It was slim pickings once again up around the lakes in the Brainerd, MN area. We drove a good 50 miles and happened across fewer than 10 sales. We didn't do great, but the pictures saved the day.
Find of the Week:
Kitty/Cement mixer hybrid
price - free
no sale
This is going to haunt me until I die. What fresh mind thought up a toy that was a combination of a cat and a cement mixer? I put it back in the box, but it was just the oddest thing.
Least desirable thing we encountered:
Child-size ATV
price - $750
no sale
This appeared to be the appropriate size for a seven-year-old. I do not like ATVs. I think they're noisy and dangerous. Yes, I'm sure they're fun. Hospitals are not fun.
Other things we did or didn't buy:
Pickup
price - $2,800
no sale
I'm soooo glad I stopped though to read the sign on the window. It made our day.
Light-duty deadbolt
price - $1.50
no sale
It sold new for $2.79 and of course there's no saying it sold that day for the full retail price. Forty percent off is not yardsale prices.
Bunny on a bike
price - free
no sale
I just thought the smile was classic.
Real bunnies
price - $5 each
no sale
They'd probably eat our cats.
Snow pants
price - $1
no sale
I don't need snow pants, but I thought this was a value worthy of memorializing. These had knots tied in them to hold things together, and a little duct tape here and there. Worth the price.
Fish cooker
price - $3
no sale
I never catch fish that big.
Shade chair
price - $7 (I think)
no sale
Nice idea, but someone else will appreciate it more than I would.
Sexy couple figurine
price - "22.00 as is"
no sale
This was on the bargain table at the place we ate lunch.
Three brass swans
price - 25 cents for the three
no sale
I could have bought these for scrap, but I thought better to leave them for someone who would appreciate them. Reuse comes before recycle.
Candle sticks
price - $1
no sale
I was going to scrap these out, but after I had them in my hands I wasn't so sure they weighed more than a pound and a half.
Broken aluminum dock parts
price - free
sold
With the bolts taken off, they weighed 10.5 pounds. Nice.
If you're wondering, I got them for their scrap value. Aluminum is going for 55 cents a pound.
Diner hot pot
price - 10 cents
sold
Not only did this bring back memories of scrounging under the car seat for coffee money on a cold winter's day. Now I can fill it with primo Kenya, and laugh about the hard times.
Sweater
price - $2
sold
It wasn't that great of a sweater. We were just tired of not finding much.
Books on CD
price - 50 cents
I do all the driving on our trips, and I'm okay with whatever public radio is playing (usually). Janie prefers something literary.
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Would You Buy This or Not is a weekly feature on Gather. We usually go to yard sales, but sometimes we're on the road (as we will be for 3 weeks around the 4th). We always find something to post about. Come join us every week.
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Comments: 16
The truck sign was good too!
Carl, the truck is part of a bigger post I'm working on about trucks. I liked the part about "a girl that won't run away". That's classic rural talk, because all the girls move to the city and leave the guys in the sticks.
Lori, the hot pot is classic, isn't it?
The pickup did look a bit expensive, Wendy. I agree.
Paul, I gave that sale with the lock all the effort I could. I had no energy left to play with their heads.
Ruth, a cow crap mousse - oh dear. I don't doubt there's someone out there doing it.
Roxanne, I'm glad I bothered to take a picture of the cement mixer toy. Most everyone has liked it, or at least had their horizons broadened.