I had the day off work today so of course I had to cruise the neighborhood for garage sales! Although today was "sparce pickins" it gave me a chance to reflect a bit.. on why I enjoy garage sales so much. There are the obvious reasons, like finding that "something" that I needed and paying 95% off retail or the satisfaction of buying something I can use and save it from being tossed in a landfill. There are the not so obvious reasons too. We moved to this town almost three years ago. Finding and going to sales has given me access to neighborhoods I may never have known existed. I have learned shotcuts to different parts of town. I have learned the names of the best hairstylists, doctors, restaurants, and car mechanics. I have learned of plants and flowers that grow well in our area and have been offered free starts. I have discovered community events and activities that this town offers that would have taken me years to find out. One last reason why I love sales is that I enjoy finding things for my friends and family. Today I found something for a girlfriend who likes France and recently redecorated her bedroom with an Eifel Tower motif... What do you think? Not bad for 50 cents?
The essence of garage/yardsaling to me is multifold: To find that really wacky surburban archive, who's cherish has turned to tarnish, & hope that its' value will somehow increase just because I repossessed it at a discount rate; To actually find something of value & hope my wife will allow me to display it in the upstairs, or relegate it to the catacombs of the basement; To discover items that we both hold dear, hoping for a "deal", & merrily driving off, feeling like two kids fresh from the ice cream stand, licking our emotional chops, & waiting for her to say, "THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!"
ReplyDeleteBut mostly, the real joy is to see my wife smile...because she BEAMS!
Love like this is not cheap...it's real!