This week the Apple Valley suburb had the Diamond Path Neighborhood sale.
We checked out about 50 sales there before lunch and then hit about a half dozen in the 46th Street/Summit Avenue corridor running across the metro. This neighborhood is demographically homogenous, with lots of toys and other kid related things. It's one of those places where even though the average income is pretty good, the demands on that money make the populace about as cash poor as those living in the inner city. In other words, it was hard to find things being let go for a reasonable price (except for kids clothes, toys and christmas ornaments). Still, if you look hard enough any neighborhood sale has gems.
Find of the day
Ace wrist brace
price - $1
sold
Had never been out of the box. Janie put it on and it was so superior to the $20 braces that had been perscribed by the physical therapists. We need to look them up on the web for what the retail is, but this was a revelation.
Least interesting thing
Dangly ornament made of shells
Price - made an offer
Didn't ask
This was hideous
Other things we did or didn't buy
Bike
price - $5
no sale
I'm not looking for a bike, but as far as I can tell this year it's a buyer's market for bikes. I just tried to sell my hybrid for $20 and he'll get back to me. Hey, that's cool. There are just so many good bikes out there. It's an opportunity for someone.
Guy stuff organizer and old crescent wrench
price - $3 and 25 cents
sold
I'm short on nails, and this thing had small quartities of different sized finish nails. Excellent.
Cod-style pop bottle
price - $25
so sale
The well-ordered lettering on this bottle indicates it is either a reproduction, or a British bottle made as a retro novelty. A real cod bottle would look like the lettering was either carved into the mold or that the mold had been used mulitple times and was wearing out. All of these letters were crisp. Besides, if I want a real cod bottle, I'll buy one for $3.
Foosball table
price - didn't ask
no sale
I don't while away my spare time playing foosball any more, and this table is just a bit smaller than adult size.
Stuffed cat home decorations
price - $1 each
no sale
They came close to being the least interesting offering of the week. Charming wife not included.
Metal desk
price - free
no sale
This would be a great addition to some slacker's apartment. The problem is, you can't get it home on a bike.
Almost nice shirt
price - $2
no sale
Sometimes I'll pay $2, and this was heavy and had a nice funky aura about it. Closer inspection revealed less-than-manly buttons, one button missing on the sleeve, and 50% polyester content.
Oak kitchen trash dispenser
price - $25
no sale
Our hosehold is lacking depth in the kitchen trash container position (sorry, football draft time is on my mind). Still, this was a bit too wide and would have blocked the doorway into the kitchen.
Word-drive Milwaukee drill
price - $15
no sale
Wonderful older tool. It probably runs great, but with something older like this I'm not willing to risk the big bucks. I already have two drills, both yardsale buys that weren't this spendy.
Snow blower
price - $300
Oh please, I own a shovel.
Rocking rhino with missing ear.
price - $5
no sale
I'm afraid I'd break it further. This was from one of the urban sales. It was more interesting. Downright funky, you know . . .
"Cell phone" case that clips on your belt
price - 75 cents
sold
It fits my camera perfectly. Record that as office supplies.
Snowman bell
price - $1
sold
We won't have to look at it year around, and it is a very happy looking thing, so we'll pull it out every holiday season.
Ironwood dolphin
price - $1
sold
It's like new. I have a market for this sort of thing.
Kitchen stuff
price (from top left: $1, 50 cents, $1, $2.
sold
The little sauce pot has a glass lid; I like glass lids. I have a standing order from a customer for a stock pot. The metal pizza grill was hard to pass up. The pottery thing is for cooking something with light pressure between to hot ceramic surfaces.
Frozen food cutter
price - 50 cents
sold
I'm no photographer, and I find in especially hard to take a picture of something that has a reflecting surface. I finally got a shot that shows the gnarly teeth on this thing.
Bag of kitchen stuff
price - $1
I really liked the two little cleavers. I needed another plastic spatula. The stuff on the far right goes to the thrift store.
Rotary cheese grater
price - $1
sold
I had one of these and it wore out, not because it was cheap but because I used it every day. Amazingly effective devices, these.
Books
price - $1 each
The dark room manual and National Geographic bird guide will go straight to the book store. We intend to read Isaac Asimov's Understanding Physics first, and then it goes to the book store.
Foreign coins
price - 25 cents each
sold
There was a big bin of coins, and I fished out some really funky ones. I make big candles from wax I pick up at yard sales. When I pour them I put a couple of these coins in the bottom, as a sort of trade mark. There were about 30 5-peso coins, and I was tempted to buy them all. I'm sure 5 pesos are going for more than 25 cents these days, but I have to figure the hourly wage of finding the nearest place to exchange them.
Mickey Mouse baseball cap
price - 50 cents
sold
I hate baseball caps. They don't look good on me (even if worn right-side-forward), but the sun was beating down, so I had to have it. There was only a little wee logo on the side, of Mickey.
Enormous wine rack
price -$15
no sale
It was already sold and I didn't need one. Very nice though.
Silver thread noodle salad
price - $8.95 or so
sold
Sawatt Dee on Hennepin in Uptown has the best silver thread noodle salad, and they'll make it lethally hot if you insist. I just keep forgetting to take the picture until after it's gone. It's that good. No, I don't work there.
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Would You Buy This or Not is a weekly feature. Check back in next week, because the Bryn Mawr neighborhood sale is stupendous. See you then.
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Comments: 52
And I had one of those hand held cheese graters that I sold for a buck at my own sale. I never used it, preferring my regular ole grater.
The coins I would have had to look at but yes adore coins too.
I own that cheese grater thing *smile* it was free.
And that saw - yes - you can paint artwork on them and hang them as a decoration.
Excellent finds. Thank you for sharing
Susan, if I had kids, I'd absolutely buy the foosball table. It's a great game for developing quickness and dexterity. Yes, the picture doesn't show the best detail of the coins. Those cheese graters are ubiquitous, and I like your deal better. The saw really is just the size of a kitchen knife (see, they are hard to photograph).
Susan, I suppose if someone lived by the sea, such an ornament might fit in. In Minnesota, I can't imagine what it would fit into. But I'm always just talking about my own taste. I'm no reliable guide to value or quality.
Ruth, I really like the idea of buying and donating. I've thought of picking a nonprofit that runs a thrift store and enlisting volunteers to garage sale and buy the store lots of cool stuff.
I swear that same shirt is hanging in my DH's closet with his winter flannels.
Thanks for the shopping trip Ron.
Great deals on the pots and pans and other kitchen items.
Anna, he said it throws snow 50 feet, so I'd be leery of using it as a garden tiller : ) I myself see no reason to move snow more than 3 feet.
Nancy too points out that just because I don't like snowblowers, that doesn't mean they're not a good thing. I just like winter because it's quiet and everything smells so fresh.
Aileen, some neighborhoods just rock. I found a little here, but most sales looked identical. I have no idea if conformity is a bad thing, but if you need to do a study, may I suggest Apple Valley, Minnesota? I bet some parts of LA really rock for wierd stuff.
Sue, I'm more than happy to have you along. More than one person has told me yardsaling is so far out of their lifestyle they consider it a bit exotic.
It's not the noodles, it's the sauce and shrimp that are worth the big bucks, Jim.
We're toying with the idea of getting a pickup. We'll keep you in mind.
I want to read more stuff like this because it was fun, fun, fun!
Thanks for taking us with you!
Jennifer, you're not the only one who saw the charm in the shell thingy. That's a hoot.
Gwen, to each their own. I did not find it to my taste.
Shannon, I've found church rummage sales to be the best place for my most desireable item: warm shirts. I also find odd items there that people buy on vacation overseas.
Lynn, I wouldn't have bought a cellphone case, but it fits my camera, which was getting scratched up in my pocket.
So nice to see you all stop by on a Monday night! What a surprise!
Good finds, Ron
Welcome back, Sonia. How was your trip to the mainland?
Leah, thank you for commenting on the individual pictures.
From "we must be gettin' old " file:
I chuckled at your photo of the wrist brace. A I cruise the thrift stores these days, I find myself pausing and evaluating the various body braces I see . Just yesterday, I found myself sizing up a knee brace. No sale, but lots of consideration.
Janie, it sure was!
We'd make excellent (or rather, DANGEROUS) Yard Sale Buddies 'cuz I'd be buying everything you are.
Michael, you must have the best of taste : )