Hundreds of people flocked to the Colorado History Museum on Saturday morning for the rare chance to purchase items once part of exhibits.
“We’re trying to get a piece of history,” said Marcia Johnson, a Denver city councilwoman, as she waved to a friend and crossed the street to queue up with 200 others waiting to enter the sale.
Old photos, clothing, an old-fashioned microscope, pieces of mannequins, vases and plates filled tables and were stacked against walls. Throngs of shoppers crowded the room.
“There are hundreds and hundreds of items,” said Rebecca Laurie, public relations director for the museum. None are state artifacts, but rather reprints, donations or items used as scene setters for various exhibits.
“This is a kind of once-in-a-lifetime thing,” said David Forsyth, director of the Gilpin History Museum in Central City. He paid $50 for the super-sized, photo reprint of five miners and their mule.
Two volunteers turned the reprint diagonally to ease it out of the museum’s glass double doors and into the sunshine of the street.
“I think the size worked against the price,” Forsyth said.
The Colorado History Museum is temporarily closing its doors after March 28 to make way for a judicial center expansion. Money from Saturday’s sale — organized by History Colorado volunteers — will go to educational programs and special exhibits when the museum opens in its new location one block south on Broadway in 2012, Laurie said.
Jeanne Heimbuck, History Colorado volunteer vice president, was pleased with the turnout.
“It’s more than we expected,” Heim buck said. By 11 a.m. nearly 600 people had carried off their treasures. A few stragglers still trickled in to see what was left.
Molly Dimond of Westminster got there early and was pleased with her selections. She carried a vintage iron for her sewing room and a box of wooden letters. A large map of Denver leaned at her waist as she waited to leave the sale.
“I just like funky old stuff you can’t get in a store,” Dimond said.
Heather McWilliams: 303-954-1698 or hmcwilliams@denverpost.com
