Certified glasses or approved solar filters are advised for viewing the eclipse and any local shops or places with any stock have found themselves in high demand in recent days.
Deal-savvy islanders were even selling pairs on social media yesterday with price tags as high as £100.
Tina Williams, manager of Les Bourgs Hospice charity shop in St Martin’s, said the shop had given away at least 1,000 pairs of eclipse glasses in return for donations.
‘We’ve received several deliveries over the past week, but as soon as they come in, they’re gone,’ she said.
‘I believe they’re trying to source some still, but unfortunately we’re not able to. We’ve been completely sold out of them for the past few days.
‘But the phone has not stopped ringing with people asking for them.’
It took just six minutes for more than 100 glasses to sell out at The VapeBar yesterday morning, despite sales being limited to two pairs per customer.
Dozens of people queued up for more than two hours awaiting the much anticipated delivery, according to member of staff Cameron Chalker, who was acting as a temporary ‘bouncer’ at the South Esplanade shop yesterday.
‘I’m just standing out front and letting people know we’ve run out of the glasses for the rest of the day,’ he said.
Specs-seeking customers were being turned away from the store every few minutes after the glasses sold out at 11.54am.
‘It’s been chaotic. The store phone has had to be put on mute.
‘We’ve had over 150 calls this morning.’
Mr Chalker plans to share his own pair with anyone around that might not have glasses of their own.
‘Yes, it’s a big event but we’re not going to be standing there for over an hour with them on,’ he said.
‘It’s a shame. Last time there was an eclipse they were giving out glasses in schools and everyone had a pair. It would’ve been nice for the States to provide some.’
He said that the store was expecting another delivery of glasses today.
A Facebook post from L’Ancresse kiosk saw dozens of islanders flocking there in search of a eclipse eyewear. ‘We’ve been inundated with requests from people, which we’ve been quite bemused by,’ said kiosk tenant Deidre Dudley-Owen.
The post in question included a picture of a poster about viewing the eclipse, gifted to the kiosk from La Societe Guernesiaise, alongside a pair of the sought-after glasses.
‘The post invited people to come down to the beach for an eclipse watch party with the kiosk’s ‘special sunnies’, giving islanders the impression that it might have glasses for sale.
‘We’ve had customers come down specifically to ask and we’ve been fielding lots of Facebook message requests,’ she said.
‘We’re hosting the Women’s Institute for their annual dinner with us and I’ve opened it up to people if they want to come down and have seafood or charcuterie platters.’
Miss Dudley-Owen has reserved one pair of glasses per table for those attending the WI dinner and has eight pairs ready for those booked in for the platters to share.
‘People will take turns. Everyone’s welcome. If somebody walks past and pops down, we’ll share our glasses. That’s what we’re like.’
No part of the eclipse is safe to view with the naked eye because looking directly at even a thin crescent can cause permanent eye damage, but those who have been unable to get their hands on a pair of eclipse glasses can still watch safely using indirect methods, including a simple pinhole projector, projecting sunlight through a colander or card with small holes, or watching the crescent-shaped shadows created by sunlight filtering through trees.
The partial eclipse will begin at 6.20pm, with the moon gradually moving across the sun before reaching its maximum at 7.17pm. Up to 94.5% of the sun is expected to be covered, making it the most significant solar eclipse in the Bailiwick since 1999.