by Ron Hall
Member since:
August 31, 2005

To Buy or Not to Buy (for 7/23/06)

July 23, 2006 03:38 PM EDT (Updated: July 26, 2006 07:47 PM EDT)
views: 55 | rating: 10/10 (6 votes) | comments: 23

Our first weekend back in the cities was pretty good.  No neighborhood yard sales, but the season isn't even close to losing steam.

Find of the week

fileId:3096224743874910;size:inter;

Riobi cordless skill saw.

price - $5

sold

It didn't have the charger and the battery was dead, but I could tell it had hardly been used, so I'm taking my chances.

 

Other discoveries and leave-behinds:

fileId:3096224743874913;size:inter; Feather boa (white)

price - 50 cents

sold

 

 

What's more fun than a boa.  I want a bunch of them, so they can hang from the ceiling on breezy days like today.  Then I'll open the windows and watch them dance.  Beats watching Nascar.

fileId:3096224743874912;size:inter;

Mic and headphones

price - $2

sold

Just when the voice recognition software is coming together for us, we find this top quality headset. Fabulous.

Resistance is futile.

 

 

fileId:3096224743874921;size:inter;

Owl art.

price - $3

no sale

For what it was it was very cool, but we're not into this kind of thing.  There's a little owl down in the bottom right.  It looked particularly surly.

 

 

 

fileId:3096224743874918;size:inter;

Star Trek action figures

price - $10 for four

no sale

I know, someone is going to say these are worth a fortune.  Fine.  Educate me.  We learn by our mistakes, and we're not ready to start selling this kind of thing (not just yet).

 

fileId:3096224743874915;size:inter;

Bike.

price - $5

no sale

Slacker special.  Needs new tires and tubes, but really is the right thing to take to the next G8 summit.

 

fileId:3096224743874900;size:inter;

Pottery piece

price - 50 cents

sold

First of all, I have no idea how this was thrown, and the glaze was exquisite.  I know very little about pottery, but the general rule of thumb is if it looks gorgeous, buy it.

 

fileId:3096224743874906;size:inter;

Copper sauce pan

price - $2

sold

I've been seeing it at sales, so I'm buying the pieces I see, unless I already have one.  People see this stuff hanging in your kitchen and think maybe you can cook.

 

fileId:3096224743874924;size:inter;

Jog with your kid device

price - $7

no sale

I thought that was an outstanding price, but I don't think a cat will sit still in it, so I don't need one.

 

 

 

 

fileId:3096224743874898;size:inter;

French T-FAL nonstick skillet

price - $4

Sold

This is runner up for find of the week.  Looks like it hasn't been used.

My mom, I was reminded recently, has very little in the way of good pots and pans.  I built her some shelves, but now they need to get filled up with useful things. I've already outfitted our kitchen.  It's time for hers.
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Comments: 23

I used to go yard saleing every thursday and saturday. But alas we aquired too much junk. Now I spend my thursdays and saturdays figuring out what to get rid of!

I wish I had the strength to sell my finds ;-(
Micheale Shelton Jul 23, 2006, 4:07pm EDT
Great finds! I'd LOVE to have the copper sauce pan and the Star Trek action figures. What do you plan to do with your finds?
Like Mandy, I'm doing a serious clean-out with a yard sale planned when I finish. Any suggestions?
Ron Hall Jul 23, 2006, 4:41pm EDT
Mandi, Micheale, you can always have your own yard sale. I know I would if I didn't live in a highrise. It's really hard to have a sale in a condominium complex; people just don't get it, and it's against the rules to set up by the pool or in the hall.

As for what I'm going to do with this stuff: My mom has a lot across the road from her shop in Colorado that has no power to it. I'm building things there, so the cordless saw is perfect. The pottery piece will go in my stash of cool things to sell sometime in the future (you know, diversity of assets for retirement . . . ) I think everything else here has a use explained in the post.
George Corneliussen Jul 23, 2006, 6:38pm EDT
Ron,
Tool Rule ! The Riobi cordless skill saw is a risk well worth taking.
Ron Hall Jul 23, 2006, 7:47pm EDT
I was getting a little worried, George, because I couldn't find it on their web site. However I did see that battery chargers were $20. That will be my first step towards getting this thing running (and I'll buy it locally so I don't have to pay shipping).
Pam F. Jul 24, 2006, 8:03am EDT
Your action figures would sell for between $30 - 50 on EBay according to what I saw by searching completed listings. I would have haggled them down to $8 and paid for them. Is there a signature on your pottery? Pottery is hard sometimes to figure out the worth but if you love it anyways then it doesn't matter. Keep it :) I am looking forward to finding some great thrift store finds this week and I have some items that a lady wants me to sell for her. I will be listing tonight. A bunch of Steiff bears and books and maybe some jewelry.


I still need to do my story from last week I am way behind but it was a slack weekend anyways and this weekend I didn't get to ANY yard sales.
Ron Hall Jul 24, 2006, 9:03am EDT
Pam, there was no signature on the pottery. The 50 cent price was a big deciding factor and its appearance. It may end up in my mom's shop.

I too missed a few weeks over the 4th of July holiday. I have all the pictures, but I'll be doing catchup. I'll post during the week - things I did or didn't buy while on the road.
elise p Jul 24, 2006, 9:10am EDT
Went to my first estate sale last week. Walked through wondering things like, "where are the people who lived here? are they dead?" and listening to other folk making small, mostly not-nice talk about the former occupants and their belongings. was a little weirded out. bought nothing. consider it a trial run and will probably do it again.
Ron Hall Jul 24, 2006, 9:33am EDT
Elise, the most disconcerting thing for me about estate sales is the fall from grace a person's prized possessions take. Some things don't even get offered for sale; I've found delightful things in the roll-away dumpster just outside the sale. You're right to be unsettled at an estate sale. It's something you get used to, given time.
Ron Hall Jul 24, 2006, 3:08pm EDT
Kari, if it's on our usual route, we'd be glad to check it out : )
Ron Hall Jul 26, 2006, 9:04am EDT
I've been thinking about buying a kayak.
Ron Hall Jul 26, 2006, 3:42pm EDT
Oh, that's a given, Kari. Retail and I don't occupy the same economy.
Aileen F. Jul 26, 2006, 4:11pm EDT
Oh, some days the comments are as fun as the sales! I agree with Pam that the action figures were a good thing, but you are safer to not buy if you don't know the market.
Ron Hall Jul 26, 2006, 6:41pm EDT
Aileen, the thought has been creeping into my mind to start collecting beanie babies. They sure are cheap. I feel for anyone who bought them as an investment. As for action figures, you're right. I do not know the market.
jessie voigts Jul 26, 2006, 7:00pm EDT
i love janie and her boa. she needs the bling bag. lillie gets boas at the dollar store. see ho wmuch you saved??
Ron Hall Jul 26, 2006, 7:03pm EDT
Boas are pretty darned cool. I don't know how I'd ever clean one though. Any tips?
Auntie Smedley Jul 26, 2006, 7:39pm EDT
I think I'd Dryel™ it.
Ron Hall Jul 26, 2006, 7:50pm EDT
Oh Auntie, I just think anything resembling dry cleaning would be way too domestic for me. But there's a first time for everything, I guess : )
Auntie Smedley Jul 26, 2006, 11:55pm EDT
I think you could handle it - tou just stick it in a bag in your dryer and turn the dryer on.
Ron Hall Jul 27, 2006, 8:56am EDT
My strategy for the mean time will be to keep them clean. And, at 50 cents or a quarter apeice the temptation to consider them nondurable goods is strong. That they're made of organic material makes it even easier to think "oh well" if it starts to get squirrely.

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