One mans junk is another mans treasure

We had an All American Yard Sale yesterday. Sold off are the old books, pottery, a few sentimental pieces of dinner ware and some of my antiques from the vintage cubbard. I guess after living for 47 years you collect 47 years worth of valuable stuff. There was a wok on the table, never been used. It had been passed down to me over twenty-five years ago. I always intended to use it and learn the fine art of Chinese cooking. I decided to give it away as a gift for next Christmas. Most yard sales offer a candle or two. My candles melted in the sun. They need to be scraped off the table.

Every yard sale has at least one punch bowl, a dip platter, and a cake plate. Thank goodness, sold right away.


You have the people who haggle fifty cent items, or the customers who want to buy one bowl from a set of two, then the people cheat you out of a buck and a half. One lady wanted a plant stand. She asked to set it aside, so you do. Not knowing the was another women who looked similar and claimed it. We almost had a garage sale brawl.

 Everyone has a table of projects you where going to do and never did. Brand new packages of bits and pieces are being offered.

Then there are items that are just simply weird. For example the disco ball from the 1970's. My husband was down by the Lackawanna river in a brand new original box. Never even opened. The miniature totem poles used as a party decoration. Every household most have one or two. The over sized snowman and snow puppy that does not sing and dance anymore.

You seem to manage putting out a few items of things you are going to assemble or fix and never did. It seems like we have more then our fair share.

At the end of the day after the stuff is plucked through you begin the task of packing the left over stuff in boxes and dropping it off at the Salvation Army. Of course my husband can't part with one or two books. After all the other 538 books were difficult to part with too.

Everyone adds up nickles dimes and quarters. A few dollars are thrown in. You do the calculation and realize that after you spent the money on buying price stickers, markers to create sign es, run an add in the local paper, and bought you local take out orders for the family. There is no money left and a big mess to clean up in your house. I think this will be my last yard sale. Hopefully we wont accumulate as much stuff next year.