Janie and I hope we didn't give you the impression in Part 1 that we didn't find anything. We most certainly did. I also learned something reading Bruce Littlefield's Garage Sale America over the weekend, and that's that your keepers look much better if photographed in the context of how they fit into your life.
Find of the Week:
Ginormous french press (1 liter size)
price - $8
sold
Yes, we drink that much coffee every morning, and that's heading off for work. We also got to break it in on the porch of Dick and Harriet's cabin on Silver Lake. It was brisk out, and the coffee was really hot.
Least interesting thing we found up North this weekend:
Other keepers:
Gander Mountain heavy cotton shirt
price - 50 cents
I don't wear these, but if I did I'd wear them out on the screen porch with a mug of joe and a good children's book. All the heavy shirts we buy are for resale.
Handmade Christmas ornament
price - 50 cents
sold
Brad Sneed illustrated Aesop's Fables
price - 25 cents
sold
I told myself I didn't need to turn around just because the sale had all kid's stuff, and I was rewarded. The rabbit is drawn to tower over the turtle and cricket. The art work is spectacular. Janie took it to work today to read aloud at her day job with the Minnesota Childrens Museum.
Christopher and Banks jacket
price - $5
sold
The brand name meant something to Janie. I liked that the fabric had just enough softness and really tight weave.
Coffee travel kit from Target (unopened)
price - $2
sold
It came with two stainless travel mugs and a thermos. It all fits perfectly in the drink holders of our Saturn.
Nukkle massage contraption
price - (from the 10 cent box)
sold
The first Nukkles we bought were at a mall where they were being demonstrated on our backs by savvy salespeople. We bought two for more than $10 each. The patent was later sold and they have appeared in Walgreen's for more like $1 each. Now they're showing up in yard sales. Buy these. They are amazing.
Fluoreslcent light ballast (27 pounds)
price - free
sold
I didn't know whether I could get at whatever inside of them was so heavy, but I figured if I couldn't I'd at least be able to recycle them properly. Sitting in a rural free box, I was pretty sure they would have made their way straight to a landfill. They did say "No PCBs" on them. If they hadn't I would have recycled them, but I wouldn't have opened them to see what was inside.
Sheet aluminum scrap (2.5 lbs)
price - $1
sold
The platter had ducks and cattails on it. An aluminum serving platter? Scrap, scrap, scrap.
Brass scrap (3.5 lbs)
price - 50 cents
Two of the rods were hollow, with steel shanks going down the middle, but I still did okay on that portion that wasn't magnetic.
Lead fishing line anchors (10 lbs)
price - $2
This is the first time I bought lead, but I figured lead must be going for more than 20 cents a pound, so I took the chance.
Yes, I love this scale I once found in a dumpster. It was made by Simmons Hardware in St. Louis.
Tool belt
price - $3
sold
Just perfect to go with my dad's tool box. The belt just barely fits me on the last set of holes. Someone suggested I could have someone make a new belt for it. No. It has a belt. As a bonus, it contains $3 worth of nails in varieties I don't have.
6 Coke coasters (unopened)
price - $3 (but it was half-off day, so $1.50)
Janie's a Coke fan. If the place serves Pepsi, she'll drink water. I collect pop bottles. We're not keeping them for display. We'll use them so they get good and homey looking.
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Would You Buy This or Not is a weekly feature on Gather. If you'd like to see Part 1 (what we didn't buy), click here.
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Comments: 44
the jacket looks like a great deal!
love the ornament and the kids book.
the coke coasters are very retro..
and who doesn't need a nice massage??
Mandi, I didn't know much about the jacket, but that's why Janie and I go out as a team. We each know things the other does not.
Roxanne, I know a lot of adults that appreciate kid's books. Of course then there are the Shel Silverstein books, that are more for adults than kids . . .
Folks, I'm off to the Savers half price sale to snag up some warm shirts. I'll be back. Thank you all for stopping in!
The children's book is a treasure!
With all the scrap, in fact you most likely paid for all of your other purchases.
hubby thinks I already have more ~stuff~ than I need though
Great finds again! What a great yard sale shopper you are.
Thanks, Jennifer.
Thank you, Bruce. When I started taking pictures it helped me appreciate the really bad sales. Before I was just annoyed at the junk, but now some of it yields a good picture here and there.
flit, Janie is very understanding and supportive. She's become a Broncos fan, goes to yard sales, has accepted the fact that I'm going to have tons of plants, spends practically all her vacation time visiting my mom. I'm very lucky.
Wilma, if I had to drive to work, I'd probably cut back on our pleasure outings. As it is we both walk to work, so a bit of gas expense doesn't bother us. Of course, because we make money yardsaling the mileage is deductible, and that's a real help.
Rob, keep stopping by. Every week is different!
I'll drink either myself, but definitely prefer Pepsi...
Leah, coffee is important. It literally turned America around (for better or worse).
Michael, I like Pepsi with lots of fresh lemons.
Karolyn, it's a great book, just right for inspiring a kid.
That's interesting Anna. I'm going to keep an eye out for a place that serves both!
where's the old toolbox? i don't see it in part 1 or 2... or maybe my eyes have gone nutso from too long staring at my computer. it's so great to see these photos!
Bruce, I'll get it out in the next couple of days and post a better picture. It was a lost cause and I somehow put it back together.
Lori, a french press has a fine screen, and makes coffee without using a paper filter. Paper filters trap some of the oils in the coffee and thus take away that part of the flavor. Also, wet paper tastes like wet paper. The same result can be had with throwing a handfull of coffee in any pot of boiling hot water, if you don't mind a little grounds.
OK, I think you're right - I'm definitely not missing much!!!
The thing is: I don't really like Mexican style food, so I'm going to pass on the tamales, tinned, or otherwise!
If I'd known what I know now - that I can rather easily resell things at my own yard sale - I would have bought those trays. I'm going to pick up a wider variety of things from now on, and haul them to Colorado, where there's less "stuff".
That said, I have certainly found some great deals at Savers. I also appreciate that when I donate items there's a coupon on the receipt to be used on a future purchase.
Just as an aside, I've started to notice the supply of Woolrich, Gander Mountain, Pendelton etc. shirts is drying up a bit as people are starting to have to be smarter about how they spend their money. Such shirts are less frequently finding their way into the hands of people who don't know their value.