Overly's Country Christmas selling off unused items at auction

An assortment of unique, vintage items will be sold at auction Monday by Overly’s Country Christmas at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds.

Among them are a set of blacksmith’s tools and farm equipment that have not seen the light of day for 30 years.

“You don’t see this kind of a sale often,” said Mark Ferry, of Mark Ferry Auctioneers Inc. “It’s an eclectic mix.”

Patrick Sphon, president of Overly’s, said the items are being sold at auction because they have yet to be used by the organization in the five years he’s been president.

He highlighted an assortment of soda bottles, photographs, whiskey barrels, furniture and other “old, antiquey farm equipment” for sale.

One of the more exotic items appears to be a Mr. Peanut costume, complete with top hat.

Also up for auction are several wagon wheels, a vintage medical kit, luggage, brass hinges, advertising signs and buckskins.

The items once belonged to Harry Overly, the organization’s founder, and Stephanie Tomasic, executive director of Overly’s for 16 years.

Sphon said the items were kept in two tractor trailers that were “filled to the brim.” The organization now hopes to slim down its inventory and preserve the items, which haven’t been touched since 1995, by selling them.

The proceeds of the auction will support Overly’s fundraising goals for the season, now less than four months away. Opening day for the walkable holiday light display and village is Nov. 20, Sphon said. Begun by Harry Overly at his Hempfield home in 1956, the display continuously expanded before moving to the fairgrounds in 1993. All proceeds from the yearly event are donated to charity.

A full list of items up for auction and photos is available at markferryauctioneers.com/upcoming.

The auction will be held at the fairgrounds, 116 Blue Ribbon Lane, beginning at 4 p.m. Payment can be made via cash, check and credit card.

Ferry described the affair as “a good, old-fashioned country auction sale.”