![\"A](\"https:\/\/oaknorth.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rummage5-1024x768.jpg\")
Victoria Shartzer (crouching) is at the front of the line. Gail Simmons (waving) and Marilyn Simmons (in a purple sweater) stand behind her. (Jordan Montero). <\/p>\nVictoria Shartzer arrived for the annual White Elephant sale at 8:30 a.m. Saturday \u2014 but this wasn\u2019t her first rodeo. For the last 15 years, Shartzer has lined up early outside the warehouse on Glascock Street. For the first time, she was at the front of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou come for the things you never knew you needed,\u201d Shartzer said. \u201cIt\u2019s the thrill of the search.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything I\u2019m wearing is second hand, except my underwear and my bra,\u201d she continued, pointing out her almost entirely White Elephant outfit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sale, which funds educational programs at the Oakland Museum of California, was sold out and doors didn\u2019t open until 10 a.m. But that didn\u2019t stop anyone from lining up to get a jump on the more than 96,000 square feet of vintage goodies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Victoria Shartzer (crouching) is at the front of the line. Gail Simmons (waving) and Marilyn Simmons (in a purple sweater) stand behind her. (Jordan Montero). <\/p>\n
Like Shartzer, second-in-line sisters Marilyn and Gail Simmons have been coming to White Elephant for just over 15 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our Disneyland. We\u2019re collectors,\u201d Marilyn said. <\/p>\n
What started as a tradition between sisters, scouring for vintage linens and sewing machines, has been passed down to the next generation through Gail\u2019s daughter, Andrea, who invited friends this time around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Returning to Oakland for its 67th year, the White Elephant claims to be the biggest rummage sale in Northern California. It features over 18 departments of collected goods, from vintage china and marionette puppets to boutique clothing. Running on select days from Jan. 29 until March 1, the sale ends with a clearance sale and no admission fee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Dozens](\"https:\/\/oaknorth.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rummage4-1024x768.jpg\")
Shoppers browse in the jewelry department of the White Elephant Sale. (Jordan Montero)<\/p>\n
The Oakland Museum Women\u2019s Board markets it as \u201cthe most colossal, stupendous, and mind-boggling rummage sale you could ever imagine \u2013 and then some<\/a>,\u201d taking second-hand shopping to the next level. And long-time attendees agree: \u201cIt\u2019s like an estate sale on crack,\u201d said Angela Willoughby, who\u2019s been coming to the sale for four years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Once the doors opened, bargain hunters rushed in with reusable bags in hand. Over 1,200 people had entered the building before 11 a.m., with a standby line forming.\u00a0<\/p>\n The sale has been an Oakland mainstay for just over half a century, raising over $36 million for museum programming and exhibits. Last year, it generated $2.9 million in sales, with $2 million going to the museum, according to Women\u2019s Board Co-Chair Renata Dowdakin.\u00a0<\/p>\n What: The White Elephant Sale<\/p>\n When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 12-14, 16, 19-21; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 28 & March 1.<\/p>\n Where: 333 Lancaster St. in Oakland<\/p>\n What else: Ticket and other information at whiteelephantsale.org<\/a> <\/p>\n White Elephant is a year-round operation that culminates in the massive sale. With only a few employees who drive the trucks or manage the building, the sale heavily relies on over 1,000 volunteers \u2014 about 300 on any given sale day, Dowdakin said. They do the heavy lifting, sorting and pricing donated items, selling tickets and checking people in.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some volunteers get to follow their passion, even in retirement. People who have spent their careers working in camera shops or their free time taking apart and putting together sewing machines are in the warehouse testing, pricing and selling the products.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think they gravitate a lot towards what they want to do or what they like, or what their skills are,\u201d Dowdakin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a guy in the back of electrical who worked in a stereo shop, and now he\u2019s retired and he does the same thing,\u201d she noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n Items are donated throughout the year and organized by volunteers. The warehouse is set up like a department store, with each section having its own department and cashiers. But this department store carries only second-hand items.\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking for a restored 1950s sewing machine? Check out the textile department and meet the person who fixed it. Need a pair of Rollerblades or a fancy going out top? Check out the outdoor gear section and women\u2019s clothing corner. Selling everything from oboe reeds and 50 Cent CDs to sterling silver, White Elephant has every second-hand item imaginable.<\/p>\n Volunteers hope the sale breaks the $3 million mark this year, Dowdakin said.\u00a0 You can see the funds at work this month, at the museum\u2019s 25th annual Lunar New Year celebration<\/a> on Feb. 21, as well as the \u201cBlack Spaces: Reclaim & Remain\u201d exhibit,<\/a> about the displacement of Black communities in Oakland, which runs through March 1.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/oaknorth.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rummage2-1024x768.jpg\")
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Silver and china fill a room at the White Elephant Sale. (Jordan Montero)<\/p>\n