Motto of the Day:

America is right. Deal with it or duck.
From Chip Haynes, found in one of Spleenville's comments sections, found by Bill Quick

I would pick the two hottest days of the year for this sale, wouldn't I? We got over there at 7:30 and dragged out the first of the things, and before 8 the first of the early birds came. Rich was puzzled, but I remembered what my sister had said, that you never say no to early birds, not if you want to sell stuff. They were there before we'd even taken the change aprons out of the car. One woman picked up all the Star Trek stuff (except for the commemorative plate) and took one nickel box because of the buttons (she got extras, like zoo animals, etc. and I gave her a really good deal) and all the military gear (we'd taken apart a belt and priced the components separately, and no trouble. The camo pieces I'd marked at $1 per. Remember, I was trying to get rid of stuff, not make money.) She wound up loading up her pickup bed for about $200. A dealer, she will make out like a bandit, but that's her job. The other early bird was also a dealer, and into different things. We got more people about 8:30 and by the time the sale officially started, we'd more than paid for the ads and the dumpster.

The carved table went early. Some college kid came by and bought the couch. He would send his friend back for it. We were sitting on it, talking to a friend, when the furniture guy came (!) and asked if we'd like him to haul the couch to the dump. No, we've sold it. He announced he'd be back after his dump run for the desks and stuff. He said something about the chairs and I said they were sold, and he said "well, I told you I didn't want the chairs." (Actually, he'd said he didn't want the office chairs, and I thought he did want the kitchen chairs.) He did actually come back, and Rich had taken the prices off the things he said he wanted. So the only thing he really missed on was the little table, but he darn well should have come by the week he said he was going to!

Gerhard was up to his old tricks. When the first rush was going on, someone announced there was a full drawer in the kitchen. I would swear I cleaned that drawer out. I did get the harder-to-reach cabinet under it clean. So when there was a slight lull, I was sticking orange stickers on wooden spoons and cherry pitters and things. I sold most of it almost as soon as I priced it!

I was astonished at how much of the clothing went, and the drapes I had hung outside. Most of the linen went, as well. We sold the shelving. One guy came and took a 25 cent hat, a lot of the linen, some of the blankets including the one I was using as a display pad... I pointed out the slashes in it, but he said it was warm anyway, and the ten dollar sleeping bag!

One neighbor lady was really into dickering. Her granddaughter wanted an old calendar for the kitty pictures and I was asking 10 cents, and she was griping because it was an old calendar (well, yeah, but it has nice kitty pictures.) We did her wrong, though. She'd expressed an interest in the $50 stereo speakers and said she'd be back, then Rich sold them to another neighbor.

The dealers and some of the neighbors wanted to know if we did garage sales professionally, because everything was marked and organized. We learned a few things. You can trust dealers more than neighbors (I imagine they'd have dickered if the prices were out of line, but they told me that what I thought was sterling was silverplate, and gave no trouble on anything.) You should mark the item as well as the box it's in. I feel bad about that... I had the wooden carved gorilla box G. bought at the San Francisco Zoo with me marked at $2. Someone brought it to me outside of its container, and I gave it to her for $1. It's only a buck, but it makes me feel bad. Besides, I don't like to give cheaters an edge.

We sold the shelving, most of the clothing, most of the linen, some of the stationery, and a lot of the junk. The guy came for the sofa. Nobody wanted the bikes.We packed up at 3 and went home with over $600 profit, and that was just the bills.

First we stopped at the furniture guy to get the check. Yay! He said he'd see us again, but my theory is not if I see him first.

On the way home we saw a wild turkey. Then en route to Music Circus, we saw a half-erected ferris wheel for the State Fair, and they were taking down the barricades for a Papa Roach video which had been done downtown. The play was "Camelot" and I almost stayed awake for it. (I'd been nervous about this sale and couldn't sleep past 3). One of the "ladies" was in a dress that looked like the drapes I sold! (I'd thought of making a "Scarlett O'Hara" reference to the nice Asian girl I sold them to, but I didn't.)

More sale tomorrow!