Fancy an old costume or two

The Tauranga Repertory Society is having a clean out and the public is set to benefit.
The wardrobe at the society's 16th Avenue theatre has been picked through for items suitable for sale with dresses, men's tailored suits, furs and gloves all up for grabs in a garage sale this Saturday from 8am.
The well-loved costumes and accessories have been worn in previous productions or donated to the theatre by members of the public.
Wardrobe manager Barbara Webb says a garage sale held earlier in the year raised about $2000 for the society and it's hoped this weekend's sale will raise even more money.
Funds will be spent on maintenance and help pay for the cost of a new fly tower backstage.
"Every penny helps. I've spent the past month sorting through boxes and racks of clothes so there will be a good variety of costumes for sale on the day."
Prices and sizes vary, with hats selling for as little at $3. Fox furs have been priced at $15, stoles at $30 and coats at $50 each.
"The furs and stoles were very popular with the teenage girls last time. There are some dresses with very unusual fabrics which could be cut down and remade into something else.
"Dance schools and people looking for fancy dress costumes often show an interest - last time we had people queueing here from 7am."
Barbara says all the clothes are surplus to requirements, with some clothes simply too small for actors to wear.
"The reality is that people are getting bigger. There are dresses here made to fit women with a 24-inch waist and 32-inch bust but who has that anymore?"
The 16th Ave theatre was built in 1942. Run by volunteers, the repertory society relies on money generated from shows, fundraising activities and community grants to keep operating.
In recent years it has spent $300,000 on improvements to the auditorium and $85,000 on air-conditioning. Now the society needs $70,000 to upgrade its existing fly tower and make alterations backstage to maintain a safe area for crew and actors.
Fly towers are used by backstage crew to change sets quickly during a performance.
Vice-president Dennis Smith says their fly tower was built in 1998 but was poorly designed and doesn't work as it should.
"As well as that, OSH regulations for the theatre have changed dramatically so there is a bit of work we need to do to ensure we have a safe, operational area to work in."
If enough money is raised by the end of the year, it's hoped the backstage work will start in January.
* Who: Tauranga Repertory Society
* What: Costumes/material
* Where: 16th Ave Theatre
* When: From 8am Saturday
* Why: To raise money for building improvements