What a beautiful day today was! The fact that it rained on and off meant nothing to me. It was deliciously humid and a nice 75 degrees. I brought my sensible shoes.
The paper advertised not one, but two dynamite neighborhood yard sales today and both of them were within 5 miles of our flat. Summit Hill is always a bit hit and miss. It's known as a higher-income area, so a lot of people go to sales there. Also, they have been having neighborhood sales for many years - or so it seems - because a lot of houses seem to be grasping around for saleable merchandise (having, I think, already sold everything someone might want in previous years). Highland is always great, and I'm not sure why. It's more of a college neighborhood, a higher Jewish population than other areas. Do those two things make for better sales? Apparently so.
Janie had to work, but the rain might have been a problem for her power wheelchair anyway. The rain did keep the competition at home, and I found some great things.
First, let's take a look at the things I didn't buy and why.
The thing I least wanted to buy:
MREs
price - $3 each
no sale
Were they date-expired? I don't think so, because I understand these things have good-tasting chemicals that ensure decades of shelf life. So, how is it they were being sold at a yard sale? I didn't ask, and I got some suspicious looks while I was snapping the photo.
Other things I didn't buy:
Gas heater
price - $40
no sale
Ah, for the days back in rural Colorado, when me and my slacker associates ran gas heaters in our homes to save a few bucks. You had to leave two windows open, of course. Otherwise the air in the house would get used up and you'd all die in your sleep. I greatly prefer living somewhere where a living wage is paid, so folks can afford to stay warm safely.
Replica shopping cart
price - $5
no sale
I thought this was very cool because it was in the slightest detail an exact miniature of a shopping cart. What the heck would I do with it though?
Toy space station
price - $25
no sale
This is mind boggling. Kids these days; I hope they can appreciate something like this.
Ugly thing
price - $4
no sale
This was just beat out by the MREs as least interesting thing. I'd almost rather live on MREs than own one of these.
Bunny pot
price - I forget
no sale
Hey, at least smile! You're a bunny! Be happy!
Cat box
price - $5
no sale
I like the idea, but I've already built the world's perfect cat box.
Shower pin
price - $2
no sale
It's a pin you wear, like any other, except you open it up and it's a gag. Cute, perhaps, but I wouldn't be wearing it and I don't know who I could give it to without compromising their view of me.
Weather goose
price - 50 cents
no sale
I know, I know. I should have bought it for our bird collection., but it's actually pretty big and didn't justify the space it would take up. I like the picture just as much as the thing itself, and that's exactly why I take a camera to yard sales.
Trek bike
price - $25
no sale
I already have a bike, but this has been a year for great bikes. This person was on the phone right away to a friend, "It's a Trek man! No, really! Twenty-five dollars!"
Tractor tire
free
no sale
It used to be the border for a sand box. Isn't that a great recycling idea? I hope someone took it and kept the tradition alive.
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I just finished posting the second article, covering what I *did* buy. If you liked this, don't miss that. Click here.
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Comments: 48
Looks like some good deals.
We had a garage sale today, and someone got a good deal on a washer and dryer for $75.00. That's because my mom sold her house, and has to be out next week. So everything had to be done in a hurry.
is that a man holding a rifle on the meal package?
why did i giggle at: "....and you'd all die in your sleep."?
y oh y didnt you buy that shopping cart? its soooo cute!
i also giggled quite heavily at: "ugly thing"
i would have bought the space station for my 11yr old but only if we could talk them down a bit.
some kid is going to be swinging from that tire soon.
thanks for the giggles, ron!
Elaine, that does sound like a deal. We live in a cooperative (some call them condos but I hate that word), so I share the washers and dryers with 15 other units. I like it that way. I don't have any room, what with our yard sale finds and all.
Minnette, yard saler is a word, as is yardsaler. At least, common usage has established it, and common usage rules - maybe not in French or English, but in American -absolutely. If I only had room for the duck . . .
Lori, yes the man on the package is a soldier. These are military rations. Yum. I really liked the shopping cart, but have no idea what I'd do with it; note at all. As for the "ugly thing", I didn't know what else to call it. It has no function, and it sure wasn't attractive. I want a space station . . . The tire is actually huge, like 7 feet high huge - too big for a swing, unless that's one big kid.
Leigh, my dream job - one I'll probably do in retirement - involves kicking the buying and selling into high gear. If I was operating by those rules, I'd have snapped that bike up.
You should have grabbed that bike and ran. Trek is a higher end mtn bike. Not a Cannondale, but a really good bike maker non-the-less. You could have turned that around for $100 easily with just cleaning it up!
Marianne, what little I know of cute leads me to believe the sad bunny calls out for someone to nurture it. I'm probably wrong about that, and we can write it off to my not getting it : ) The bike - ah, if I only had room and didn't have such a demanding day job. Once I'm outside those weekly 40 hours - which I love doing, don't get me wrong - I just need to go play. If I make money playing, what can I say; it's genetic and enterprise was a strong part of the nurture I got as a kid also.
I'm too old for a playmobile, Rachel, and I never considered myself mature enough to raise kids. Granted lots of immature people end up having kids, but I've always been careful not to get into trouble, and maybe just in my opinion, me as a parent would be trouble.
I might take the shopping cart, too. Might make a good magazine rack or somethin'...
They go on the internet well too. I still have mine. Shelf life of 30 years. Never know the next time a hurricane will whip out everything.
Thank you, Shannon!
Stacy, my dad built a fallout shelter into his motel. We had all sorts of food in there. It wouldn't have helped any, but it was a little psychological comfort anyway.
Mary, Janie agrees about the Stephen King. She has quite a collection herself.
Thanks, Teresa. In a different universe, I would have bought the shower pin.
you're a hoot my friend!
I could buy things as gags. It's true. You're giving me ideas!
I have quite mixed feelings about the pin. I knew some would like it and others wouldn't. It was just unusual, and that's what I look for at sales.
I loved the harp wind chime - heck, there's no accounting for taste
Somehow the MRE and some of the other items would make me cringe, though.
By the way, Congratulations on being featured on the home page! Way to go!
Leslie, the harp was plastic, so it wouldn't have chimed much in the wind. You're right though, because there's a buyer for everything.
Thank you, Krissy!
You're right about Highland Park having some of the best yard sales. I don't think it's the proximity to colleges (Mac-Groveland would be better for that). I personally like Summit Avenue and DesNoyer Park.
Melinda, a fair number of people don't seem to like having their yardsale merchandise photographed. This is a small percentage, but they don't get it, and I get the impression they view it as a privacy issue. It's only a matter of time until someone goes over the edge, and I'll switch my camera to video mode for you all to see.
~shopping cart would be cute and practical container for fruit,or veggies for your counter top...reasonable price,too
~goose would be novel for outside my rural setting,or for anyone who has a yard
~bike is reasonable price,but you said you already have one
~agree about the tacky harp thingy...pass!
~they are charging way too much for the kid's space station set!
~the cat house is a cute design and reasonable price,but i would think the plastic would encourage moisture on the interior
so what DID you buy???
cheers,gayle
*check out my Lady of Autumn photo as i think you will likey! ;>
If I had a garden, I'd probably want the tire too.
Love seeing these!
Thanks for sharing.
I don't understand Sue. With the price of gas, I'd think bikes would be harder to find. I guess it just doesn't hurt until it gets to $10 a gallon.
George, I could see filling it with habaneros, just in time for Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for chiles.
Spartan, I have my avoid list also.
I'm happy to share, Pamela!
Thanks, Ms. Meacham. I've already been over there and responded to your comment. I appreciate it, and welcome you back for the next article.
A PHOTO PARADE: Would you buy this? A garage-sale stampede, part one