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How Garage Sales in Canada are Unique

 by Guest April 24, 2015

Garage sales are universal traditions of developed nations. Almost every level of society in a developed nation embraces the tradition of inviting the public into individual garages, driveways and yards in order to sell used personal items. This is largely considered to be the most convenient and the most hospitable way of selling personal items in bulk. However, every country approaches garage sales in slightly different ways, depending on the country’s region, weather, community involvement and goods to sell.

In Canada, garage sales have their own, unique style that sets them apart from the rest of the world. Canada is known for its long winters and frigid temperatures, which certainly has an affect on how garage sales are executed. All garage sales are held in the summertime, and the community at large comes out to support them, making offers on the uniquely Canadian wares.

A number of regions in the North Hemisphere have their garage sales in the summer, but for a place as northern as Canada, summer time garage sales are an immovable necessity. Temperatures in Canada during the winter months are almost unanimously below freezing, and even the spring and fall months are marked by cold and inclement. Canadians do not bother with any of the plans and preparations that are made for a garage sale until the summer weather begins.

Garage sales are a largely communal effort in Canada. Unlike the United States, where weather is warmer, Canadians are less social in the winter and fiercely social in the summer. A huge majority of their outdoor living is done in the summer months. It is very common to see community wide garage sale events in Canadian cities and towns because there is a shorter block of time to host them in. Garage sale maps are made and the sale events are promoted in newspapers and on websites.

Even the items that are sold at Canadian garage sales are uniquely Canadian. In no other country’s garage sales can shoppers find quite as good a selection of winter clothes and shoes, winter athletic equipment and winter outdoor equipment.

A Successful Garage Sale in Canada

Canada is a country that knows how to host a good garage sale. Garage sales are deeply ingrained summer traditions in Canada. There are several key features to tend to if you want to host a successful garage sale in Canada, however. There are seasons, times of day, days of the week, types of weather and other factors that can positively or negatively affect your Canadian garage sale.

• The summer season is the time of year to host a garage sale in Canada. This is for obvious reasons. Canada is very far north on the globe and is subject to harsh winters. Canada’s spring season and fall season can also be very cold and dark in a number of places. By planning your garage sale for summer, you will guarantee long daylight hours and will greatly increase the likelihood of good weather.
• Consider the time of day and the day of the week you are holding your garage sale. Most people hold their garage sales on weekends during usual business hours. This is smart, considering that daylight hours in Canada are long during the summer and many people who frequent garage sales, particularly seniors, enjoy starting their days early. Weekends are logical simply to ensure that people are not working instead of shopping.
• It is very important to watch the weather forecast and be willing to change the date of your garage sale if the forecast is bad on your scheduled garage sale date. Weather in Canada, especially near mountains, can become ugly quickly and it is wise to be prepared for anything.
• Advertising your garage sale is very important to its success. A garage sale cannot do well if no one knows about it. This is why signs on street corners and ads in newspapers and on websites is important. In Canada, garage sale season is short, so when it arrives, the whole community is actively awaiting them. When it is time, they will be looking for advertisements for garage sales.