For three hours, children turned into businessmen during the Noblesville Parks and Recreation Dept.’s annual Kids Helping Kids Garage Sale on Feb. 23 at Forest Park Inn. Children ran their tables with adult assistance and kept the profits – or spent them on other items.Standing behind her table, which was one of 30 in the Inn, was fifth grader Sarah Clark.
“I sold about three quarters of what I brought,” she said. “I looked for toys I haven’t played with in the last month or two. If the answer was no, then it went.”
Clark said any remaining items were going to Goodwill or return home with her, including her Barbie guitar which she was surprised didn’t sell.
“I guess people just didn’t want it,” she said.
Hannah Shonkwiler, 5, used her table to sell old baby stuff – swing, play mat, toys, dolls and a children’s bike.
“I’m glad to get rid of it because it was really full in our house,” she said.
When Hannah wasn’t selling, she was scoping out other tables and using proceeds to buy new toys.
“It’s small, so I could let her walk around and shop,” said her mother, Alaina Shonkwiler.
Noblesville Parks Assistant Recreation Director Cindy Knapp said all items for sale were fun: toys, games, dress up attire and costumes, books, bikes and DVDs.
“It was a good, steady flow. People were definitely leaving with hands full of bags,” she said. “Kids are learning how to talk to people and count money. It’s a great learning experience.”