rummage sale

American  

noun

1. a sale of miscellaneous articles, old or new, as items contributed to raise money for charity, of unclaimed goods at a wharf or warehouse, or of odds and ends of merchandise at a shop.

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rummage sale British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): jumble sale.  a sale of miscellaneous articles, usually cheap and predominantly secondhand, in aid of charity

2. a sale of unclaimed property or unsold stock

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Etymology

Origin of rummage sale

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The Chicago Sports Spectacular, one of the country’s biggest and oldest card shows, is like a rummage sale from the days before eBay, but with way more money involved.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2024

Last year we did a big rummage sale, and we spent a lot of that time being like “How did we have so much crap?”

From Slate • Nov. 14, 2018

SAT-SUN 112th annual bazaar, Nordic food and bake sale, crafts, raffle, rummage sale, Book Nook, silent auctions, Norwegian coffee, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2018

She collected boxes of junk from friends and held a giant rummage sale in a vacant lot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2016

So Grandma, who didn’t take part in community activities, wanted to go to the rummage sale.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck