Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

TOWNWIDE YARD SALE: IT’S A FAMILY THING

Scenes from Saturday’s Red Bank Townwide Yard Sale, captured by Peter Lindner. (To enlarge the photo display, start it, then click the embiggen symbol in the lower right corner. To get back to redbankgreen, hit your escape key)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

One of the rarest finds of Saturday’s Red Bank Townwide Yard Sale was not one that could be put in a bag or loaded up in the trunk. It wasn’t for sale, either.

It was on Maple Avenue, at the home of Pat Kears, who was selling a slew of household items with her family, which in itself is quite ordinary.

But “You’re not going to come across a yard sale that has a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter and all her grandchildren,” said Michelle Picold, Kears’s granddaughter. “We’re unique.”

The annual sale, now in its third year, has very much become a family affair, and not just for Kears, but many in town.

For the third year in a row, Dorothy Balacco set up shop with her sister outside their Hudson Avenue home selling a yard’s worth of clothes. They usually sell only half of it, but it’s something they look forward to each September, even if it’s to lend a helping hand to travel-weary shoppers, Balacco said.

“Some guy came by with a map and said, ‘Where am I?'” she said, laughing. “People lose track.”

The yard sale can also test one’s will. Although most come to sniff out as many bargains as possible, there are those that have to keep it under control — especially the ones on bike.

George Hetz, who lives in Lincroft, rode his bicycle to the sale with a large blue shoulder bag that was starting to fill up by early afternoon with DVDs and books.

“I’m trying not to find too much stuff,” he said. “I’m moving, and I’m having my own yard sale.”

Of course, some deals are too good to resist.

On the corner of South Street and Bergen Place, Rob Lowe talked about the pitfalls of the yard sale, when the seller becomes a buyer. Each year he and his wife, Karen, sell off most of their merchandise, which creates a little more room in their home.

“But you know what happens, I’ll take a walk and start buying stuff,” he said.

Then Karen came over to him with a portable lawn sprinkler and asked if he needed one. He said yes.

“See what I mean?” he said.

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
SMALLS FOR MAYOR?
We at redbankgreen remain neutral in political affairs and never make endorsements. But we have to say Borough Clerk Laura Reinertsen’ ...
CRASH ON LEIGHTON
The driver of this car was headed north on Leighton Avenue when they it hit an SUV pulling a work trailer headed in south in the opposing la ...
CAR VS STREET SIGN
The driver of this Mercedes hopped the curb and toppled the street sign at the corner of South Pearl and Drs. James Parker Boulevard Wednesd ...
SKETCHES OF RED BANK BY LOCAL ARTIST MICHAEL WHITE
Sketches of Red Bank scenes have been floating around on social media and we thought they deserved some spotlight. First appearing in our fe ...
POLE DOWN
Utility pole falls on English Plaza shop Forge after being struck by SUV shortly before noon. No injuries reported, though 86-year-old drive ...
YO, ADRIAN!
It’s a tough turn for our hero as Rocky Balboa is relegated to the curb for trash pickup on Locust Avenue. We’ll have to go back ...
“EL PALOMO” IS IN THE HOUSE
Jesus Rios, a mariachi singer who performs under the stage name “El Palomo” (The dove) pauses for a moment before entering a bac ...
CROC SPOTTED IN RIVER
Frighteningly hideous and green, a solitary Croc lurked ominously amid the flotsam and foam in the Navesink River alongside the Red Bank Fir ...
KISS ICON REFLECTS ON BROADWALK
A Swarovski crystal-bedazzled self-portrait painting of Paul Stanley, longtime singer and guitarist for the rock band Kiss peers out from a ...
CHISELIN’ AWAY
Marcelo Garcia Lopez works with hammer and chisel on a new feature for his flower garden on Shrewsbury Avenue: a hollow in a carved log in w ...
STORM CLEANUP CONTINUES
  Saturday’s storm sent a tree toppling on this house on Bank Street, damaging the roof. Workers Wednesday could be seen removing ...
SNAPPING IN THE BREEZE
RED BANK: Blustery winds had the flags in Riverside Gardens Park snapping Monday evening.
POWER LINE DOWN
Red Bank firefighters were on scene at Manor Drive dealing with a live power line Monday afternoon. There was no immediate report of fire. T ...
TAR BEACH SOLSTICE
Aldo Quiroz of Ocean Township came ready with his beach chair and found a shady spot to spend his lunch hour in a parking lot off Broad Stre ...
GOING GREY
Workers painting the stone facade of the PNC Bank at the corner of Broad and Harding Thursday morning. An upgrade? Maybe it’s just pri ...
COFFEE & WILDLIFE
RED BANK: The best wildlife show in town can be taken in from a waterfront bench outside the public library, and it's totally free.
FAWNING OVER HER BABY
A mother deer and her fawn were spotted between a row of garages on Hudson Avenue and some trees alongside the Broad Street parking lots. Re ...
EVENING ESCAPE
RED BANK: Sailors in Monmouth Boat Club's weekly racing series found tranquil conditions on the Navesink River Tuesday evening.
PEAK COLOR ON BROAD
RED BANK: A year after they were installed, downtown mini gardens have added to "transformational" improvements, says business owner.
RED BANK: FAIRIES MOVE IN ON WHITE STREET
Red Bank: Girl scouts turns tiny parking lot plot of dirt into a "magical girls sparkle garden."