Trash to Treasure sale packs mobile home park clubhouse

The doors weren’t open for more than two minutes on Feb. 16 before the clubhouse of the Gulfshore of Longboat Key mobile home park was packed.

It was the first night of the annual Trash to Treasure sale, and residents came prepared to find the best deals and new trinkets for their home.

The first night of the sale was a residents-only cocktail hour to give them first dibs on the wares.

By 4:30 p.m., Kay Heigle was already rearranging her section because residents made a dent in the selection from the sale.

"The sale has already been super successful tonight," said Heigle. "Everyone came and found something that they liked so I wanted to make sure this still looks great for tomorrow morning."

The second part of the sale took place from 9 a.m. to noon the next morning. This was open to the public.

Sisters-in-law Barbara Long and Phyllis Long George have been in charge of the boutique section for the past few years. George said she loved doing it together with Long because they get involved in suggesting what people should buy. They also have Bill Long and James Christiano to model items and keep laughs going throughout the sale.

Co-chair Kim Fenwick said that the days leading up to sale were exhausting but it makes it worth it to see people enjoying their new items and good company.