Hello my dear readers!
One of my passions is to find old ugly or not so ugly things and redo or remake them into
beautiful accessories for my home. I have to admit that I am the Queen of the yard sales!
It is an excitement that cannot be duplicated. It ignites a fire in my blood. When I am driving on the weekend and I see a yard sale the adrenaline starts to pump, my hands get sweaty and my heart beats out of my chest. Reality ceases to exist for me and I turn into
Yardsale Super Diva!! I park the car and get out in a trance. My eyes immediately turn into xray vision and I scan the area with the ability of a high powered microscope! I immediately zone into the area that my radar detects. Quickly I go over to the spot and pick up my treasure! I clutch it in my hot little hands and then zone in on the next treasure. Is the price right? Do I need to haggle with the owner? Is it too heavy to lug around while I search for the next item? I locate the owner of the sale and quickly negotiate a place to lay my purchases while I shop. I keep one eye on my treasure trove of finds while searching for another bargain. If a stray shopper gets too close to my pile I shout out "Sorry - those are MINE!" and glare at her with the look of death! She quietly slinks away not wanting to get into it with a crazed woman. She knows the dangers that lurk there! Now there are times when I go to a sale and do not find one object to buy. I cannot even begin to relate to you what this does to my psyche. It is total and utter devastation! I immediately drop into the black hole of deep depression and this can only be relieved by finding a new sale. Or you drop into a sale where they really have junk - things that should be tossed into a dumpster and they have prices that are near to telephone numbers! Then the annoyance rears its ugly head and I have all I can do not to shout out obscenities. I really want to tell them "what! are you all crazy? You have prices on this totally worthless junk that would single handedly relieve the gross national debt!" "Get a life! No one is going to pay those astronomical prices for this crap!!!!"
There! That relieves my frustrations! Now in New England and especially in Connecticut, we refer to yard sales as "Tag Sales". I am going tagging! And the cycle begins anew. My daughter who is now 21 was only 2 weeks old when I took her to her first tag sale. I would lift the carrier out of the carseat and find a nice shady spot to sit her while I perused the sale. If there was not a shady spot I would put the sunshield up on the carrier and lug her around. I rarely had to buy her new clothes in stores. I found almost everything I needed and wanted at the sales. I saved thousands of dollars while she was growing up. I am very picky and only bought baby items from homes that were pristine and stylish. I loved buying toys at sales too. My daughter wanted for nothing.
I found fabulous items of great expense for pennies. She was dressed like a little princess with clothes bougtht at the most expensive baby botiques. People were envious of how she looked! Could never figure out how I did it! My little secret known to only a few elite ones. And the items I found for my home! Antiques, period furniture, waterford crystal, lenox china, sterling silver etc. etc. etc. etc. Did I ever tell you that I have a photographic memory? I only need to look at an object and I can tell you when I bought it, where I bought it and how much I paid for it. And I can remember 20 years later! My husband says that I am messed up! He can't remember what he had for breakfast. His favorite line is "how in hell can you remember that???" I just smile, shrug my shoulders and say
"I just do".
My family took to making lists of things they wanted or needed and gave them to me.
They were always amazed when I would call them and tell them to come and pick up their items. I would make lists of items for myself too. Usually I would find the objects within 2 weeks. The only time I would buy toys in the toy store was for birthdays, Christmas and special rewards. And of course for other kids. But if I found a toy that was unopened and still in excellant condition I would buy it and put it in my gift box and then I would select the appropriate gift from there. I never gave used gifts. I don't even like to regift items. I just give them away if I don't like them. But when someone give me a gift and they put time and energy into choosing it for me, I will keep it for the spirit of love with which it was gifted to me. If it was really hideous I would hide it in a closet and only take it out when the person came to visit.
Now I took great pride in keeping my daughters thing in great condition. Toys were all kept with their appropriate pieces and instructions. Clothing was free from stains and tears. If it was worn out it got tossed. And I would then have an annual yard sale to sell all her outgrown clothing and toys. People would beg me to let them come over before the sale to buy things. Mothers would stalk me in the supermarket wanting to know what I had for sale. Women would try to outbid each other at my yard sales. It was that good!!! Smart women know a bargain when they see one. And I can tell that you are ALL very smart women! And maybe a few guys. My husband Randy loved to brag to other people about the great finds that his wife bought at a yard sale. And he even enjoyed going to them with me. But if truth be known - I preferred to go without him. I can thank God that his job has him working every saturday!
And now the creme de la creme! I was fortunate enough to go to a sale at a Catholic Nuns home. Volunteers ran the sale. I purchased 3 trash bags of yarn for approximately 20.00. The was tons of yarn in thos bags. All in like new condition. But sad to say that most of the yarn was wool. Why sad do you say? Well.....I am allergic to wool and can only use synthetic or cotton fibers. But I sorted all the yarn by brand and color and bagged it up. Then I listed it all on eBay at auction. Most of the yarn was vintage. And big lots with enough to make lots of sweaters etc. All the yarn sold and it netted me over 300.00!! YaHoo! Hows that for a profit??? I never dreamed that women went crazy for vintage wool yarn. I am a crocheter and not a knitter and maybe that is the difference.
And then what do I do in the winter months when there are no yard sales? Well, I seriously thought of moving to Florida for this reason but my husband would not hear of it. So I dilegently go to thrift stores and consignment shops. Now thats another chapter...................for another post!
Peace and Joy!
Annette
