28 September 2026
After 16 years of turning driveways into treasure troves, Australia’s biggest festival of secondhand stuff is returning for one final Garage Sale Trail, with Southern Downs residents invited to sell, shop and give pre-loved items another life.
Last year, 3,715 Southern Downs residents took part in 128 garage sales, selling 11,972 items and generating $107,632 for local households, community groups and charities.
Across the Southern Downs, driveways, sheds and community spaces will become bargain-hunting territory over two big weekends on 7–8 and 14–15 November, as locals join thousands of Australians taking part in the nationwide secondhand celebration.
Southern Downs Mayor Melissa Hamilton encouraged residents to make the most of the final Garage Sale Trail.
“If you’ve been looking for an excuse to clear out the cupboards, shed or garage, this is it,” Mayor Hamilton said.
“Garage Sale Trail is a simple idea that delivers plenty of wins. Sellers can make some extra cash, shoppers can pick up a bargain and perfectly good items get a second life instead of going to landfill.
“As the final national Trail, we’d love to see the Southern Downs get behind it with plenty of garage sales on the map.”
Garage Sale Trail Director Barbara Gill described 2026 as the ultimate celebration of how far secondhand selling and shopping has come.
“We’re thinking of 2026 as a victory lap. We started Garage Sale Trail because reuse was a no-brainer; a win for your wallet, a win for community connection and a win for the planet,” Ms Gill said.
“Sixteen years on, that's still very true and thankfully it has become mainstream with the secondhand economy now thriving.”
Portfolio Councillor for Healthy Communities Cr Sarah Deane said last year’s results showed the difference reuse could make at a local level.
“Nearly 12,000 items were sold through Garage Sale Trail across the Southern Downs last year, and more than a third of those items may otherwise have ended up in landfill,” Cr Deane said.
“That’s thousands of perfectly useful things finding a new home, while putting money back into the pockets of local households and supporting community groups and charities.
“It’s a great reminder to think twice before throwing something away. What you no longer need could be exactly what someone else is looking for.”
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
● Host a sale: Registration is free. Sellers receive tips, promotional materials and more to help make their sale a success.
● Shop the Trail: An interactive national map is available at garagesaletrail.com.au/sales allowing bargain hunters to plot their trail across the Southern Downs.
Visit
https://www.garagesaletrail.com.au/Southern-Downs for more information.
ABOUT THE GARAGE SALE TRAIL
Since it launched in 2010, Garage Sale Trail has grown into a massive national movement, boasting 134,000 garage sales, 4 million participants and more than 7.2 million items saved from landfill. Along the way, the program has generated $52 million for local households and community groups, while sparking more than 2 million new neighbourly connections. The Garage Sale Trail weekends also support National Recycling Week from 8 to 14 November, reinforcing the value of reuse and keeping unwanted items out of landfill.
Last edited date 07 Oct 2026