I personally find garage sales awkward. “What in heaven’s name is she talking about?” you say. Such a simple thing…..figure out what you no longer need to dust or read or wear or move out of the way every time you turn around, put a sticker with a price on it and sit and drink coffee and chat the morning away in your driveway.
I love the idea of recycle/re-purpose so the garage sale concept is so…..I don’t know….delicious. I have made some spectacular finds and love the feeling of being lucky to have done so. Serendipity for sure and by the way, that is one of my favorite words. According to the dictionary it came about in 1754 and basically means “a happy accident”. Plus, it’s fun to say. Ser-en-dipity!
But I digress.
Garage sales are also a tiny glimpse into people’s’ lives; did someone really treasure that? Or was it a gift from a mother-in-law that just needs to go? (The gift, not the mother-in-law. Well, maybe both). I read an interesting study where people were asked to value an item based on whether they were buying it or selling it. Not surprisingly, if people owned something they felt it was worth much more than if they were buying it. So garage sales are Psychology 101 and that is where I get hung up.
What if people don’t want to buy my stuff? Do I make eye contact? What do I say? What do I do? It really isn’t that complicated and it isn’t about me at all. Can we say “over thinking”? I have survived the ultimate rejection and am happy; so why not act like it? Got nothing to lose…..
So this morning after Gandalf, Pippin and I returned from our walk I placed the price stickers and set up shop with coffee and computer. I am loving chatting, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, watching the kids across the street and listening to the CDs I have playing in my garage. It is a regular parade….adults, kids, dogs, bikes, motorcycles; the best show in town. A guy just rode by on a bike while carrying a small hockey goal net. There are the garage sale pros (all business/no visiting), the drive-by people and those who appear to have accidentally wandered into the neighborhood.
The breeze is cool, the sun is warm and I have discovered that some swallows are building a nest where the eves peak over my driveway; I may regret it but I am going to let them stay. So far I have made $1.00 in real money but the experience has been priceless. I might not sell everything and you know what? It doesn’t matter.
Garage sale as therapy. I like it.
Hey . . . that was my old DYSON. The room divider/screen was mine, too! Great piece on treasures.
And even though I only made $1 in real money, I bought a rug which actually saved me $260 dollars because I didn’t have to buy the one I had my eye on at Home Depot! Such a deal!Did you sell your Dyson? I would have bought that screen if I had somewhere to put it!