A Sale to Benefit Charity and Thrifty Brides-to-Be

But perhaps because of the chilly 30-degree weather, the crowd numbered only about 50 people when the doors opened at 8 a.m. All were well behaved as they filed inside to be greeted by balloons and clapping staff members. By 9 a.m., 200 people had arrived, and by noon, 350, with more steadily streaming in.

The store sold about 110 dresses for roughly $17,000 by the end of the sale, at 3 p.m., said James Harder, a Goodwill spokesman. About 500 people had visited, Mr. Harder said.

Some buyers had also anticipated a large crowd, so they arrived in the wee hours and camped out in the parking lot. Aleksandra Ivanovoska, 23, a student from Maine, and her fiancé, Rob Roberson, 25, a painter, who are to marry in July, arrived by 3:30 a.m. but stayed in their car until around 7, when they lined up behind about 15 people.

First in line was Sarah Burdulis, 25, a kindergarten teacher from Somerville, who brought what she described as a “crazy, pokey hat” to wear so that her entourage — her parents and her younger brother — could find her if it turned into a zoo inside.

“Dad carries, Mom finds the right size and my brother does what he’s told,” said Ms. Burdulis, who is planning a wedding in May 2010.

But the family left empty-handed at 9:30 a.m.

Others had more success. After trying on about 20 dresses in two hours, Susan Brown, 31, an assistant attorney general from Somerville, bought a dress for $80. She brought a friend who offered diplomatic feedback like, “That looks nice, but I don’t know if it’s what you’re looking for.”

“I want to find something that doesn’t look like a craft box threw up on it,” said Ms. Brown, whose wedding is set for September. “I don’t go for the tight mermaid thing.”