Addis Abeba's Garage Sales Turn Castoffs in-to a Circular Economy

Jun 6 , 2026. By Blen Hailu ( Blen Hailu (blenmahi12@gmail.com) studied marketing, management and law. She works in communications and digital content creation, with a focus on human rights, equity and youth engagement.  )

What began as a simple Telegram group four years ago has grown into a monthly, in-person marketplace. Last week, eight vendors gathered to display an array of goods, ranging from handmade crochet clothing and maternity wear to electronics and baby strollers, testing whether a digital community could successfully operate in a physical room for a few busy hours. For entrepreneurs who run businesses without physical shops, the garage sale offered an alternative to the isolation of online retail, Writes Blen Hailu (blenmahi12@gmail.com) studied marketing, management and law. She works in communications and digital content creation, with a focus on human rights, equity and youth engagement.

Over the weekend on May 30, I joined a garage sale as a vendor inside Polish Garage in Hayahulet, in front of Arsho Medical Laboratories, bringing along a mix of old and new clothes I wanted to clear from my closet.

I expected a simple market day and a little extra income. Instead, the experience offered a close look at how residents are using community commerce to buy, sell, reuse and meet one another outside formal retail channels.

Lidya Birhane, who started the garage sale community four years ago with a modest idea, organised the sale last week. It began as a Telegram group where people could post items they no longer used or needed. The group grew into a marketplace for baby carrier strollers, household items, handmade crafts, clothing, accessories and electronics. On any given day, members post goods ranging from practical household tools to carefully curated fashion items.

The community has recently moved beyond the phone screen. Organisers have begun holding in-person garage sales, turning the online group into a recurring meeting point. They plan to host the event every month.

By creating a regular space, the organisers hope to bring buyers, sellers and small business owners together, while giving second-hand and handmade goods a longer useful life. The purpose is practical rather than grand. It is about fair prices, direct contact and products that still have value. The sales I attended showed how that shift is taking shape. Many vendors had joined previous events and had been members of the Telegram community for years. Others, including me, were first-time vendors testing whether the idea worked in person.

Eight vendors displayed their products that day. Some sold crochet clothing. Others focused on maternity wear. Tables were arranged with second-hand fashion, handmade products and selected items that were no longer needed by their owners but remained useful to others. The mood was different from a formal market, felling more like a neighbourhood meeting, with customers stopping to ask questions, compare prices and talk with sellers.

Several vendors run businesses without physical shops. They usually depend on photos, captions and messages to reach customers. At the garage sale, they could explain products directly, answer questions, receive feedback, and build trust face-to-face. For small operators, that kind of contact can matter as much as the sale itself. For first-time vendors, it also reduced the uncertainty of online selling by bringing products, prices, and customers into the same room for a few busy hours.

For creators and makers, the event also served as an additional source of income. It gave them exposure to new buyers without requiring a shop, rent or larger working capital. Small entrepreneurs often struggle to find affordable retail space, a community sale offers a lower-cost way to test products, build customer loyalty and generate revenue. It also allows sellers to see what people want before committing more resources.

Although garage sales may seem new to Addis Abeba, the logic behind them is familiar. Ethiopians have long had systems for selling, exchanging and repurposing used goods. "Qoralew" and Lewach" remain part of the city’s informal economy and everyday memory.

Street merchants, a.k.a "Qoralew", move through neighbourhoods buying and selling used household goods, old clothes, scrap metal, broken electronics and other discarded items. Their calls and carts have long been part of urban life. "Lewache" works through exchange, where a household with clutter, broken goods, or unwanted items can barter them for a new plastic basin, bucket or other household product.

Together, "Qoralew" and "Lewach" operate as an informal recycling system. They keep goods moving from one household to another and help recover value from items that might otherwise be thrown away. Long before sustainability became a common term, these systems made reuse part of daily life.

Kuralew workers have also played a role in Addis Abeba’s waste and recycling chain. They collect glass, plastic, textiles, paper, scrap metal and reusable materials from residential and commercial areas. Some items are repaired or resold. Others enter recycling networks and secondary markets. Their work reduces waste while creating livelihoods, even if it is often overlooked.

The garage sale does not represent a complete break from the local practice. It updates an old habit through social media, organised events and small-scale entrepreneurship. The format is more structured, but the principle that goods should circulate while they are still in use remains similar.

Western garage sales developed from a comparable need to dispose of surplus goods. The idea is traced to the 16th-century nautical term “romage,” which referred to ship captains selling excess, damaged or unclaimed cargo on docks. Over time, the practice moved beyond maritime trade and became common in suburban communities, where households sold unwanted goods directly to local buyers.

The histories are different, but both traditions rest on the same idea. Items that are no longer needed by one owner can still be useful to another. Value does not disappear because a product has changed hands or lost its first purpose.

During the event, people from the surrounding neighbourhood moved through the space. Older residents looked over household items, parents browsed children’s products, while young people searched clothing racks. Children moved between tables as adults negotiated prices and exchanged stories. The crowd was mixed, and people wanted useful goods at prices they could afford.

Several vendors wanted to return for future events. Some had sold through the Telegram community since its early days and their customer base had grown over time. What began as occasional sales had become a small business opportunity. Returning customers looked for specific vendors, creating continuity beyond a single market day.

The experience also raised a broader question about consumption. Fast fashion, impulse buying and frequent replacement have made it easier to discard products before the end of their useful lives. Clothing is one of the clearest manifestation. Many garments remain wearable long after their owners stop using them.

Garage sales offer one answer. They encourage people to rethink ownership, extend the life of products and reduce waste. They also make quality goods available to buyers who may not be able to afford new retail prices. The benefits are economic and environmental, but they are also social. People meet, negotiate and build trust around ordinary goods.

Consumer habits change, making such initiatives more relevant. They draw on older local practices while using digital platforms to reach more people and organise regular gatherings. For Lidya, the purpose remains direct.

“The main goal is to create a space where quality goods are being sold for a fair price,” she said.

That goal appeared to resonate with vendors and visitors alike. The garage sale has become a small but meaningful marketplace built on reuse, access and community. It connects Addis Abeba’s older culture of exchange with a newer model shaped by social media, small enterprise and more conscious consumption.

PUBLISHED ON Jun 06,2026 [ VOL 27 , NO 1362]