Mac Central reports what I found out by checking Washington Apple Pi’s calendar a few weeks ago:
Washington Apple Pi’s “Winter Edition” of its Computer Show & Sale (also known as the Garage Sale) is coming next month. The event takes place at the Northern Virginia Community College Gymnasium in Annandale, Virginia on Saturday, December 14, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
The Washington, DC-area Macintosh user group bills its Garage Sale as “the largest Mac computer show and sale on the East Coast.” The event is expected to have deals for folks looking for Mac hardware and software.
I went to my first garage sale last winter, though I missed the spring/summer one. It is held at a gymnasium of a community college. To give you an idea of size, it is comparable to a packed marketpro computer show & sale, but it’s all Mac, baby!
I’ve found that the best high-end deals happen in the first 15-20 minutes, while the best ‘junk’ deals can be had starting at about 1:30, when people realize that if they don’t sell it, they’ve got to lug it back outside. Last year I scored about a half-dozen pre-powermacs (for a total of about $30), a sweet ergonomic keyboard, and all of those odds and ends that you always need but never want to pay $20 on ebay for.
So if you’re in the need of Mac junk and stuff and live within an hour or so drive of Northern Virginia, you should probably check it out. I’ll be tailgating with my friend Roger, but if any bloggers out there will be there, let me know. Here’s the Winter Sale page, poster [pdf], and coupon [pdf], but don’t bother with that.