Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (June 03/02) - Dogs, massage gear, cookbooks, canned goods, couches, refrigerators, any number of household appliances and ATVs -- just some of the things for sale in Iqaluit.

But you won't find these items -- not at these prices -- on the aisles at the grocery store. No sir. You have to get up early on Saturday morning to get a shot at these gems.

Leonie Erkidjuk does just that. She rises at 5 a.m. Saturdays, just as she does every other day of the week, yet her routine is a bit different as she sips her coffee. Erkidjuk listens to the day's upcoming sales on the radio with pen and paper in hand.

"Get all the house numbers and off we go, a half hour early," said Erkidjuk, a committed devotee of the very Canadian habit of showing up at rummage sales long before they're advertised to begin.

The best items go quickly and the competition in Iqaluit is fierce. Dozens descend at once upon a sale and everyone has their eyes peeled for the best bargain.

"You have to be there early with all the other earlybirds," said Erkidjuk, whose best purchases include a $2 pair of pants and a $15 pair of roller blades for her nephew's birthday.

For Jim Currie, a $60 reclining leather chair tops his list of best buys. But he said it took him most of last year's second-hand shopping season to get the hang of the aggressive style of buying.

"You have to leap at it and then examine it before anyone else can grab it," said Currie, who he prefers to shop with a thermos of coffee in hand.

"There are too many times I didn't leap and missed out," he said.

Offering words of advice to new shoppers, Currie tells people to make a list of times and locations of sales, have plenty of cash on hand and pay attention to the school year.

"The best time is coming up when families are leaving when the school year ends," he said.

Be prepared to bargain, said Eva Alainga, another avid garage saler. If she spots an item that's a little more than she wants to pay, she'll meet the vendor halfway.

"If they say no, then I'll go a little higher, but I won't go any higher than I have to."

Her best purchase? A working vacuum cleaner for $5.

As for how to handle the sales on the other side of the cash box, Alainga -- who sold everything to move to Ottawa a few years ago -- said to be ready at least 30 minutes beforehand and keep prices reasonable.