Garage Sale Trail

Music magazines, vinyl and pre-loved instruments will be top of the picks for musician and City of Sydney Garage Sale Trail ambassador, Josh Pyke, at the giant, city-wide garage sale on 25 October.

Josh, a highly acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter and musician, is an avid supporter of garage sales as a means of unearthing musical treasures and to encourage recycling and reuse.

 As this year’s ambassador, Josh is encouraging everyone to get involved with Garage Sale Trail by visiting local sales on the day to snap-up pre-loved instruments, music or vintage merchandise.

 “My drum kit, piano and most of my guitars are all pre-loved. My pride and joy is a pair of second-hand microphones I bought in LA years ago,” he said.

 “I think second-hand instruments and music gear are often better than new stuff. Most of my musician friends own a lot of second-hand gear, and the idea of re-use is very much a part of most musicians’ lives.”

 Music lovers can check out Josh’s tips for picking up musical treasure at this year’s Garage Sale Trail at greenvillages.com.au, the City’s online hub for bright ideas for living sustainably.

 Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the city-wide event was a great opportunity to meet new people, get outdoors and find some pre-loved bargains.

 “Garage Sale Trail is about having fun, but it’s also about helping the environment,” the Lord Mayor said.

 “It’s a great way to find a new home for unwanted goods rather than having them end up in landfill. The City is a huge supporter of sustainable living and encourages everyone to reduce, re-use and recycle wherever possible.

 “It’s also terrific to have Josh Pyke on board, not just as someone who can talk about why we should be recycling more, but also as a passionate buyer of pre-loved musical gear and other goods.”

 More than 50 sales have already been registered across the city, with thousands more expected to take place nationally on 25 October.

 At last year’s event there were more than 400 sales in the City of Sydney area, attracting 12,000 shoppers. Sellers made about $300 per sale.

 People wanting to host a sale can register their address at garagesaletrail.com.au and join hundreds of other garage sales across Sydney on 25 October.

 Josh said he has seen the Garage Sale Trail initiative grow in popularity over the years and believes it’s a winning formula.

 “At last year’s event my family and I went out and about exploring the sales around our area. We picked up some great kids’ clothes and amazing old dining chairs,” Josh said.

 “I’ve known Garage Sale Trail co-founder Darryl Nichols for many years, since I was in a punk band and he was a yo-yo wielding skateboarder.

 “My wife and I were both raised to think responsibly in terms of trying to re-use things and support local industry. I think most people our age thankfully have a pretty healthy attitude towards living sustainably.”