ALLEGAN, Mich. — 'Tis the season of shopping— especially on Black Friday.
There's one man in Allegan County who knows a thing or two about a good deal.
FOX 17 first introduced you to Rich 'Richie' Porter for his giant wagon sale this spring. For the first time, he's selling Christmas items in his home— more than he could've ever imagined.
"How do you feel about your house getting cluttered with Christmas stuff?" FOX 17 asked Porter.
"Bah Humbug," Porter said, jokingly reciting Ebenezer Scrooge's classic line from A Christmas Carol.
If Scrooge and Porter ever met, there's a good chance they would get along.
However, unlike the cold-hearted, anti-Christmas movie character, Porter loves people, and most of all, things. Lots and lots of things.
"58 years," Porter said, telling FOX 17 when he first got his start in garage sales.
"I got a couple pieces of furniture I bought when I was seven. A buffet and a secretary desk," Porter said. His reasoning? "Because they were cool.”
Porter's garage sales have grown to be very popular. He started with about two or three wagons. This past Labor Day, he had 48 wagons filled with items out on his front lawn.
"Just neat, different, something to do," Porter said. "I ain't got a wife and kids. Course if you did, you wouldn't have this.”
Porter usually pulls up to estate sales to get his hands on all these items.
The, he sets up giant garage sales on his front lawn for most major holidays.
"You're kind of your own boss," Porter said. "You lay out a lot of money, but hopefully you get your money back and a little bit more.”
Except, there's one holiday he's never considered— Christmas.
That is, until a recent estate sale in Parchment, Michigan. A 96-year-old woman passed away, and Porter went to check it out.
"There was a trailer load and a half of just Christmas," Porter said. "Brand new stuff she'd never used. Still in the package. Almost like a store.”
Still, Porter needed a little convincing from his friend.
“She wanted me to go to the flea market to set up," Porter explained. "Then she said, 'Well, we could set the house up.' I said, 'You got a turd in your pocket?' I said, 'If you want to do it, you do it.'”
A week and a half later, they turned 3333 108th St. in Allegan into an in-home holiday shopping center.
Elizabeth Andre, who's been a customer at Porter's garage sales her "whole entire life," was especially pleased with his Christmas collection.
“It's absolutely beautiful," she said. "I love how he used all of his big hutches and things like that. He really utilized them well.”
Porter hopes his collection can help you check off a few items from your wishlist.
There's only one gift he wants in return.
"Getting rid of it," he joked.
Porter's Christmas garage sale is going on from Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., both this weekend and next. It's cash only.
