Goodbye Good Buy: Bargain-Laden Hadassah-Wizo Bazaar To Open For Last Time On Wed.
Posted October 28, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
What’s 84 years old, still attracts huge crowds and is about to retire? Don’t panic Mississauga – it’s not Hazel McCallion. (She’s actually 87.)
It’s the biggest bargain bin this side of Honest Ed’s. But unlike that famous Toronto institution, the Hadassah-Wizo Bazaar is about to close its doors forever.
The Bazaar almost made it to the century mark. To give you an idea how long it’s been around, McCallion was just three years old when it first started.
But as we told you last July, organizers felt that with the proliferation of online shopping and big box stores, its time had come.
And so, when the famous sell off opens its doors at Exhibition Place’s Direct Energy Centre for the very last time on Wednesday morning, it’s going to be taking a lot of good buys with its long goodbyes.
Which is why this year’s event promises to be both nutty and nostalgic. What’s up for grabs? The Bazaar has become famous for things like elegant wedding dresses going for $50-$100. There’s shoes, jewellery, leather jackets and housewares, along with the usual surprises.
And then there are the hand bags. “We have here an Yves Saint Laurent beautiful leather bag, stunning, casual,” explains a volunteer named Suzanne. “Beautiful with blue jeans. Then we have a gorgeous Valentino bag. This one is going for $100, and it probably sold in the store for I would say a couple thousand dollars at least.”
Those manning this booth expect it to be among the busiest at the Bazaar. “They’re lined up down the hallway,” responds Kelly, who’s helping to set things up for the chaos to come. “We have to have crowd control. It’s amazing.”
Chair Barbie Benjamin Levitt has been planning for the grand send-off since last year’s event. She’s ready for anything. “It opens at 9:00 in the morning, but get here early so you can beat the crowds,” she advises. “People line up here about 4:00 in the morning.”
The money raised from the event goes to a wide variety of charities both here and in Israel. They benefit – and so do you.
What’s going to take its place next year? That hasn’t been decided yet. But whatever it is, it’s going to be tough to match the 84 years of banter, bluster and bargains that’s about to become a lost Toronto tradition.
Admission is $5 although children under 5 get in free. For more on the last Bazaar, click here.
