Clowns offer and pick up goodies at sale

By JILL SHERMAN, DAILY SUN

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 8:41 AM EST

THE VILLAGES — Get some colorful floppy shoes for a bargain price. Get a mirror that laughs at you when you gaze into it, for free.

Welcome to the clown sale, conducted by Clown Alley No. 179 members Monday morning at La Hacienda Recreation Center. Most resident clowns who participated were glad to unload at least a portion of their smile-inducing props.

“My car hasn’t been in the garage,” Jan “Sassy” Robbins said, “in two years.”

Three petticoats, a pair of high-top shoes, a crazy stuffed chicken and a barking dog puppet later, Robbins may now be able to park her car where it was intended to be parked at her Village of Del Mar home. With any luck, her car is a mini clown car.

Robbins, Clown Alley No. 179 president, also sold her invisible dog on a leash. She confessed prior to the sale that there really was no dog — the leash was merely supported with sturdy wire.

But the prop was one of the best $2 investments a clown could buy.

“If you don’t want to clean up after a real dog,” Robbins said, “that works.”

Some of the clown sale items were peddled for rock-bottom prices — and many proceeds were donated to Operation Shoebox — while others were offered for no charge.

Village of Briar Meadow resident Evie “Shamrock” Hanson offered for the sale her bashful dog puppet and a plush flying, shrieking squirrel. She has little use for them these days.

“I’m more into face painting,” Hanson said.

The table of free items contained props of all sorts, including round red foam noses and large green sunglasses. Phyllis “Tiny Bubbles” Sanfilippo eyed a clown poster, which would fit in well with her clown room. She also considered taking home a blue braided wig with bangs.

“I have a lot, so there’s very little I need,” Sanfilippo, a Village of Bonnybrook resident, said of her clown props, “but I’m always looking for ideas.”

Village of Duval resident Eileen “Yum Yum” Boudreau was enthusiastic about adding to her clown props because she is soon to graduate from a clown class and has no costume. She was most pleased with the inflatable giraffe she scored at the sale.

“I’m going to walk around with him,” Boudreau said, smiling and hoisting her arm around the giraffe’s spotted neck.

Jill Sherman is a reporter with the Daily Sun. She can be contacted at 753-1119, ext. 9253, or jill.sherman@thevillagesmedia.com.