About the Sale

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The White Elephant Sale has been a wildly popular event with thousands of followers in Oakland and beyond for over half a century. Here’s why:

 

It is, in a few words, the most colossal, stupendous, and mind-boggling rummage sale you could ever imagine – and then some. It is recycling on steroids, a treasure trove of once-loved items from near and far, a bonanza of one-of-a-kind vintage items, a bargain hunter’s dream come true.  With almost 20 departments in a warehouse nearly twice the size of a football field, there is absolutely something for everyone of any age, from bassinets to bicycles, fur coats to garden flamingos, paper clips to handmade pottery, sterling silver trays to top brand sewing machines.

 

How does it all come together? Over the course of a year, volunteers sort, clean, and repair a massive selection of goods from the greater Bay Area donors, then mark them at prices ranging from low cost to an outright steal.

 

Each year, toward the end of winter, we host our Preview Sale, a ticketed event for shoppers to get early access to the merchandise. In the following weeks, ticketed shoppers have their chance to work their way through the warehouse for a limited number of days. Many come multiple times since volunteers continuously add new-to-you merchandise throughout the warehouse.

 

Finally, during our Blow-Out Sale, we open the warehouse doors for free to everyone who loves a bargain. It’s your last chance before our annual Sale ends to score must-haves at unbelievably low prices.

 

The beneficiary of all of this hard work is the Oakland Museum of California, as much an institution in the East Bay as the White Elephant Sale. With its richly curated galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences, it’s a destination for visitors from around the world, and its public events draw thousands for outstanding education and entertainment programs.

 

Sale dates and times vary from year to year. Click here for the latest information on our 2024 White Elephant Sale.