Apart from promoting the understanding of the concepts of trading, the garage sale has an atmosphere of entertainment where groups of adults and teenagers bargain and market their goods to customers willing to buy anything from a photo frame, a soft toy to a fancy bag or a hat. There are clothes, footwear, handicrafts and a whole lot more.
"Many of them are surprised by the response and we have requests for extensions on bookings. This unique concept is a great hit among families,"said Sara Al Sayegh, assistant director general, environment and health office, Dubai Municipality.
Lina Mohammed, a Syrian stall owner, has been at the stall with her entire family managing the shoppers who nearly emptied out her stall.
"This is a great concept. Buyers who bought clothes, soft toys, fine art decors, household goods and even branded clothes overwhelmed us.
"The visitors came from all nationalities and most wanted to know if they could book a certain item for the next week. We are trying to cope with the number of requests," she added.
The Garage Sale has also been an opportunity for young UAE nationals to make good use of their winter break. Munira Al Sayegh, decided to make good use of the spare time and marketing skills of her twin brothers Saeed and Ahmed, who are now manning a stall for her at the Garage Sale.
"Most of our goods are gifts or sparingly used items. The stall has shoes, bags, traditional objects, interesting bathroom accessories and a whole lot of goods. My twin brothers along with their cousin are enjoying themselves at the sale."
Wafa Salem, a UAE housewife who has been involved with charity, has found the garage sale a good avenue to support her activities.
"My stall has a mix of things and some of these have been donated by friends and neighbours who realised that the proceeds are for a good cause. My children also sit with me here and they are happy to gain the experience of dealing with different people."
Mariam Mohammed, also from the UAE, was very impressed by the garage sales she visited in Europe and other countries.
"Though I initially made a booking for just two weeks, I would like to extend it until the end of DSF. The experience of marketing my goods and dealing with different people has also been very educational."
Palestinian national Sandy Audi's variety of toys has made a great splash at the garage sale. Most of these toys are hardly used and shoppers are clamouring for more.
"I have been at the stall with my family and by Friday evening there was no space to stand. Most of the shoppers promised to come back again on Wednesday. Some regretted not coming earlier since they felt that they had missed out on some of the interesting goods."
