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.

---

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

---

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

Everything inside the beach shack was tagged and priced, just like a rummage sale.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2023

The squad feels like a choice rummage sale, full of young and expensive pieces that never quite fit together and that will do far better wherever they find new homes.

From Slate • Oct. 18, 2019

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