'Let's Make a Deal' for Duxbury Historical Society

Sept. 23, 2022  |  By Amelia Canney  |  Community News Service

Duxbury Historical Society members Shawn Perry, left, and Eulie Costello, middle, work the annual Let's Make a Deal sale on Sept. 10. Photo by Kelly Welch

Antique skis, bundles of books, and sets of wine glasses packed the tables outside Duxbury’s town office and garage on a recent Saturday afternoon.

Those were just some of the donations from folks across town for the Duxbury Historical Society’s annual “Let’s Make a Deal” yard and bake sale. Tucked away against the woods on Sept. 10, shoppers and vendors built up a warm and welcoming atmosphere as they chatted and browsed.

For the last six years, the event has drawn hundreds of customers and earned around $800 each year to support the historical society.

“It’s got to be somebody’s treasure,” society president Don Welch said, explaining the appeal of the various household goods and decorations. 

Each item for sale came via donation: educational posters, baked treats, even a pair of sandals with a label saying “they looked much better in the catalogue.”

The items vary from year to year, with lots of exercise equipment last year and an assortment of kitchen appliances this year. Since the historical society has no space of its own, it asks people to hold onto their donations until the yard sale approaches. All unsold items from the sale are donated to the Wesley United Methodist Church in Waterbury.

The event’s name came from historical society member Mary Welch, who is married to Don Welch and is a fan of the longtime game show of the same name. And true to the concept, items don’t carry prices. That’s settled when the customer gets to the checkout table.

The funds raised at the sale typically go toward acquiring artifacts and upgrading historical society electronics — but group members hope to soon raise enough funds to buy and maintain a permanent home for the organization. Right now, the group is based at the town office, but its leaders want to find a historical property to buy and preserve. 

The sale features foods including baked goods like pumpkin bread and gingerbread cookies, fresh garden produce like edamame and tomatoes. Prepared items like baked beans are popular. Photo by Kelly Welch

The sale also serves as a way for the historical society to regularly reach out to the community, especially to younger residents who might not know much about the group. “It opens the community up,” Don Welch said. “[So that] they know who we are.”

Part of the success of the event lies in its friendly atmosphere. From locals who come every year to those who simply saw signs while driving through town, guests mingle over rows of mugs and glassware, catching up with friends new and old. 

What has kept resident Ramona Godfrey coming back? “Getting to know your neighbors and seeing the ones you know,” she said. “Just today I saw four friends from high school.”

The historical society, established in 2005 and dedicated to preserving photographs and other historical documents, hosts several other events throughout the year. It organizes flower sales in the spring, a Christmas wreath sale, and alumni suppers at Harwood Union High School.

Community News Service is a collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.