The Art of the Yard Sale

Since moving back to California in 2000, I have become a morning person. Let me qualify that. On Saturdays I am a morning person.

When we lived in Concord my good friend Janelle would swing by and pick me up around 8 am and we would hit the sales. The big Yard Sales. We would look in the paper, scope out the signs and drive to our favorite neighborhoods. Luckily for me Janelle was from that area so she knew the best spots. We slowly furnished our apartment with our "Yard Sale Finds". We often talked about the best place to scout out the next weekend. I always complained about having to work on Saturdays, but at least I could hit a few sales on my way down to Walnut Creek.

Our favorite topic was "the one that got away". I walked away from a nearly new head board, at a killer price. "WHY?" we kept asking ourselves. I thought David would think it was highly unnecessary. I should have gone with my gut instinct.

When we moved up here, I found another very active yard saling friend. Rachel and I would discuss on the phone which sales looked good. After WW meetings (that were far too early on Saturdays) we would head out and find the finds. David even gets into the act on occasion. Henry, however, is my favorite companion. He offers great insight.

I have found that if you are an active yard sale attender, then eventually you have to hav eone yourself to get rid of all of the junk that you collected the previous year. It is highly profitable to buy toys at a great discounted price, let your kids play with them for a year and then turn around and sell them for as much, if not more, than what you originally paid. It is recycling at its finest.

Last Saturday marked our 3rd and final yard sale here in this town. We have been frantically going through cupboards and closets trying to clear out so that we can move next month. I placed the ad in the paper and on Craigslist, posted the signs, searched for my left over price stickers and woke up early. Luckily for us we managed to choose the day that was 110 degrees.

People started showing up at 6:45 even though the ad said 7:30. Sales were hot the first 40 minutes, then you have your first lull. It picked up again a few times. Money exchanged hands and our supplies began to diminish. Calvin watched from the living room window, Daisy lounged in the middle of the merchandise and David and Henry were on doughnut duty.

One of the most interesting parts of hosting a sale in your front yard is the people watching. I have noticed that year after year there are a few peole that come to each of my yard sales. Strange that I notice them each year, but I recognioze the return customers. Second is the hagglers. I like to dicker down as much as the next guy, but some of these people (especially the women) are incessant.

One woman came, perused my goods criticized my products and then picked up an old comforter of David's and offered a quarter for it. While I recognize that the old, plaid blanket was not valuable, even as a moving blanket, at least a buck or two. She then told mehow ugly/ stained/ useless it was and why wouldn't I take 50 cents for it. I said, "Why on earth would you want it then?" I caught her. She finally admitted that she has no need for these things, but she can't stop bargaining. She goes out every Saturday and buys things cheap, and SHE NEVER USES THEM! She has a 3 car garage full of junk that she has bought at yard sales. I should have known that when she drove up in her new Lexus.

And even after the confession she tried to get me to part with 12 yards of beautiful decorator fabric that I have clung to for the last 8 years with the bizarre notion in my head that someday I would construct a slipcover for one of my couches. Much to David's delight, I was finally willing to let it go. I thought that $20 was as steal and she offered $3 and then $5 and told me it was ugly and why wouldn't I part with it. I informed her that I was in to her scam and to skee-daddle. Another customer promptly showed up and happily purchsed the fabric to redo her dining room in. The first woman was in shock that I sold it and then praised me for my negotiating skills. The first woman then decided that my house was the place to be. She hung out for 30 minutes just chatting and commenting on EVERYTHING! I finally told her after she pointed out that my chairs were rickety that she had to go. She was driving away customers.

Then, not to be outdone by the first crazy lady a second one showed up. This was an older foreign woman. Her husband was lost and David went and got out the map and preceeded to help him for 15 minutes try to figure out how to find some other sale. While her husband was busy being directed she decided to do a little shopping. She told me my prices were too high and wanted to pay a nickel for my hem-stitched tablecloth. At that point Rachel stood up and told her, "No way!" She gave us a dirty look and said, "Too expensive." and then asked if she could use my bathroom. By the time she finally left she had come back 3 times and offered up to 50 cents, but I stood firm with my $3 price tag.

At the end of the sale we made more money than we thought we would, we got rid of a ton of junk and we learned that the next time we have a sale we are setting up hidden cameras. Because no one is going to believe all of these stories.