Everyone has been to a yard sale or had one. I know that our family has had more than its fair share.
Every time I am involved in one I say this is it, never again. Then six months later, we start filling the basement with yard-sale junk. Remember: What is one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. I guess “treasure” is the right word. Treasure or not you keep thinking someone will like it.
Everyone wants to make money doing a yard sale, but when you break it down, in most cases you are lucky to make two dollars an hour, which you spend at Mc Donald’s when the thing is finally over.
Now if you have a neighborhood yard sale, you really lose money, as you buy your neighbors’ junk. Of course, it’s such a deal. So, you end up with more junk and less money than you started with.
The worst part of a yard sale is your sign says it will start at 8 a.m. and will go to 1 p.m. But people are there at 6. That means you have to get up at five.
They don’t care; everyone wants the special deal. Why fight over the best stuff, just get there early. They want to be first, just like grand openings, when the first 50 people get a free pencil box. Now that is something you really need. But a deal’s a deal.
The thing I hate the most is that some people come to yard sales and act like they are a little better than you. They look over everything like it is beneath them.
They look down their noses, like you are lucky that they have even stopped by and lowered themselves to look at your stuff. They give you the look that says do you really expect me to buy this crap.
The worst part is you are selling something that is worth 20 dollars for five and they offer you 3.50
They are the same people who just have a fifty and want change for the three-dollar item they just brought.
Something else I don’t like is professional yard-sale people. They go house-to-house trying to find the lowest prices and then have their yard sale and charge twice as much.
One thing that is always on your mind when you’re having a yard sale is what am I going to do with all the stuff that doesn’t sell. The first thing is the 12:30 bargain basement special. Fill a plastic bag for 5 dollars, no questions asked.
After that it’s the Goodwill express. But everyone is tired and more than ready to go home.
Of course, there is always rain. You spend the night before getting all the junk out of the basement, and then when it rains it all goes back to the basement and you wait until next weekend. Yard selling one Saturday is bad enough, but two in a row is doubly hard.
Now occasionally there are good things that happen in yard sales. The most important is that some people who really need clothes or materials get them. And they get them for better than a good price.
Another thing is that you see people you haven’t seen in a couple of years. Of course, you might feel that was not all that bad, and if a couple more years go without seeing them, you could live with it.
The nice part is seeing how old they look while you have not changed one bit. Of course, you both comment about how good each of you looks.
If you don’t want to make any sales, start talking politics, an easy way to ruin a good yard sale. Be an Independent for four hours; it will pay off.
One thing I have noticed about yard sales is that a woman is always in charge. Now that I think about it, that is the way life is today. Women run the world. It will not be much longer until this county has a woman president. With her election, a national yard-sale day will not be far behind.
When the word “yard sale” comes up, men are not that involved. The husband moves a few items and is gone, like the gray ghost. If the lady of the house is lucky, she will catch him around 12:30. Then the begging begins. It’s “let’s make a deal” time family style.
I go to yard sales occasionally. It amazes me that anyone would buy some of this stuff to start with. Even those guys on “Pickers” wouldn’t consider buying some of the things you see on tables.
The other day I noticed a young woman in her yard getting ready for the big event the following day. It was obvious she had several small kids as the tables were full of anything and everything for kids under eight.
Back 100 years ago, women often had eight to 12 kids. This lady was saying she had two and was finished. Dad puts in ten minutes of his life into the event while mom spends the next twenty years being on call.
This mom had one of each and that is all she needed to be happy, so let the yard sales begin.
No matter how you look at yard sales, there is always the hope that while you are exploring someone else’s stuff, you might find something that will make you rich and happy. It doesn’t hurt to dream, and going to a yard sale is a great way to dream.
Think I will check out a yard sale.
Note: The attached comments are mine and do not represent those of the Town of Christiansburg or the Christiansburg Town Council.
