Apparently there is no end of ways to get rid of “trash” treasures by way of the Internet. Numerous outlets exist to sell/give/trade items you no longer need. What you need, of course, is a computer and an Internet connection.
I have everything needed to become rich, according to the last magazine article on the subject. I have the computer, Internet and of course, I have a wonderful bounty of trash – wait, treasures, to someone else.
It’s difficult to imagine that the red leather recliner or 100-year-old rocking chair (which needs a replacement rush seat), would make my day. Probably my luck would be better if I played the lottery on a regular basis. However, come the first part of August, both of the above treasured seats will be sitting on my lawn, along with a lot of other worthwhile items. The biggest problem is not inventory for a yard sale, it is tables to properly display items. It must be the Yankee in me that forces me to recycle. There are, however, a few items one cannot get rid of in a yard sale.
Many yard sale aficionados are also those who review Antiques Roadshow and they want a Van Gogh for $5 or at least a Tiffany lamp. The faux cut glass vases that once held Mother’s Day bouquets, are examined closely but even if they’re marked fifty cents, a shopper will ask if the seller will take a quarter!
Really clever shoppers will look around and see what’s available, then ask if you have something, which is not on display. This is window-shopping or surveying. Checking out what you have, they will repeat this scanning activity for several local yard sales and return to dicker for a particular item.
In the past, I’ve always looked for books. I’ve been fooled many times when the advertisement says “lots of books” to find that they are college texts, L. L. Bean catalogs or an anthology of poems by an unknown writer. Nowadays, I just wait and go to the book sale, which the public library has.
This year, everyone who stops at my yard sale will have a choice of a free item – a kitten. Help yourself, pick your own color – or beat the rush and call me ahead of time! They are as cute as kittens always are, but enough is enough!
I’ve noted that many yard sales in this child-filled town have acres of toys for sale. Many of them seem to be brand new or barely used. Kids today, being no different from kids of yesteryear, would (or could) be happy with about a tenth as many playthings. Most of my generation had only a few toys – a doll, a truck, a sled. Notice “a” – we didn’t have collections of things. The mystery of why there are so few antique toys available or at auction is because toys actually used to wear out.
The crop of yard sales is just beginning to grow for this summer season. Take a good look and choose the best of the harvest.
Don’t forget the chicken barbecue at Friends Church on Saturday from 4-6:30 p.m. Homemade potato salad, brownies, and delicious chicken – all for only $6.50 and hosted by the Windham Historical Society.
And dig out your old toys, if you have any. In October, the Society will hold an Heirloom Appraisal Day and for a mere $5 you can find out how much that old metal truck is worth! More details later.
See you next week.
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