League's annual sale won't continue

The Junior League of St. Petersburg says the annual Whale of a Sale is too labor-intensive.

By LENNIE BENNETT and JOUNICE NEALY

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- It was a cross between a yard sale and a garage sale that drew thousands of people hunting for a steal of a deal at the Junior League's annual Whale of a Sale.

The general membership of the Junior League of St. Petersburg voted Tuesday to end the sale, last held March 4, which included a social event the evening before featuring live and silent auction items. The league wants to keep the evening event with modifications.

The reason, said president Murray Beairsto, is that it is less labor-intensive and more lucrative.

The one-day sale, an annual event since 1996, was stocked mostly with second-hand housewares, furniture and clothing collected from an active and sustaining membership of about 550 people. It took almost 2,100 hours to put together, or almost six times the hours spent to pull off the auctions. The combined events generated about $53,000.

But the evening party, which included presales of merchandise at twice their ticket price, netted almost $32,000, or about a third more than the actual sale itself.

The Junior League of St. Petersburg is an 80-year-old organization of women with a mission "to promote voluntarism and improve the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers," according to its handbook. The local league is part of the international Association of Junior Leagues.

Whale of a Sale was the local league's largest annual fundraiser. The money is given to charity, such as the Family Visitation House, which provides a homey environment for foster children to meet with parents. Unsold merchandise was given to charity.

The new St. Petersburg fundraiser would have as its centerpiece silent and live auctions. Beairsto said that it also probably would have a higher ticket price and be open to the public to compensate for losing the money generated from sale merchandise.

She also said that the public service aspect "is not necessarily going away. We're going to look at an easier way to do that."

- Information from the The Topeka Capital-Journal was used in this report.

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