Last week we had new carpet installed in our three bedrooms and closets. What a job it was to get the rooms ready. Two of the bedroom closets hadn't been cleaned out since our adult children left for college and that was 12 years ago. I found yearbooks, prom dresses, baseball cards, library books (that should have been returned 15 years ago), a flask, did I say flask? (must have been a friend of my son's), a collection of hot sauces (they don't sell these where I shop for groceries - whoop a**, hot buns at the beach, lawyer's breath, ultra death, a** blaster, Smack my a** and call me Sally, ultimate death), fireworks and a hunting jacket (with feathers still in the pockets). Needless to say, I was amazed at some of my finds.
When my daughter heard I had cleared the rooms, she had a brilliant idea. Oh good Mom, I know you don't want to put that stuff back in your nice clean rooms so I will come up next weekend and bring the kids and a bunch of things I have set aside for a garage sale. Dad can take the kids and go to the park and lunch while we have "the sale". Now I have only been talked into two other garage sales in my life and you would think I would have learned my lesson. You see, garage sales stress me out. I want every item to be washed, dried, folded or hung properly, all glassware and appliances cleaned, each and every item priced, etc. Now you would have to know my daughter. She flies by the seat of her pants, does not see the need to price everything nor does she think bags or boxes have to be unpacked. (its her artsy side - she gets it from her Dad) Just set everything out, sit out in your lawn chair, read your book and estimate what the customer pays when they have selected their nice new "junk".
When my daughter heard I had cleared the rooms, she had a brilliant idea. Oh good Mom, I know you don't want to put that stuff back in your nice clean rooms so I will come up next weekend and bring the kids and a bunch of things I have set aside for a garage sale. Dad can take the kids and go to the park and lunch while we have "the sale". Now I have only been talked into two other garage sales in my life and you would think I would have learned my lesson. You see, garage sales stress me out. I want every item to be washed, dried, folded or hung properly, all glassware and appliances cleaned, each and every item priced, etc. Now you would have to know my daughter. She flies by the seat of her pants, does not see the need to price everything nor does she think bags or boxes have to be unpacked. (its her artsy side - she gets it from her Dad) Just set everything out, sit out in your lawn chair, read your book and estimate what the customer pays when they have selected their nice new "junk".
Well...as it turned out, my daughter was needed at work on Friday (the day before the garage sale) so I wound up keeping the boys for the day. After playing superheros, painting and emptying the entire toy chest, my house was not only "rearranged" but I was stressing over this garage sale we were having early Saturday morning as nothing had been done except the ad was in the local newspaper. I took the boys to Lowe's for a garage sale sign and stakes. While I was trying to decide on the sign, they were having a sword fight with the stakes. I decided maybe they needed a little exercise so we could get them into bed early so I called a friend to bring her granddaughter and we headed for the "Jungle Zone jumpie house". (see pictures) Well, that one backfired on me, the kids were so tired they fell asleep afterwards and then they were up until around 10 p.m. When my daughter arrived Friday afternoon, I was ready to get down to business but she thought maybe we could go for a nice long walk first. Now, I love to go for walks but by this time, I was remembering why I hate garage sales.
Once the boys were finally down, we began to prepare for the sale. I am not sure what time we crawled into bed but I do remember the alarm clock going off at 5:30 a.m. I paid a little extra for a few more words in the newspaper ad (NO EARLY SALES PLEASE)! Our first sale was there waiting, only one hour early. (Another reason I hate garage sales). I am usually not very sentimental when it comes to hanging on to "old" items that are no longer useful. However, there were two things I put in the sale that had a special place in my heart. I sold my Mother and Dad's first bedroom set. They had purchased it two weeks before their wedding in 1950 as a gift to each other. Mother had given me the original receipt showing the purchase (which I taped to the "for sale" sign) along with the furniture years ago. We knew it was not in good condition because we had repaired it several times but it was not until we disassembled it to have the carpet replaced that we realized just how bad it really was. I talked it over with my Mother and got her approval before discarding it. The other item was a poem "If" for Girls that was framed and had hung over my bed when I was a child. The frame had broken years ago and I had filed the picture away . When pricing some of my items (against my daughter's advice) , I pulled out the poem and stuck a 10 cents dot on it. As I walked past it during the sale, I thought about my childhood bedroom, it was painted pale pink with white curtains and twin beds and a white vanity and chair. Oh, and dolls and their accessories were everywhere. I visualized my Mom or Dad sitting on my bed (they took turns putting us to bed each night), telling us a story , reading a book, saying our prayers or checking our closet for "monsters". I imagined that picture hanging above my bed while I was snuggled just below. And then, someone inquired about an item for sale and I was brought back to reality. Sometimes we just have to let go and move on.
Once the boys were finally down, we began to prepare for the sale. I am not sure what time we crawled into bed but I do remember the alarm clock going off at 5:30 a.m. I paid a little extra for a few more words in the newspaper ad (NO EARLY SALES PLEASE)! Our first sale was there waiting, only one hour early. (Another reason I hate garage sales). I am usually not very sentimental when it comes to hanging on to "old" items that are no longer useful. However, there were two things I put in the sale that had a special place in my heart. I sold my Mother and Dad's first bedroom set. They had purchased it two weeks before their wedding in 1950 as a gift to each other. Mother had given me the original receipt showing the purchase (which I taped to the "for sale" sign) along with the furniture years ago. We knew it was not in good condition because we had repaired it several times but it was not until we disassembled it to have the carpet replaced that we realized just how bad it really was. I talked it over with my Mother and got her approval before discarding it. The other item was a poem "If" for Girls that was framed and had hung over my bed when I was a child. The frame had broken years ago and I had filed the picture away . When pricing some of my items (against my daughter's advice) , I pulled out the poem and stuck a 10 cents dot on it. As I walked past it during the sale, I thought about my childhood bedroom, it was painted pale pink with white curtains and twin beds and a white vanity and chair. Oh, and dolls and their accessories were everywhere. I visualized my Mom or Dad sitting on my bed (they took turns putting us to bed each night), telling us a story , reading a book, saying our prayers or checking our closet for "monsters". I imagined that picture hanging above my bed while I was snuggled just below. And then, someone inquired about an item for sale and I was brought back to reality. Sometimes we just have to let go and move on.
About mid morning we had made around $200 and out of the blue came a downpour. Pop Pop had taken the kids to the park so it was up to us to get everything that was scattered down the driveway back into the garage as fast as we could. The antique bedroom set and the crib and mattress had been purchased earlier in the day but were left there until they could run home and get their truck, so they were priority. Gosh darn that furniture was heavy. We looked like drowned rats so we decided to go in and change before we packed things up to take to goodwill. We left the garage half way down and headed inside. It rained really bad for a very long time. Several hours later, the doorbell rang and a lady was standing there with a quarter in her hand. She said she just wanted to purchase a picture frame that was in the garage. (it was a good feeling to know there are still honest people in this world)
It's over! I am done with the garage sale!!! No more garage sales for me!!! I feel better already. Ahhhh!
Ter-reck-ly,
Kathy
It's over! I am done with the garage sale!!! No more garage sales for me!!! I feel better already. Ahhhh!
Ter-reck-ly,
Kathy
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