Bargain hunters came from far and wide to Uithoorn today to follow the junk route right through the village. Residents had transformed their garden there into a shop for a day.
“But it’s mainly about fun,” says a participant NH. Initiator Susanne Aalders agrees. “It’s good for recycling stuff, because you can always make someone else happy with your stuff, but it’s also very fraternizing. You get to know your neighbors and fellow villagers.”
It leads to great encounters, says one of the salespeople-for-a-day. “This morning I had some ladies here shouting to each other: ‘Hey, you were my girl next door!’ To which the other replied: ‘Yes, I really haven’t seen you in years!'”
217 families from Uithoorn had registered for this second edition of the junk route. Where apartment residents were left out last year, they can also participate this year. “Last year many of them were disappointed. They couldn’t participate, because it’s difficult to sell from your balcony. Then no one will come. This year we found two schools willing to open up their schoolyard,” says Susanne.
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And the ‘rubbish’ that the people of Uithoorn have not yet lost after King’s Day and the rubbish route, certainly do not end up in the trash. “At the end we give everything away for free,” says someone. “Ours goes to the thrift store or charity,” one of the sellers promises.