However, in the Teviot Valley the annual garage sale trail brings people from all over the South Island to drive all around the Valley searching for treasure.
Organiser Shirl Marsden is a force of nature rather like the garage sale trail. A former Alexandra Blossom Festival Senior Queen, Mrs Marsden ran the first garage sale trail 11 years ago with just seven stops. This year there were already 50 registered.
"I thought it would be nice for people to see the beauty of the Valley, it’s got so much to offer."
The format, which continues today, was to have a map drawn with the garage sale addresses and list of items for sale.
Teviot Bulletin editor Diana Hall drew up the maps and organised them so they followed a loop from the centre of Roxburgh up to Lake Roxburgh Village and down either side of the river, Mrs Marsden said.
People could go in either direction and head to what piqued their interest.
Those having a sale paid $25 to be on the map and kept the proceeds from their sales. Visitors paid for the map.
The first year Mrs Marsden donated the proceeds from the maps to the family of a Roxburgh child who was having medical treatment.
That continued until about five years ago it was decided to set up the Teviot Valley Kids Count fund for the trail profit, she said.
For several years there were no calls on the fund, but in the past three years there had been 28 donations made to families who were facing unexpected costs due to their children’s medical needs.
Some were short term and other families would need help for some time, she said.
One family who had been helped in the past recently donated to the fund the amount they had been given .
The money could be used for food, petrol and travel costs, Mrs Marsden said.
As well as the fees and map sales, the fund was fortunate to have generous donors who helped with advertising costs to make sure as much as possible went into the fund.
People’s kindness could be overwhelming, she said.
A knock at her door one evening revealed NiVan workers who had taken up a collection to give to the children.
An Easter raffle brought in about $4000 thanks to "amazing, generous" prize donations.
The garage sale trail brought about 500 people to the Valley for the weekend, she said.
"I was getting phone calls before we advertised it from people wanting to know when it would be so they could book accommodation for the weekend."
There was no way of knowing what would be on sale and what people would be looking for.
One man came from Timaru, stayed the night before and hit the trail the next morning. Later in the day he called on Mrs Marsden to show her, with great excitement, his purchase.
"It was a spring. A little spring about three or four inches long. He was happy," she said, shaking her head.
This year, as well as traditional garage sales, there would be people selling goods in the car park of the Millers Flat hall and the Roxburgh Area School would have a sale on the tennis court.
The garage sale trail will be on November 16. Maps, $5, will go on sale at 7.30am at the Millers Flat Tavern, Benger Cafe at Ettrick and at Fresh Choice supermarket in Roxburgh. The garage sales will open at 8.30am.
