When people come to my garage sale I am really nice. I smile at them! I say good morning! Yea, I am all kinds of charming.
But when I saw her walking up I almost didn't.
I almost went into the house.
But...
I decided to be a good, little garage sale hostess and I said, "Good morning!" in my chipper, happy voice...
AND...
She looked sheepish.
AND...
I said, "gosh, weren't you here yesterday? I bet you came back to buy those dishes, didn't you?"
AND...
She looked sheepish. And said, "no", and then bought some stuff without haggling at all and then went off.
AND...
As she was leaving she turned around and SMILED AT ME and said, "Thank you!"
Hmmm....
What the heck was that all about?
And there was the lady that I gave all the free stuff on Thursday. She had wanted to buy this little lamp for two dollars but I couldn't make it work so I told her just to take it and if she couldn't figure it out she could just throw it away. Yea. She came back with her two dollars. Said we just didn't turn the switch on. I said "you came all the way back to give me two dollars?" and she said "fair is fair", gave me a hug and left.And there was this tiny little pregnant girl who was literally counting out pennies to buy this baby calendar and bib set. And I told her just to take them and I thought she was going to cry.
And there was this guy that came in and wanted to buy the benches I had stuff setting on. And got all annoyed when I said they weren't for sale. And said it was "deceptive advertising". Ummm.... OK.
And although I almost thought I would hear from his lawyer for all the emotional trauma I caused him by using a bench that was not for sale...(gasp, the horror of it all) I didn't get served any papers on it...I did however find a little typed note in my front door on Saturday morning telling me to call this number because the people had stopped by the garage sale on Friday and wanted to buy our house. Ummm.... OK. That will be 1 million dollars please...
And there was the lady that came in at the end with residents of some care facility...she had 38 crumpled up 1 dollar bills and asked what she could buy with that and I had Mr. Jenny pretty much fill up her car with everything we had left.
And that was that.
Except for...
I had this cool thing I was going to sell that I've never used and then I pulled it out to do a little giveaway with.
I figured since you couldn't come to my garage sale I would let two of you experience it long distance.
The first prize is this really cool Southern Living at Home casserole dish in a little iron stand in an elegant french vanilla color. I love it. I just have never used it and somehow after six years I doubt very much that is going to change anytime soon!
The second prize is a secret. It will make you laugh. And it will make you a little bit happy. I'm not saying what it is but it is worth about $22.50 - tax not included.
So...
To win I am just going to use all the comments from my recent garage sale posts and put them into the Random Org pot and select two winners.
To win, you have to be a follower of my blog AND any comments to the garage sale posts count. If you've left a comment already on a garage sale post I don't care if you leave another one.
I'll have Mr. RO select the two winners on Tuesday morning. There will be two posts on Tuesday - one for Story-Time Tuesday and the winner announcement...
...and that's all I got! Except for a really cluttery house AND an empty refrigerator...so I'm signing off for now to get all my work done so I can spend the afternoon reading Alphabe-Thursday links!
Yee haw!
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75 comments:
I wonder if "crabby" lady reads blogs? Perhaps she recognized her self while reading a blog. Wouldn't that be funny LOL.
Oh I so want that casserole dish! Sounds like you had a good sale. The story about the pregnant girl just about broke my heart. I remember selling books to buy diapers! Kathy
So glad for you the sale is over! Sounds like it went well (except for the bench guy) and you are so sweet to give it to those who really 'need' it! I do that also! Take it please! Well I love that casserole dish so pick me!!! lol....ok at least I will be in the drawing. We had a yard sale and folks asked us about buying our house also? weird!
Maybe that poor lady was just having a bad day the first time she was there! happens to the best of us! ;0)
Thanks for the giveaway too!
Hi Jenny,
I'm loving your garage sake posts. What an experience! Here in England we have car boot sales and I love them but have never done one myself, but it is fun to go around as a costumer.
xxx
Ah Jenny, you're a woman after my own heart. The 2nd to last yard sale we had, I ended the thing right on time. I went into the house to take a well-deserved nap. The doorbell rang and standing there was a woman trying to dicker with me for some of the left-overs. I told her everything was free like all the signs said. She handed me money anyway. I peeked out the curtains later on and saw so many people who looked in such dire need, my heart broke. Giving stuff away during the sale was uplifting but watching the folks at the end was awesome.
Wow, my garage sales were never as interesting as yours! In fact, hubby said the other day we should have one and I told him he was out of his mind!
When you have a garage sale and they want to buy everything from the benches to the house....what does that say about our economy?
Maybe, it is better than we think.;)
Glad the lady came back and was pleasant this time.
Hugs!
I agree, garage sales are waaay too much work for too little profit. Although, it sounds like you turned it into a wonderful opportunity for being kind and helpful.
OMG so much drama at your garage sale! Did u have a aspirin or a glass of wine after? lol
HAH! Not just a garage sale, but the whole house sale! I wonder if the people that left that note are serious, and if you could set a ludicrous price! Of course... then you'd have the hassle of packing (and likely another garage sale); is it REALLY worth it?? ;)
That little casserole dish is adorable! I think, sans top, it could make a cute planter too.
so sweet of you to give the preggo lady those items free, it made her day for sure :D
good kharma in your bank :D
You are an angel sweet Jenny!
Crabby lady had probably forgotten to take her meds that first day. LOL. You sure do meet all kinds at a garage sale, don't you? The last one I had they were parking all over the place to get in and finally some of them just came in HOURS before it was due to start. (starting at 9a.m. and they were banging on my door all indignant at 7 a.m....the crack of dawn). Some of those women are VERY aggressive and downright SCARY! I love doing nice things for people and I smiled when you wrote about the pregnant girl tearing up. Some people are so grateful and it makes you feel like giving them the whole house!! Speaking of houses! LOLOLOL, now if you WANTED to see your house, probably no one would bite. That's funny....but a nice compliment too. Take care :)
Drat!...my coffee hasn't kicked in yet obviously. I meant to say: "If you wanted to SELL your house". Sorry.
Jenny,
You make even the most mundane things sound like so much fun!!!! I have never had a garage sale that was fun....work, yes...fun, no....I guess I need you to be there! :) I love that little casserole....and I love giveaways! :)
i would say your garage sale was a success because you made folks happy! except for mister angry guy.
I love your kind, kind heart....you are the best jenny Matlock. I can always tell when people need something...it sounds like you can too....
Oh the folks who hit the sales.
I had some tables out with stuff on them and the neighor lady came by as she was leaving (after making her purchase) she asked
"how much" they were. When I told
her they weren't for sale she was disappointed but went on her merry way. Just way too much fun for a Saturday.
Enjoy your day!
Melinda
I'm also thinking the first lady reads your blog. Wish everyone could remember how little it takes to brighten someone's day -- and your own. I've loved reading your garage sale stories. Jan
I was really anxious to see how your garage sale turned out--Only because I knew you'd do a wonderful job in telling us about who showed up! I am not disappointed and you've given me flashbacks of when I had my one and only a garage sale!! THANKS for giving me another much needed lift by the good you did and telling us about the cast of characters that came!!
I could just feel your charm oozing off the page and it sounds like it was contagious. I don't usually get excited over giveaways, but I love that casserole dish....says she who rarely cooks. Oh well, I still love it.
What an experience you had at your garage sale. All of those people that you interacted with would be great characters in a book.
Erin
I am also a follower...
What a positive garage sale experience. You had a lot of humor, saw the entire gamut of human behavior, and cleaned out a lot of things.
I need to learn about this giveaway stuff and how you use the random thing so I can, at least, give away one of my poetry books.
Such fun.
I love the guy with the bench fettish! Seems like there is always one of those (or five) at every garage sale.
Glad it was so successful, and great that you were able to experience so much positive humanity!
Smiles
You funny gal! I wanna go gsale shopping with you. ;-)
LOL! What a fun post. You are such a good person . . . it breathes through your story. SO wish I could have been at your garage sale, but great idea to give-away one of the items from it. Seriously, my tummy is all tickly with giggles.
Thanks for making my day!
You did a lot of kind things over the past few days...bless your heart.
i totally enjoyed these posts ... garage sales ... are an opportunity to meet so many different people ... from the greedy pros to the truly needy ... I'm so glad you have such a wonderful heart and helped out those who needed it!
Glad it went well, netted some extra dollars and provided us with the tales.
Well, I'm going to leave another comment and double my chances! I was going to comment anyway--I think it was my dad who made an offer on your bench--that sounded just like him! LOL!
I just want to say how much I enjoy reading this post, and it's interesting what sort of people that comes to garage sales and what kind of behavior they seem to display, I've thought people are pleasant in nature but not all of can really share their true self or their true feelings until some kindness is shown to them
Too funny! I've loved these posts. I just got done having a garage sale myself and I think some of the people who were at your sale came to mine too. (may have been a long drive to Michigan for them!)
Do you think if I have a garage sale in St. Augustine that I will find a note in my door the next day??? ;-)
You are such a kind, sweet person. You have an amazing ability to see past the surface of things and into the heart. I almost cried reading about that young pregnant girl and the lady from the home that had 34 crumpled up bills. You are a good egg, Jenny Matlock. A very, very good egg!
XO,
Sheila :-)
It just goes to show that you can never tell about people by looking at them. How I wish I could have been at that garage sale!
That bench guy was hilarious. I remember once I built some display cases for a garage sale and lots of people wanted them, but not the baseball cards, jewelry, etc. inside of them.
Some people can be so weird!
The thing I like the best is giving that little pregnant girl the calendar and bib. You are a very nice lady, my dear.
(Oooh, I'm listening to the Dixie Chicks "Cowboy, Take Me Away"...I LOVE that song...so glad it's in your mix, today.)
So we had a similar experience at a garage sale. I had a collectible plate that I had priced VERY low and some gal wanted it even lower. Told her, "No."
Next morning (after the garage sale was totally over) she came back and tried, AGAIN, to get me to lower the price! That's so nervy...at that point I wouldn't have sold it to her if she'd offered ten times the price.
But mostly everyone is great. I do love garage sales.
Also, I would love to have one of your giveaways, this time. Fingers crossed, fingers crossed...
Only you, dear Jenny could have such a rounded garage sale with so many different stories:) You are just precious to give stuff away and feel sorry for us because we didn't get to come! Have a blessed day my friend! HUGS!
Makes me feel like having a garage sale! The interaction with all the different characters is priceless.
Shouldn't your house be clutter-free now that you've sold and given away all the extraneous stuff?! :)
That's what I call a great end to a great sale. Not don't you dare let Random Org choose me, I have enough crap... I might even have that same exact set somewhere in my cabinets!
Would you care to come and organize a Garage Sale for me? I think we could make a killing, LOL! And I have to tell you, I want to be as cool, calm and collected as you when I grow up. I'm not sure I would have been so polite to Mrs.Grouchy Pants on her second visit. Guess I have some growing up to do, hahaha.
I gotta tell you, you have the best giveaways ever! And the best stories about your garage sale. I have been mia all of last week. No time. you know how that goes. But I am having a blast getting caught up. I especially love that they wanted to buy your house!
Well that was fun being a fly on the garage wall at your sale!!! You had some very interesting charaters there!!!
I have loved your garage sale stories and I keep thinking we should have one. I think that lady had a bad day the first day and decided to go back to see what she'd missed. Some garage sales have great ambience; yours clearly did!
Garage sales, for the most part, bring out the best in people. My daughter Carrie and I love seeing our stuff go to good homes so, like you, we often give some away. It's really a great time to help out others and get the best feeling in the world from doing just that. Aren't we the lucky ones!
Hugs,
Coralie
The casserole dish is gorgeous and I could totally use a laugh! Crossing everything I can cross in hopes of a win! :)
Your garage sale sure brought in some real characters. I'm always surprised at how some people act at yard and garage sales. I've had people almost knock me down trying to get there first! LOL!
It's nice that you gave those things to the pregnant girl and to the lady collecting for the center.
hugs
Sissie
Deceptive advertising? I would stood their with a smile, and then when I thought he would be out of ear shot I would probably laugh my butt off. People can be down right nutty.
I love your sweet stories though. The young pregnant girl and the 38 crumpled dollar bills. What a wonderful thing.
What fun. I'm trying to get myself organized enough to have a garage sale next Saturday. Ugh.
It sounds like having a garage sale is a little study in human nature. It seems like you helped a few people out and also have less clutter in your home.
The little dish is adorable. I know how sometimes pretty pieces like that can get overlooked when it's time to use them.
♥ Par
What a lot of odd things happen at your garage sales. I think I would pop some popcorn and just come sit and watch. What is with that lady? Funny. Thanks for sharing your stories. I am enjoying Loreena Mckennitt. My oldest daughter would love this music I better write it down to share with her.
What could the chances be that she reads your blog...and saw your post about her royal crabbiness! I know...slim to none...but it still makes you wonder! By the way...great giveaway!!!
Well, I really enjoyed your post and I am not just commenting because there is a prize.... :). But....I do want to win the prize..teehee. Thanks for being so thoughtful and visiting my blog after Alphabet Thursdays. How do you do it? I make it through a few and I try to hop around but I get distracted on every blog I go to by all their links to other blogs and before I know it, I have 25 pages open in Google Chrome and can't remember where I started. But, I do remember you and have your button on my blog so I don't forget.
Sheesh, I go away for a couple a days and come back to read of all the fun I missed! Glad you gave some of it away to who needed it. There's a place in Garage Sale Heaven for you Jenny.
OK, pick me Mr R dot O
I need something to pretty up this dorm room...
Let us know how the million bucks feels (o:
I have never had so much action at one of mu garage sales! What a cast of characters you've had Jenny! It has made for some mightily entertaining reading. How many tears do you think it will be until you can have your next one?! Have a great week Jenny!
LOL!!! Well, here's the update to my comment I left the other day. Hubby won. We ended up having a garage sale Saturday. Bah. Humbug.
Crabby lady must've been a little irregular. Once it was out of her system, she felt better.
How lovely that the lamp lady came back with her $2. Doesn't honesty like that make you feel good about people!
(BTW, if my name comes out of the pot, stick it back in and try again; postage to England would equal the value of the prize!)
MM I think you are an amazing person God uses amazing people and he certainly uses you. Well done
God Bless
Oh I would love to win the casserole dish. I am a huge garage sale fan. Gave them for years while raising my two daughters alone. I used to have a box of free stuff for the kids who came with their parents. I would have grocery bags for $5 or $10 for however much they could stuff in it without ripping. I was always impressed with Hispanic men. They always bought for their wives and children. Generally speaking, there was always one special person who was in need and I too would play it forward and give it away free. The money I raised at yard sales really helped me when I needed it most.
I love the story about the pregnant girl...and also the lady who brought back the two dollars and the reformed mean lady.
=)
You've brought ghosts of garage sales past to my mind Jenny. I'm so glad you stumbled onto my blog a few weeks ago. I've really enjoyed reading yours and you've brought smiles to my face more than once. Thank you.
Garage sales seem to bring out the freaks of the world!
Jenny, so I know, I commented already, but I posted a little blurb about you on my blog.
Have a great day!
Hi There! I found you from Janet's post today. Your post is so great because I love how you see this slice of life in the garage sales. That is so amazing.
Anyway, nice to meet you and I guess count me in for the giveaway!
I hate getting garage sales around! But I love to watch all the different people as they come in. At the last garage sale that we had, this young lady came in with her little girl and the girl spotted a yard toy that my daughter had brought over. It had a slide and a little hideout space. The little girl played on it the whole time her Mom walked around. Hubby was sitting with me and we got to talking with them. Come to find out, they just lived down the street from us. When they were getting ready to leave, Hubby asked if she would like that yard toy for free. You should have seen the little girls face, but Mom said she didn't have room in her little car. So Hubby, good guy that he is, volunteered to drive it down in his truck. The little girl still waves at us when we drive by. Best feeling in the world ♥
Your garage sales are infinitely more interesting than mine ever were. :)
giving that stuff to the little pregnant lady... soooooo sweet. I love garage sells (going to them, not giving one)
Jenny, you sound like the Jekyll and Hyde of garage sales...I am glad that your sale brought both pleasure and pain...and hopefully some $$...very sweet stories here...peace and blessings
Jenny, the painting you asked about is a Kim Parker print. My daughter asked for those two prints when her grandmother (my MIL) downsized. My MIL had a knack for including lots of cheerful color (pinks and peaches and greens and yellows) and floral designs without the room looking fussy or cluttered. I don't know how she did it and I wish I had her talent. Anyway, my daughter now enjoys those framed prints.
You can see more Kim Parker here:
http://www.art.com/gallery/id--a7056/kim-parker-posters.htm
HAHA ~ the people we meet at yardsales! That is hilarious ~ the crabby lady, the mean man...being antisocial...this is one reason why I don't do yardsales!
~angela @ peonypatch
www.mccalled.com/peonypatch
JENNY!
Long time no talk! Thank you so much for the card. Sorry it took so long to thank you.
WOW, love reading about your garage sale. LOL ALWAYS entertaining & don't you just meet the most diverse group of people?
Smiles~
Marilyn
Love your little stories! I signed up to follow! Now to just find the time to read!
Hi Jenny
Just caught up on all your garage sale tales, I just know the crabby woman read what you said in your blog before she returned on Friday!
What a hoot....busted!
Please don't enter me in the giveaway, unless the secret prize is one you can pop in a small envelope?
See you Thursday.
~Maggie~
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