Mud Sale Season

What is the coming of Spring good for?  Mud!  And that's why they are called Mud Sales.  In Lancaster County, PA the Fire Companies hold these big sales to raise money.

 The Amish are huge participants. Click here for the schedule. The Bart Mud sale is one of the first of the season and that's where I went with my buddy Ann on Saturday. Almost everything is sold via auction.  There were over 300 quilts.

A peek at the quilts.

 There are horses, antique furniture, crafts, household goods and buggies.  I love going with Ann.  She is not a quilter and she is a BUYER!



A buggy with a green crushed velvet interior.



Working horses waiting for a new home.



Amish on lookers.

 The hall where the quilts were being auctioned was packed.  Standing room only.  People come from far and wide to buy a hand quilted Amish quilt.  The prices are just ridiculous.  Very few of these quilts went for more than $300.  They hoisted up the quilts so everyone could see.  First on the right and then on the left.  They really kept it moving.  Here's a sampling.

Ann bought 3 quilts and a saddle for a pony! 

I bought a yummy creme filled doughnut and a hot dog.

Mud Sale

I went to a mud sale today. Most people ask, "what is a mud sale"? There is no mud for sale, but it was really muddy due to the spring thaw of snow. A mud sale is an annual fundraiser done in certain towns out in Lancaster County. The goal is to raise money for the local Fire Department. They auction everything from quilts to horses to tools and antique furniture. There are hundreds of people. And lots of Amish made food, such as fresh donuts and pretzels. I can't believe how many Amish there are that live in the area. They must all attend this big event.

It is another world. This is a row of Amish buggies. Most of them are refurbished and they are waiting for their auction time. It really was a beautiful day. (We are so ready for spring.)

The best part of the mud sale is the quilt auction. Local women drop off their quilts to be sold. The women get a percentage of the sale and so does the fire company. There are no reserve prices. Some of the quilts are wallhangings. Some are made from pre-printed panels. Some are antique. Some are just beautifully done quilts, handquilted by Amish women. They have a great system of hoisting up the quilt that is for sale for all to see. First on the right side and then on the left side. It is a very efficient system that wastes little time.

This rack holds all of the 379 quilts to be auctioned. Seats are really hard to come by. The sale started at 8:30AM and was still going strong at 3PM.

Many bargains were had. Most of the bed quilts went for about $300. The pre-printed children's quilts sold in the range of $20. It was quite an experience. Hmmmm, there's one next Saturday at the Gordonville Fire Company.