The Encore Sale Gives Treasures a Second Act at Trillium Woods

Once a year at Trillium Woods, the auditorium fills with an eclectic assortment of furniture, kitchenware, jewelry, rugs, lamps, televisions, small appliances, and plenty of unexpected treasures.

The Encore Sale, which began about a decade ago as a way for residents to find new homes for belongings they no longer needed, has grown into a much-anticipated Trillium Woods tradition that brings residents and team members together while giving everything from nearly new furniture to extra pots and pans a second act.

Resident Sarah Bell has helped run the event from its inception.

Shortly after moving to Plymouth, MN’s premier Life Plan Community, Bell was approached by a member of the Resident Council about organizing the annual event because she had previously volunteered with an estate sale at the Woman’s Club in Minneapolis.

Residents donate items they brought with them to Trillium Woods but ultimately discover they don’t need them. Bell says that includes plenty of kitchen equipment from people who planned to continue cooking, only to discover they don’t want to prepare their own meals much anymore, given all the great dining venues in the community.

“So many people arrive with nice new pots and pans and measuring cups and spoons — you wouldn’t believe how beautiful they are,” she says. “Everything we put out is just like brand new and we practically just give it away.”

That’s good news for shoppers, who can pick up high-quality household goods for very reasonable prices. The August timing makes it a perfect place to find housewares and furniture for young family members’ dorm rooms and first apartments.

Over time, organizers also realized how valuable the sale could be for Trillium Woods team members looking for a bargain on top-notch items.

Some treasures even travel overseas — one staff member is always on the lookout for sewing machines to send to friends in Africa who use them in their textile-based businesses.
“It took us a while to realize the Encore Sale was about the incredible people who work here and giving them first access to wonderful things at very reasonable prices,” Bell says.

And reasonable really does mean reasonable. At this year’s sale, a nearly new loveseat and two matching wing chairs sold as a set for about $300. Bell happened to know that the upholstery fabric alone had originally cost about $350 a yard.

“People are really getting a good deal,” she says.

Appliances, televisions, suitcases, and kitchenware are perennial favorites. This year, every piece of jewelry sold, as did every rug.

A Full-Community, Year-Long Effort

Bell and fellow resident Della Daughton, her longtime “right hand,” don’t use an elaborate formula to set the prices.

“Our main goal is to get useful things into the hands of people who will appreciate them,” Bell says.

Although shoppers see the Encore Sale for just two days, preparing for it is a much bigger undertaking.

In the early years, storage was one of the organizers’ biggest challenges. Eventually, Trillium Woods made several former bike storage rooms available for Encore Sale donations, and now, residents can donate throughout the year. Bell and Daughton evaluate items, price them, box them, and have everything ready long before sale day.

Not everything makes the cut. “We don’t just take any old thing,” Bell explains. “It has to be clean. It has to be something we think will sell.”

Resident Rick Schwartz plays another essential role, coordinating the transportation of donations into storage and then into the auditorium for the sale. And when Encore Sale week finally arrives, approximately 40 volunteers pitch in to help set up, organize tables, assist shoppers, carry purchases, and keep everything running smoothly.

That teamwork has become as important to the Encore Sale as the merchandise itself.

“People just love getting together and working on projects like this together,” Bell says.

Proceeds from the sale go to support the Trillium Woods Resident Council, while unsold merchandise is donated to charity, giving items another opportunity to find someone who can use them.

More Than a Sale

For Bell, the Encore Sale has always been about more than finding a new owner for an extra lamp or scoring a great deal on a television.

“The joy of it is just wonderful,” she says. “It’s a great way to build relationships, and there are a lot of good feelings around it.”

Bell has lived at Trillium Woods since its opening 11 years ago. “I signed up after hearing a friend enthusiastically describe the community and discovered that several other people I know had already decided to move in. I never even looked anywhere else,” she says.

Today, Bell stays busy well beyond the Encore Sale. She serves on the library and landscape committees and has helped transform an area near her patio into a flower garden featuring peonies, lilacs, azaleas, and other plantings. She also spends time with Winnie, her Pembroke Welsh corgi, and Gussie, a former barn cat she jokingly describes as considerably less well-behaved.

At 88, however, Bell has decided it is time to hand leadership of the Encore Sale to a new generation of residents. Two volunteers have stepped forward to take over, and Bell and Daughton are already helping them learn the ropes.

It’s a fitting next chapter for an event built around the idea that something valuable retains its worth, even when it changes hands.

The Vibrant Trillium Woods Lifestyle

The Encore Sale is just one yearly special event on an activities calendar jam-packed with classes, performances, clubs, games, lectures, outings, volunteer opportunities, and parties. Trillium Woods’ maintenance-free lifestyle gives residents more time and freedom to explore these offerings at their own pace, while its full continuum of care gives them the peace of mind that more support is available on campus should they ever need it.

To discover if Trillium Woods is the right community for you or someone you love, schedule a tour at https://www.trilliumwoodslcs.com or call 763-744-9440.