Attic Treasures Bazaar Combines Culture With Reuse

By Keith Thurston and Lorraine O’Rourke, Village Preservation and Improvement Society.

A fundraising activity to bring the community together

Soon after the restoration of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) in 1965, the leadership began looking for a fundraising activity for several projects that were in the planning stages. Among those leaders was Elizabeth Graham (the Falls Church version). She was one of the grand dames of the community in those days. 

Mrs. Graham offered her home and lawn—Tranquility House on Little Falls Street—to hold an upscale rummage sale. VPIS was very much into making everything as classy as possible, so they named the event the Attic Treasures Sale.

Everyone involved their neighbors and donated household items for the cause. The sale took place on a perfect sunny day, and it turned out to be a great success. Afterward, Mrs. Graham rewarded the ladies who were key in organizing the sale with a special dinner at her home and included their husbands who had been particularly good at following directions. 

Invitations to the dinner were highly sought-after, and the event turned out to be an evening to remember.  There were requests for the recipes from the dinner, prompting VPIS to compile a cookbook of the items served that night. The cookbook became a local best seller as well. 

These initial successes encouraged many people in the community to volunteer and be associated with what became an annual society event.

Curated treasures and a move to the Community Center

The event grew in size and scope and soon was moved to the Community Center. It also included a light lunch, music, and the bake sale. The next leader of the event was Florence Murphy. She was the queen of collecting treasures throughout the year, accepting items whenever people were ready to donate. The sale was overflowing with great quality items that Florence had curated to make the sale successful. 

Also leading Attic Treasurers was Laura Bishop, who later bought Elizabeth Graham’s Tranquility House. Laura and her husband Grayson were stalwarts in supporting the event in general and particularly in organizing the garden store where her green thumb was on display with plants she propagated from her garden for the sale. 

Laura and Grayson were an important part of the sale for over 40 years–and their daughters have continued their tradition. You’ll still see Bishop’s Heating truck come through your neighborhood for special pickups just before the sale.

Successive generations of leaders introduce new stores and themes

Each new generation of VPIS leaders have added a different character to Attic Treasures and adjusted to the times. 

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Dave Eckert and Annette Mills captured the history of Falls Church at the event by naming the stores after City institutions such as Brown’s Hardware for the hardware goods and Mankin’s Notions for the dry goods store. 

They also raised the sale’s environmental profile, focusing on the recycling and reuse before “thrifting” became a part of popular culture. 

Midge Wang contributed the concept of “Special Treasures” that were highly curated, top-end items that attracted many antiques dealers in the area. 

She also provided the Victorian-style lunch with servers in Victorian attire. The meals were delicious and sold out each year until the health department raised the little issue of a restaurant license and food handling permits. (The State has since exempted such non-profit events.) 

The Bookstore Team was an organized force that worked with what appeared as a practiced orchestration. You did not get in their way! 

Marilyn Bugg with Peng Si Highnam added a Mother’s Day store when the event was held in May, enabling children to shop for a special item for their mothers. The gifts they chose were wrapped for them so they would be surprises. 

Jim Slattery and then Paul Quinn brought in theater and revenue by adding the live auction component. 

Nisha and Pradeep Sensharma added some new energy and organized structure to the program when it was clearly needed.

Later, Attic Treasures was led by Marybeth and Michael Connelly who attracted many volunteers and added a toy store. It has been fun to watch the same item come back to the sale after a couple of years when a child has aged out of the toy. Many are still waiting for the antique Radio Flyer wagon to come back for a fifth trip through the sale. However, Cynthia Garner said to not hold our breath since she enjoys using it supporting her flower garden.

Nancy Brandon took over the operation when it needed new leadership and brought in Barb Cram as a secret angel, greatly expanding the volume and assortment of items in the Garden Center.

Collaborating with the AAUW

Recently, Marian Starr and Lorraine O’Rourke have led the event. Under their leadership, VPIS and the local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) who held the annual used book sale, found common cause and combined their sales events that were often held a few weeks apart. The result of their collaboration has been positive for both groups. These days, Keith Thurston and Robert Tartt are now both good at following directions.

Raising funds for Concerts in the Park and other Falls Church events

The annual Attic Treasures Sale is a staple in Falls Church and is VPIS’s primary fundraising activity. The funds raised at this sale allow the organization to support a range of activities, including Concerts in the Park, Independence Day Remembrance, Holiday TreeFest, Arbor Day, and Memorial Day. Despite different formulas over the years, the event continues to offer the broader community an easy way to participate in funding key programs that make Falls Church a great place to live, work, and play. See you at the bazaar!