Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Yard Sales



This past weekend baby and I were suppose to go visit Virginia, but the baby was still under the weather and I didn’t want to take her on a plane and get more sick (her father would kill me).

Funny how life changes when you become a mother – people use to say that to me all the time when I was expecting and I thought they were on crack, but they were correct! My whole world revolves around this tiny 22-lb person. It’s a little Neapolian dictator in our house (lol, just kidding, though when she cries loud enough, things get moving).

On a different note, since I was stuck in Phoenix for the weekend, decided to make the most of it and went yard sale’ing. I like to think of myself as something of a yard sale professional. I have been shopping yard sales since high school with my mother in Virginia. We know how to bargain, what to look for, what to pass on. I find the best way to yard sale is to pick a neighborhood or section of town and focus on that area, until you have discovered where is the best locale for getting cheap but good deals! I am still discovering Phoenix, so I can’t say with certainty which is the best place to go; but I’ll tell you the place I went to this weekend was not it! I only hit one big sale, a church event (much easier to do, because so many people in one spot). No one was selling anything under a $.25! That’s crazy! I expect, when I go to a yard sale to get things sometimes for a dime or nickel and I also expect if I make you an offer lower, you would consider. That was not the case here. For example, there was a lady selling children’s books for $.50, I offered a quarter…without blinking an eye she said, “no.” I walked away, keep your books.

Isn’t the purpose of a yard sale to clean out your house – not to make money? I think some people forgot that principle very easily. Do you really want to haul all your junk back to your home? Where are you going to put it? This yard sale was in a more affluent part of town and I have discovered, the rich don’t know how to put on a yard sale. Best place I’ve been to yard sale, West Virginia, now those people know how to do it right – you can get such great stuff for a steal! Can’t wait for spring to hit the East Coast, than my mother and I can go yard sale’ing over there (only in PHX do they buck yard sale etiquette and hold yard sales year round and on Sundays! Those are strictly no-no’s).

This yard sale wasn’t a complete bust, did pick up a cute decorative box, some plastic utensils, a basket for gift giving and a cute hair clip for the baby.

5 Comments:

Blogger Hina said...

you live in Arizona, the normal rules of life don't apply there ;)

10:40 AM  
Blogger Jill said...

So sorry to hear about the pneumonia. That must have been terrifying! I'm glad she is feeling better now. It is SO hard when they are sick - what an awful, helpless feeling that is.

8:37 PM  
Blogger Secret Agent Woman said...

She could have at least counter-offered - three books for a dollar or something like that.

8:43 AM  
Blogger Virginia Gal said...

Hina - so true.

Darla - you are correct, it is an awful feeling.

Secret Agent - exactly she should have come up with a counter offer!

1:12 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you want stuff for free (5 cents),.why don't you just beg on the street? I had a garage sale yesterday near Phoenix (Chandler) and sold $750 worth of stuff. Yes some items are 25 cents. Purpose is mostly to clear stuff out but what I don't sell goes to good will or gets cheaper or free at the end. Stop whining because you want something for nothing.

2:10 PM  

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