For some people, there’s a certain stigma to yard sale fare. For the rest of us, a good yard sale makes our day. The thrill of the hunt entices us, and the victory of finding an amazing treasure keeps us hunting for more.
When you shop yard sales, you can tell which people shop other sales and know what they’re doing as far as organization and pricing versus which people wing their sales. It shows in the display and cleanliness of the items. An experienced seller displays items where they can be easily seen and accessed.
There were several city-wide sales last weekend. My best friend, Tammy, and I attended the Carl Junction one. We visited one sale we feel certain was that of a first time seller. The lady had everything way over-priced and marked “firm.” Everything was on tables, but still in boxes, unorganized, and filthy.
When you see a tag marked “firm,” that means the price of that item is nonnegotiable. I usually see this type of tag on large items such as couches, hutches, dressers, wedding dresses, and paintings. It’s always a good idea to leave a little wiggle room. The lady received a generous offer on a box of old plastic storage containers and refused. She told her potential buyer that everything in the box was marked “firm” and she didn’t have the time to add everything up. Tammy and I left her sale post haste and bought nothing.
There were a few sales that we absolutely loved. I typically don’t inquire about items that aren’t marked, but Tammy fell in love with a yellow purse and asked about the price at one sale. When she was told it was 50 cents, I asked about a few other things. This lady was selling everything beyond a reasonable price. She was definitely in the bargain category. I walked away from her sale with three purses, a wallet, and few other things for less than $5.00.
My favorite sale was the last one of the day. An older gentleman had his driveway lined with tables and was visiting with everyone who walked up. While his items weren’t the cleanest, everything was clearly marked and his friendly smile invited shoppers to take their time and browse. I got the impression that he had cleaned out his shed and was doing his best to reduce the amount he needed to store.
I was mildly interested in his wares until I came to his book table. He had all of his kids books marked 5 cents each. This revelation sent me to my special happy place, and I spent a great deal of time carefully going through his books. I walked away with two huge bags of books for my grandchildren’s future reading pleasure for less than a cup of coffee. Of course, books have always been my weakness.
Tammy and I had a great time treasure hunting last weekend. We’re both busy women with jobs, families, and other responsibilities. Yard sale treasure hunting is something we do together every year. We make certain that we clear our schedules to spend at least one day together having our own little quest for hidden treasure. The world moves faster and faster as we age. Tammy and I intend to keep finding joy in each other’s company and our treasure hunting for as long as possible.
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