This coming weekend is Art-A-Whirl, a Northeast Minneapolis event full of gallery open-houses (free wine! free cheese!), bazaars, outdoor bands, and garage sales every couple of houses.
As has been previously discussed, I love a garage sale. What’s that, you say? You have odd bits of string for sale – cheap? Well hell yeah! Let me at it!
Let’s see. I’ve bought furniture, appliances, winter boots, pithy little sayings burnt onto wooden plaques, greeting cards – I even bought a pair of underwear at a garage sale once. No one believes me about that, but it’s true. They still had the tags on them. People act shocked, but I think they’re just jealous. A pair of $12 underwear for 75 cents?
That there’s a deal, my friend.
I defy you to pick them out from any of my store-bought underwear.
Go ahead. I’ll wait.
Anyway, here come the garage sales for Art-A-Whirl, and it’s time for this gal to give back to the community.
So here I sit, a pile of superfluous “stuff” in front of me, holding a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie.
How much for the books? Fifty cents seems fair. Used shirts? Used pants? Shoes, framed art, kitchen magnets, purses? Fifty cents.
That Mighty Mouse t-shirt? The little zippered cosmetic bags that seem to come with everything? That weird collection of tiny hotel soaps? You got it: fifty cents.
See, it’s not really about making money. It’s about clearing out what you don’t need anymore, what you outgrew, or what just isn’t cool anymore.
And going out and partying like Gary Busey on the proceeds.
Can I interest you in a tiny bar of soap?
About Bob Dylan
5 days ago
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30 comments:
LOL, I still trying to figure out why I a paying top dollar to store all my chit! I am seriously thinking storage shed garage sale.. cheap you haul it's yours! I have found a lot of cool stuff I am storing at garage sales..mainly my families crap that didn't sell! did I say that out loud
Do people not have as many garage sales now? Probably not - since you can sell stuff on ebay and Craig's list.
Nothin' like a good ol' fashioned garage sale. I miss the old flea markets where you wandered up and down endless aisles of crap. You always found something that you absolutely had to have. Now the flea markets are filled with rip-offs. *sigh*
I never believed in garage sales until we had one and made over 1000 dollars! People were buying things I would have tossed with the garbage, but hey, if it makes them happy, make a treasure of it!
Yeah but were they CLEAN??
:)
And people wonder why I insist on leaving the tags on my underwear.
Just because the tag was on doesn't mean the owner didn't wear them around for the day before deciding she (it was a she, right? or were they men's undies?) didn't like them. :)
We did the yard sale thing once. It was fun, actually. Got rid of some useless crap, made a couple of dollars, and MY WIFE has been on me ever since for us to do it again. What the hell. It would make a good blog post, I'm sure :-)
I am a serious yard sale addict..I admit it and I do not want help. Getting things for a couple bucks that you'd normally pay full price for is a great high!!
The garage sale type happen here too. Under different names. I always know it as the 'lost opportunity sale' !
For i get to know about it only after its all done !
There's a yard sale every year that runs non stop from Alabama into Kentucky. Can't remember the details, but it's a good 'un.
Our town is still run by Carpetbaggers so we are only allowed to have three in a calender year and have to pay the city for a licence each time.
I'm not allowed to go to yard or garage sales, I always find tons of stuff I have to have in case I ever want to have one of my own.
Can I please have the MIghty Mouse t-shirt? He was the man in my youth. It was a tough choice between him and Speedy Gonzalas who I would marry when I grew up.
Garage sales here are regulated. Only on Fridays and Saturdays, permit required. No more than 1 per (I don't know...year?). The Sebring Gestapo is in charge of these things. There is a weekly weekend flee market (yet I have never seen one flea for sale, go figger) but, as someone else said, the only things available are products made in China that failed the FTC checks for toxic substances and often break while handling. I practically lived at the Spring Valley Swap Meet(near San Diego) in the 70s. They are not as much fun anymore.
I'll give you a buck for the Might Mouse T-shirt if it's a men's large.
If you are going partying like Busey, please wear a helmet. And I love the idea of your garage sale knickers.
Now, and more to the point, did I ever send you my new blog URL? If not, here it is http://mrwriteon.wordpress.com/
The craziest thing I ever bought at a jumble was a Gary Busey costume to wear post-garage saling (Don't like having a sale, myself-- would rather give other people's a scavenge.), at which time you'll find me festively wacking a Vegas Elvis head pinata, after which I'll toss used-up sale tags like so many pieces of confetti! Kidding aside, I hear ya-- I simply looove a good rummage!
how much do you charge for shipping this stuff?!
Pearl I would love to set up a Not The Rockefellers booth with you!
Could you imagine the entertainment value?
It would be INSANE!!!!
We could make up stories about kitschy salt and pepper shakers and all of those pot holders made at camp.
And the mix tapes...have I got mix tapes!!
Peace - Rene
Garage sale season is in full bloom!!!
You made enough to buy a drink! Wow!!! Good work.
Now, you sure you want to associate yourself with Mr. Busey? Cuz that guy's just crackers.
I garage/yard sale all summer long each year.
I can't help it...nor would I if I could.
Last year's best find...an 8 track tape player with 3 tapes for Dark Child. They wanted a whole $5.
She loved it!
Bargain Shopper Cheeks~
I happened on a garage sale once where the guy was a salesman for Jockey--bought about a dozen packages of my favorite undies for a buck apiece. Wore them for years. Who cares as long as you can wash the darned things! Do people actually think the things they buy in stores haven't been on someone's body?
Dar, why ARE you saving everything?! No, I don’t know. Maybe it’s good stuff. Or maybe you just like knowing it’s there. :-D
Kate, oh, they’re still the bee’s knees around here, although the number of people who will mark $20 on a pair of jeans has gone up…
Crazy Mo, I agree with you. The flea markets used to be a lot more interesting, a lot quirkier. Now it seems there’s a lot of “dollar store” kind of stuff or retail store left-overs.
Aleta, a thousand dollars! That was a really good sale! (And I’m sorry I missed it!)
Braja, honey, you’ll have to trust me on this one. They were brand new, never worn, never washed, pristine little SOBs. :-D
De Campo, you clever boy you. :-D
Under the Influence, interesting theory! But I’m gonna insist that these babies were righteous.
Suldog, garage sales attract interesting people. I can almost guarantee at least ONE freak with show up…
Kimber, you and I are in wild agreement on that one. My favorite is finding one where someone has either gone up or down a size and is getting rid of a lot of decent stuff all in my size.
Kavi, you need an assistant to point you to the right neighborhoods!
Elohassanatawh, you know I”ve heard of that, being required to have a license for a garage sale. How stupid is that?
And garage sales from Alabama to Kentucky? Oh, how I would love to see that!!
Blogging Mama Andrea, the Mighty Mouse t-shirt was claimed!
And between Mighty Mouse and Speedy Gonzalez? Tough choice – they both had such good hearts. :-D
Douglas, like I said earlier, that is just so weird. I know we have that in one of our suburbs. They listed some woman who had a garage sale every weekend all summer long as their reason. She was in her 80s. I think they could’ve rode that one out, if you know what I mean, rather than legislate it.
Ian, hey thanks for sending your new address. I fall behind on this sort of stuff, and I truly don’t mean to!
And I was wondering if anyone who be concerned about me partying like Busey. :-D
SparkleFarkle, when I read about your having bought a Gary Busey costume, I laughed out loud. I could just SEE pulling on the Busey head, arranging the straw in the beer can up between the Busey teeth…
Garage sales are lovely insight into the people around you.
Roshni, for you, I’m thinking of delivering. :-D
Rene, I’m thinking we would dance, and I think I would enjoy that very much!
Hit 40, it’s the journey, not the arrival. :-D
Fragrant Liar, that’s true. Did you see him on Celebrity Rehab. Yeah, I watched it. It helped to know that he had a brain injury after a motorcycle accident that leaves him unable to control his impulses. I feel a little more empathy for the guy.
Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking with that, really. It was like “who would be ridiculous to party with, given the $4 bucks you made at the garage sale”?
Sweet Cheeks, I do, too. We got a pair of old-school headphones in their own case – oh those things were high-fidelity sweetness! – for $5 three years ago.
And yes. I’m still happy about it!
The Queen of Fifty Cents, I agree with you. Honestly, I’m surprised by the number of people – even broke people – who would not consider buying someone else’s stuff. Shoes? If in good shape, why not? You’re gonna wear socks, right?
I love me a garage/yard sale. Hate to have them but love to shop them. I just love other people's junk!
Mine is on May 23, in 10 days, LA, right off the 101 at Gower. I'm only posting the weird shit on my blog but there are deals, my friends, OH THERE ARE DEALS.
Not interested in the soap,thank you. Wouldn't mind the Mickey Mouse T shirt. Is there a hat to go with it ?
A shiny English penny for the Mighty Mouse Tee.
Go on, it'll help kick start your economy having one of those in circulation.
Do you have car boot sales in the US like we do over here?
Smart Mouth Broad, I love buying other people’s stuff – especially if they want to pay the REAL price and I’ll give them a couple quarters for it!
Suzy, Good God how I wish I was going to LA in time for it! I suspect you have lovely shoes, perhaps in my size…
Barbara, there is no hat, but I’d be willing to work with you on a set of cardboard ears!
Jules, the Mighty Mouse tee has been claimed. Who knew?
You know, I think some areas might have sales out of their cars, but I think that’s viewed suspiciously. Here we put our crap out in our garages, lawns, or on banquet tables set up on a dirt road in the middle of parking lots.
But from the trunk of a car? No. That’s too weird.
:-D
I have been pondering the same damn question why am I saving all this crap..LOL well, short answer is I hoped to move out of the mole hole and righty claim all my furniture back...but at this point I am thinking somebody else could use that stuff because it is almost evident I am not ever leaving the mole hole!
I totally just picked through your underwear, but it was on a dare, so that means it's okay. Also, Diplomatic Immunity!!
I am addicted to yard sales, so I completely hear you. I go to them, and I have them.
I often wonder how many times the same things just get circled over and over between people?!
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