Community Corner

Golden Valley Resident Helps Organize Angel's Attic Sale

Thousands of donated, new and estate sale items will fill nearly every storefront of the empty mall for sale Oct. 13-17 in Plymouth.

Golden Valley resident Judy Kauffman is co-chair of Angel's Attic, an all-volunteer community fundraiser that has been held at different locations throughout the metro, St. Louis Park, Bloomington, and now Plymouth.

Each sale location in hosted in donated space. The Four Seasons mall property is owned by Walmart, which donated the space for the sale this year happening this Saturday, Oct. 13, through Wednesday, Oct. 17. The former mall is located off Highway 169 at Rockford Road. You can see the mall from Highway 169.

Though the sale is only a few days, the work put into filling nearly 90,000 square feet of space with new and slightly used items is a year-long process. All items sold are donated from stores, businesses and estate sales. Even the food for volunteers is donated by local businesses.

Find out what's happening in Golden Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Along with co-chair Kay Melemed of Minnetonka, Kauffman has been cashing in long days to make the sale work. Both Melemed and Kaufmann have been working for years with the World's Largest Garage Sale benefitting the American Cancer Society before their support evolved to Angel's Attic.

Kauffman grew up doing the volunteer work with her family, who were involved with helping out the American Cancer Society for years. So many of the volunteers working at this year's Attic sale have been doing it for so long they don't need to be told twice what needs to get done.

Find out what's happening in Golden Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Everyone knows their task," Kauffman said. "The volunteers are fabulous and very, very dedicated. We have great volunteers who come from all over."

Kauffman and Melemed split up duties to get everything done in preparation for the yearly sale in October. Each year thousands of people flock to find bargain deals on new and estate sale items that range in prices.

More than a 100 volunteers who help out with the sale, with proceeds to benefit the Angel Foundation. The Foundation provides financial assistance for non-medical basic needs such as food, gas, utilities and rent or mortgage payments and offers education and support at no cost through its Facing Cancer Together program to help adults with cancer and their families live life well with stability, strength and resilience.

Bringing together donations for not just the sale, but for supporting the volunteers is great job for Marcia Wertheimer of Golden Valley. Wertheimer works with several others to provide food for all the volunteers working long hours during the sale and to celebrate their work at the end of the sale with a banquet for volunteers. 

"This is a good cause," Wertheimer said. "The people who do this are so warm and everyone here have good hearts, are good people and are helping a good cause."

About the Sale

The sale is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, through Wednesday, Oct. 17, and consists of donated estate sale merchandise filling about 90,000 square feet of space. Store fronts that once were home to businesses in the Four Seasons Mall will now house numerous new and slightly used items including: antiques, furniture, art, household goods, sporting goods, lawn and garden, building materials, clothing for adults and children, toys, and much more.

Melemed said the hot items that will go quickly are in the children's department and the new women's clothing for sale. She also said the antiques and furniture departments are looking really good this year.

Because sale space and merchandise is also donated, nearly 92 percent of the proceeds go directly to Angel Foundation’s financial assistance and education and support programs for adults with cancer and their families. The sale is also a win-win for those in need—offering an affordable place to shop as well as a means to give back to others in the community.

Admission to get into the sale is $3 on Oct. 13 only. All merchandise is half price on Oct. 17.

Items are left with the estate sale prices on them, then volunteers go through and scale the prices down from there for the sale. New items are about 70 percent off their original prices, Melemed said. 

Waterford crystal glassware was marked down from $2,100 as a set to $420 or $30 per glass marked down from $75, all in top condition.

Melemed said people should bring their own bags and boxes for carrying items though some boxes will be available first-come first-serve. There is a holding room where you can bring your filled box of merchandise, get a number and continue shopping. Cash, checks and credit cars are accepted at the sale.

There is a women's dressing room and there will be porta-potties availble for public use. The mall is entirely inside. The entry to the sale starts at the old Natural Food store end and the exit is near the former Marcello's restaurant side of the mall.

Anything left over after the sale ends is given to about a dozen different charities that are contacted afterward to come pick up what items they need.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Golden Valley