Friday, May 30, 2008

A Garage-Saler's Friday Five May 30

Since will smama is preparing for a joint garage sale with her parents, and Songbird's church had a Yard and Plant Sale last Saturday, they have five enormously important questions for all of us Friday Five players:

1) Are you a garage saler?
No, I have never really been a garage sale host or buyer. I don't know why...it just has never been something to which I have gravitated. I have tended to donate things that could be sold to Goodwill and other organizations like them.
That being said, I am going to try to sell a few items next week at a neighbor's garage sale...so there's always a first time!
2) If so, are you an immediate buyer or a risk taker who comes back later when prices are lower?
I am neither, but our younger son is an immediate buyer and a regular shopper at local garage sales.
3) Seriously, if you're not a garage saler, you are probably not going to want to play this one.
(That wasn't really #3.)
3) This is the real #3: What's the best treasure you've found at a yard or garage sale?
My husband and I found an old (circa 1930's) gas stove at a garage sale in our old neighborhood. It was not anything we wanted, but just a few weeks before, my mother had said that she was looking for one for use in the bed and breakfast they run. Now mind you, all the while that my mother was going on about wanting this stove, my father was standing behind her, silently but furiously waving her idea off.
Which left us with a dilemma...do we get this stove for them or not?
We decided that we would call them, and if mom answered the phone, we would tell her about it. If dad answered the phone (which he usually does), we would know to pass the stove by.
Wouldn't you know it...Mom answered the phone. She wanted the stove, and so we proceeded.
My dad had no problem retrofitting it into their kitchen with its tin ceiling and 100+ year old wood cabinets and trim.
That was over 15 years ago...and it still works beautifully for them!
4)If you've done one yourself, at church or at home, was it worth the effort?
Members of our congregation hold a garage sale most every year, and it does net a lot of money, at least half of which we forward on to other ministries. It is definitely worth the effort...and it has built some new friendships through the years
5) Can you bring yourself to haggle?
I can, in certain settings...in the old city in Jerusalem's West Bank, in the street markets in the Caribbean, and on big ticket items!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

That stove story is a great one! Thanks for playing!!

Terri said...

I'm with you on the NOT garage saleing, but you do have some good stories about it nonetheless!

mid-life rookie said...

Love the stove story. Our church is having a garage (parking lot?) sale in a few weeks. Hope it goes well for those involved. I'll be in the middle of a long supply preaching run. Probably desparately finishing my sermon for The Vicar of Hogsmeade's church.

Anonymous said...

great story!! checking in and catching up...