Big day for bargain hunters and savvy shoppers

By Michelle Adams-Thomas | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – “This is our fifth annual Tag Sale Day, but it would have been our sixth if we hadn’t had to cancel last year’s due to COVID,” said organizer Maria Bivins, owner of Life Repurposed on Main Street and a member of the Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce.

Bivins reported that 37 tables were reserved for individuals and organizations to offer their wares for the July 17 event. Threatening weather reduced the actual tables to 30 and rain seemed imminent all day with possible flash flooding, but the precipitation held off until about 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, Manor Ink asked vendors to show us the most interesting item they had for sale. Examples included a dining plate with the image of President John. F. Kennedy, a storybook with pop-up art work inside, and assorted clothing. “All our clothes are very out there,” one seller boasted. “They come from across the world and we sell them for less than what you would buy at most stores.”

Many sellers were ordinary people cleaning out their attic or garage to get rid of clutter. One creative couple filled a jar with costume jewelry that they didn’t want to just throw away as it had come from family members. They said that anyone could take what they wanted for a donation of any amount to Manor Ink. By the end of the day, the paper received $25 in cash donations.

The hamlet-wide tag sale brought overflow crowds to Main Street, and after perusing sale tables many people also visited local shops. The Walk In was very busy, with a line of customers waiting in the street to place their orders, and Upstream Wine & Spirits was crowded with seekers of a special vintage. On Pleasant Street, Jitterbug, the recently opened toy, art supplies and record shop, attracted curious kids and their parents. A machine outside filled the air with whimsical bubbles that drifted out onto Main Street.

“Business has been very good,” said co-owner Brad Mann. “There was a dearth of things for kids in town, so we decided to open a store for them. People have been comparing us to Sorkin’s, the Manor’s former department store that used to sell toys.”

“I’ve always wanted to open an art shop,” said partner Miriam Rayefsky. “And when we added toys, it was the glue that made Jitterbug come together.”

With the success of Tag Sale Day, and the recent opening of many new businesses in town, Livingston Manor appears to be experiencing a real, sustainable upswing in commerce as well as renewed popularity as a Catskills destination.