Weekend shopping a bazaar experience

Tiara – check; magic wand – check; jeweled shoes – check.

“I’m going to put this on and go see my great-grandma,” said 4-year-old Mateya Hippenstiel.

Mateya found everything she needed to become a fairy princess at Everybody’s Bazaar & Yard Sale on Saturday at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. By 11 a.m., more than 1,700 people joined Mateya, searching for treasures of their own.

This was the first time the event, produced by The Spokesman-Review, has been held in Coeur d’Alene. All 116 vendor booths were sold out.

Bonnie Hansen and her husband, George, came from Spokane’s Mead area to sell a variety of knickknacks and collectibles. George Hansen said he really enjoyed the relaxed environment of the event. “It’s not highly commercial,” he said. “It’s like a giant yard sale with a sense of community.”

George said his wife has an eye for unique items. “She makes just enough money to go out and buy new stuff to sell,” he said.

Bonnie said many of the items are things she inherited. “I sell stuff we can part with. It’s really not about the money. I like seeing the look on someone’s face when they find something they’ve been searching for,” she said.

There was something for everyone, including a handmade silk tapestry from Thailand, circa 1960 Barbie dolls, garden décor, Elvis memorabilia and original newspapers announcing the deaths of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy.

Some shoppers were enthralled with power tools, fishing poles, cowboy boots and sports equipment.

Jack Fulletonnow has an extra set of golf clubs for his houseguests to use when they visit. “This is nice. You’ve got antiques, clothes, just about everything here,” Fulleton said.

Unlike home yard sales, vendors could simply leave the items they didn’t sell. Those items were donated to TESH, a nonprofit organization that operates thrift stores in Post Falls and Kellogg and provides vocational services to disabled and disadvantaged people in North Idaho.