It snowed all day off and on. There were piles of quite wet and heavy snow here and there. Fortunately, churches and other cultural institutions know this is the time of year to have rummage sales.
But, first. There was one thing I bought on Monday that I'd like your feedback on.
Suit
price - $500
sold
I haven't had a suit since I was 12. This is a good thing. Now I have a few events coming up that will call for one and I thought what the hell. You may question the price, but as someone who buys all his clothing at yard sales, cooks from scratch, walks to work, has no children, has no mortgage, I have a particular loathing for comparison shopping. Everything available at retail is either overpriced or visibly cheap, so I just pay whatever. It helps that I have a friend who's a haberdasher, and as long as I'm going to wear a suit I think it ought to be tailored.
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So much for life in the "real" economy.
Find of the Day:
Immaculate 50s waffle iron
price - part of a $3 bag
sold
I had a standing order for a waffle iron, and while both I and my customer probably envisioned something newer, this passed my "cord test". Upon close inspection, the cord looks like it was made yesterday - no fraying, cracks, scrapes. The unit looks like it has been used about 3 times, if at all.
Least interesting item of the day:
Easter cap
price - 20 cents
no sale
The notion I am somehow incompetent doesn't need any more fuel right now.
So, what else was in that $3 bag?
Dancing DNA mobile
price - part of a $3 bag
sold
We don't have it up and running yet, but the hype has it being very interesting and soothing to watch. Good for the coffee room, I'm thinking.
Slicing kit
price - part of a $3 bag
sold
We've just started making vegetable chips by slicing rutabagas, carrots, potatoes (and especially sweet potatoes) and drying them in the oven. This will make that process easier. It helps that it's never been out of the box.
Joyce Carol Oatesova book
price - part of a $3 bag
sold
A note of explanation is now ripe for the offering. The bag sale was at the CSPS Czechoslovak American Hall. MPR's William Wilcoxen recently did a great radio piece about this equally dear organization. Even on the third day there were enough great things for me to fill a bag with gems. I'll sell the Czech translation of Joyce Carol Oates to the used book store.
Beer openers
price - part of a $3 bag
sold
I belong to a club of bottle collectors. Either they will want these or I'll add them to the "Ebay someday" box.
Wedgies
price - unknown
no sale
Also at the CSPS sale. I actually had a pair in college that made these look like flip flops. Coupled with my long hair and Folkes cowboy hat, they made me a truly odd sight. I was confused.
On to some other sales:
Gemuse Wascher
price - 50 cents
no sale
I actually love this invention for washing and spin-drying vegetables. I just don't have room for one. Too bad.
Paint ball gun
price - $16 dollars
no sale
I do have room for a paint ball gun.
Air cleaning units
price - $10 each.
no sale
Maybe this could help the air quality in my downtown condo, but they are soooooo ugly.
Small black refrigerator - $10
Beer glasses - two for 35 cents
sold
I've wanted one of those little fridges that sit away from the kitchen, just for beverages. This will do the trick. Here I used my "trust" rule. I never ask if it works. If it's less than $10, I buy it and take it home. Cynics aren't going to want to hear this, but whatever it is almost always runs beautifully. In the 3% of instances it doesn't no big deal. Since no one told me it worked, I'm not disappointed in anyone. Being disappointed in myself is likewise a behavior I find repugnant.
Wood carving
price - $3
sold
The craftsmanship put into this is remarkable. Does anything like this take less than a 12-hour day to make? I especially like not having any idea what they are doing. This will go nicely in my mom's shop.
Slicer
price - $2
no sale
Just bought an unused one. This beat up unit only served to tell me I was going to get some good use out of mine. It's like a worn our record you see at a sale - must have been good music.
Fancy button value pack
price - $2
no sale
Eek.
Pharmacy bottle
price - 25 cents
sold
It included a bunch of "silk" flowers. I told them I didn't need the flowers. They assured me I did (read: "What, you think we want them?).
This is about 100-120 years old. To my mom's shop it goes.
Socks, stationery and gift boxes
price - free, basically
These were among Janie's finds added to the $3 bag.
.
Moon ornament
price - 25 cents
sold
Since it's no-sectarian, we can keep it up year-round.
Unopened Greg Brown cassettes
price - 25 cents each
sold
This man ought to be a household name. Well-known to A Prairie Home Companion fans (and likely to any Iowan who has any sense), there are still people out there who haven't heard of him, and that's too bad.
Belt
price - 50 cents
sold
Good woman
priceless
sold
White sewing machine
price - $25
no sale
But someone else was buying it as I took the picture. They bought it just for the table, though they intend to just keep the sewing machine down inside. Good move.
End table
price - $3
no sale
It was structurally sound, and nice craftsmanship, but it needed refinishing, and we really don't need another end table, so I saved myself a chore.
Swank interiors
prices - reasonable
no sale
Actually, this was the first time I'd ever seen the store. I intent to sell them things; not the other way around. I'm glad I found them.
Two pounds of scrap
price - free
sold
Aluminum, brass and copper items supplement our yard saling revenues. I was finding silver items also, but those have dried up pretty quick.
.
.
.
We ended the day getting the car brakes fixed.
Price - $200
sold
Again, I could find a cheaper mechanic than the dealer, but because we go to so many yard sales, we don't have to.
They were out of real coffee, and I'm not sure what "Decalf" is.
But it was "free".
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Comments: 35
It's funny, I bought one of those small refrigerators years ago for my Mom when she was ill, but it now sits on a small table in my bedroom for watching TV, and cool water at night & taking prescriptions. Oh how lazy can we get, ha ha.
Actually, that sewing machine would have interested me from what I can tell, but don't know what I would have done with it. Maybe put it next to my "round screen" TV from days of old.
Take care.
Thank you, Dani.
Love the suit. You look very handsome modeling it.
The $3 bags had some interesting stuff. So I guess those were good deals. I really like the old bottle openers, Janie's Nike socks, the carving artwork and the moon ornament.
Not a bad day considering your weather.
I could certainly get into collecting can openers. I'm showing restraint though.
Thank you, the suit is a new look I hope to play with a little. Strange how people react to how a person is dressed. It's like being in a flock of birds in mating season. Guys cower or snarl. Women go "hellooooo" or "corporate sellout". I'm still trying to figure out whether I like to wear a suit or not. I've always told myself no, but that was mostly because living below my means used to mean "no suit". Now it doesn't mean that.
Thank you, Kathryn. It's a gem!
Wow - you found a good woman at a tag sale? That's AMAZING!
I definately would have got the beer openers, the pharmacy bottle, and the moon. Everything else I would have left behind.
Roxanne, perhaps the suit will be a useful tool, like a cloak of visibility. You're very kind. I like that it goes with my glasses . . .
It's larger even than it looks, Sarina, a good 8 inches or so. Too bad it's been separated from the glass stopper that it used to have.
I will be posting my Singer 'worktable' pic later today..
A Singer worktable. That sounds interesting, Lloyd!
I miss going to sales, though I do have a lot of stuff here as it is, LOL.
I own one of those sewing machines. While I rehab'd the head (which works) to sew canvas, I keep it in the closet and use the case as a serving table -- nice conversation piece.
Great finds!
There were other things that could have been the find of the day, Laura, but the condition of the waffle iron really swayed the judges. Even East Germany gave it an 8.
I denfinitely give your suit a 10. I also agree with your "trust" theory on low-priced electical items; they almost always work.
George, like many above, you honor me by reading through the whole thing. I know these are fairly long and it could be easy not to. Okay now with the touchy feely part out of the way, I will say also that there may indeed be something "wrong" with something offered at a yard sale - or thrown in a dumpster for that matter - but so often all it needs is a new plug or some glue or WD-40 and it's brand new. I can only be so smug though, because I'm dependent on other's unwillingness to put in the time, just as comparison shopping is something I loathe, and in the end pay a price for.
Good logic there Bruce. If anyone would know, it would be you : ) I have also been at yard sales where the hosts don't get it. They're not being hosts and they're not being friendly and they're not having fun. All of my rules of thumb go out the window and I say to Janie, "Hey, look; we have one of these", which is code for time to go.
What is it about those buttons? I do believe I rather like them! Weird, huh?
Thanks for the kind comments on the suit. I've been thinking about that suit a lot lately, and will probably be doing a post called "Cloak of Visibility".
I would have purchased the fancy buttons, too.