we–hopefully–put the snowblowers away and get ready for the official summer sport of the UP– Rummage sales.
They may go by many names–yard sales, garage sales, tag sales…heck, I even saw someone once call it a “clutter sale” which, in my opinion, is the rummage sale equivalent of putting dill pickles on pasties.
But once June hits these sales seem to follow the biblical imperative of “go forth and multiply”.
I go on these long, meandering runs through Marquette Saturday mornings, and this time of the year it’s not uncommon to run past at least a dozen of them. And I’ll often see the same people at each one, checking it off their list of sales to hit.
For some Yoopers, their favorite way to spend a summer weekend is going through board games with no dice or some dude’s collection of old whiskey bottles.
Lest you think I’m joking, there’s a Facebook group for rummage sales in Marquette, Ishpeming, and Negaunee that has over 11,000 members.
11,000-plus. There are 68,000 people living in Marquette County, which means that roughly one out of every six Marquette County residents belongs to a single Facebook group dealing with rummage sales.
I’ve often wondered what happens to the stuff that people buy during these sales, and I’ve hit upon a theory that explains a lot. Hear me out.
People go to these sales to buy things, and when they get a critical mass of stuff they then get to have their own rummage sale, where other people come and buy their stuff until THEY have enough for their own rummage sale.
It’s kind of like a perpetual motion machine, but with kids’ clothing and tents missing a stake or two.
So as we head into June, don’t be surprised if you see people getting excited about the weekend. After all, for a whole bunch of Yoopers, they’re looking forward to our official summer sport.
Rummage sales.
I’m Jim Koski, and that’s another slice of “Life in the 906.”
