Skip to content

Legendary White Elephant Sale Returns to Bay Area March 7 & 8, 2015, Preview Sale Jan. 25

(OAKLAND, CA)—Celebrating 56 years of exceptional success, the White Elephant Sale, Northern California’s biggest and best rummage sale, returns to Oakland on March 7 and 8, 2015. The Preview Sale will take place on Sunday, January 25.  Sale proceeds benefit the Oakland Museum of California, with last year’s Sale raising an unprecedented $1.88 million.

Organized and presented by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board to benefit the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA), the legendary White Elephant Sale (WES) offers an extensive range of quality used vintage clothing for men, women, and children, fine jewelry, Asian collectibles, tools, furniture, sporting goods, music, books, and more. The annual sale, which takes place in a 96,000 square-foot warehouse located at 333 Lancaster Street on the Oakland Estuary, is made possible by donations from the public. More information can be found at WhiteElephantSale.org.

With something for everyone, the 2015 White Elephant Sale promises to be the most memorable second-hand shopping experience in the West.  Sale hours are 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 and admission is free.

Shoppers eager for the Sale’s countless bargains and treasures can take advantage of early access to the warehouse during the Preview Sale on Sunday, January 25, 2015, from 10 am to 4 pm. Preview Sale tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance starting December 1, 2014 at the OMCA Store or by order form through WhiteElephantSale.org. Children under 12 are admitted free to the Preview Sale but must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

First-time shoppers are advised to arrive early and wear comfortable shoes. A complimentary shuttle service from the Fruitvale BART to the WES warehouse will be provided for Preview Sale and on the March 7 and 8 White Elephant Sale days.

Returning shoppers and newcomers alike will notice the exciting new mural featured on the side of the White Elephant Sale warehouse. In the summer of 2014, the Oakland Museum Women’s Board commissioned three artists—Vogue, Ernest Doty, and Griffin One—to paint an aerosol mural on the Derby Avenue side of the warehouse. Approximately 240 feet long and 30 feet high, encompassing 7,200 square feet, with a theme of nature blending into the urban landscape, the mural features native plants and animals found in the Bay Area, as well as the iconic White Elephant with its trunk raised high. The mural is meant to evoke civic pride in Oakland and in the White Elephant Sale’s Jingletown neighborhood.

DONATION INFORMATION

Donations of gently used good quality items are accepted year-round. For free van pickup call 510-839-5919. Visit WhiteElephantSale.org for donation information, including on which days drop-off donations are accepted at the warehouse at 333 Lancaster Street in Oakland, and a list of items that cannot be accepted.

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM WOMEN’S BOARD

The Oakland Museum Women’s Board, a dedicated group of 114 year-round volunteers, has contributed over $20 million to support the Oakland Museum of California acquisitions, exhibitions, educational programs, capital improvements, and more since 1959. The White Elephant Sale is the primary fund-raising event of the Oakland Museum Women’s Board. Held annually during the first weekend of March, the White Elephant Sale attracts a corps of over 1000 volunteers from around the Bay Area. 

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA’s groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories that comprise California with many voices, often drawing on first-person accounts by people who have shaped California’s cultural heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the natural, artistic and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its history and its future. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage.

* * *

ONSITE MEDIA ADVISORY

Onsite media are welcome at the White Elephant Preview Sale and the March 7 and 8 Sale without appointment. Subject to warehouse availability, appointments for live camera interviews can be scheduled on Thursday, January 22, Friday, January 23, Tuesday, March 3, and Wednesday, March 4. Contact Claudia Leung at 510-318-8459 or [email protected] to schedule an appointment.