Owens Corning

More Yard Sale Know-How

It's 9 a.m. Saturday morning and everyone with a penchant for finding pearls among swine is making the yard sale rounds. Sooner or later, even those with a modicum of curiosity can't help but stop " for a quick peak" as they drive by the ubiquitous sign announcing such an event.

I've been a yard sale attendee for most of my adult life and can't pass up even the meagerest display on a rickety card table. I am convinced that any household item I need will eventually turn up at such a sale.

Advice For Yardsalers
The other day I came upon an old book in the library called, "The Garage Sale Manual". It intrigued me because the authors approached the subject as an economic experience and managed to fill 224 pages in the process. Rather than a few hours devoted to the disposal or accumulation of odds and ends, a rather frivolous activity, they described it as a whole psychological experience. Their advice was so humorous as to be worthy of repeating.

They offer the following:
l. "Eliminating excess stuff is like weeding a garden, it gives what remains a chance to come alive." I wasn't quite sure what exactly was growing, but I assume this passage refers to the furnishings left in your home.
2. "It's a chance to establish new relationships." I don't know about you, but I find it downright impossible to create a meaningful relationship based on the dickering of a quarter off an item.
3. And this high-powered economic business advice: "Prepare for the power of bargaining. If something is 35 cents always offer 30 cents!" And to the seller they advise, "When offered less always hesitate before accepting the offer. This will make the buyer think twice before doing it a second time."

Sellers Beware!
The prize winning chapter strongly advises being on the alert for the early bird and "rich biddy" who are both pesky specimens, demanding attention in handling. And how do you spot these pesky specimens? "They drive Mercedes and wear suede jackets." say the authors about the "rich biddies". The early birds, warn the authors, come before 9 a.m. and tell you they have to be at work so they thought they could have a peak before everyone else arrives. The authors caution that this is a ploy used over and over again to get the really good and valuable "stuff."

Just Plain Fun
So much for the advice from the so-called experts. If you haven't gone to a yard sale, it's lots of fun for everyone who loves the element of surprise; getting a bargain; finding something you didn't know you absolutely needed; it doesn't take much time; is a cheap form of entertainment; and can often yield a treasure for a pittance.

If you haven't given a yard sale it's a great way to clean out your unwanteds, make a little money, meet your neighbors (maybe this is the relationship part of the book) and give you a chance to hone up on your business skills (the bargaining part of the book). As for rubbing elbows with the "rich and famous", I haven't found them hovering around card tables in backyards yet, but I'm ever hopeful they'll show up at my next sale.

Copyright Leslie Linsley, author
Reprinted with permission, HouseNet, Inc.

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