Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Garage sales seem to ...

...bring out the weird in some people.

Our son, who is moving to Texas, brought a van load worth of 'stuff' over on Saturday so we're repeating our epic garage sale of last weekend.

I like doing them.

I'm not sure why.

I really, really like talking to the everyone.

And my sister was here last week and that made it even more entertaining.

I'm still giggling over the angry lady who refused to let us give her a good deal on some linen table napkins.

She was angry when she got there and was kind of stomping around. She finally picked up a package of 8 green cloth napkins and carried them up to the 'checkout' table.

"Will you take two dollars for these?" she snarled.

"Ummm...actually those are only fifty cents," I said sweetly after checking the price tag.


"So you won't take two dollars? You won't come down on your price?"

"Ummm... lady," I replied nicely, "The napkins are ONLY fifty cents. Two dollars is too much but I'll be happy to take your two dollars if you insist."

She dug through her purse, flung two dollars at us, and stomped off.

Hee hee.

I'm still laughing at her. What a dork.

And there was the guy who wanted to buy a bunch of Christmas figurines. They were fifty cents each.

I told him, "For you, today only, there's a special deal. I'll give them to you at fifty cents apiece!"

Oh, he got excited. Excited I tell ya.

I went around and started gathering them all up.

He had 9 of them on the 'checkout' table.

"Fifty cents each, right?" He said proudly. I replied, "Yup, fifty cents each!"

He gave me five bucks.

I gave him fifty cents change.


He proudly carried them to his car.

A minute or so later he came back.

"Hey, you lied to me!" He said, "They were already priced at fifty cents! You didn't give me a good deal at all!"

I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Sir, I totally priced those at fifty cents just for you!"

And he gave me a big grin and walked away happy.

...

...

Hmmm...

Come to think of it...

Why do I like garage sales?

Is it for the vast sums of money we take in?

Or the interaction with charming and intelligent people?

Yeah.

Yeah, those are definitely the reasons.

Or maybe I'm just into self-torture.

And by the way...

If you're in the neighborhood on Thursday and Friday, stop in.

And bring your most snarly attitude with you.

I can handle it!

Sigh...





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25 comments:

vivian said...

good morning Jenny. Id love to come to one of your garage sales. another reason you might have them, is that you get great blogging material out of them!
lol
happy wednesday!
vivian

Sharon said...

I'd love to come! People are so funny! Have fun gathering material to share with us!

BECKY said...

Hi Jenny! I gave up having garage sales a few years ago. Too much trouble for the money earned (?)
And I never had any folks like yours stop by! :o

ain't for city gals said...

I like to have the garage sale once it is all set up. The nicer you are to the people the more they can't handle it!

Kim Lehnhoff said...

I had an Alexander Hamilton or bust sale - sold all of my worldly possessions - nothing over $10. It was so hard to convince someone to take the 32-inch TV for $10...he acted like I stole it or something.

Same with the sectional sofa and the bookcases filled with books.

I also told them if they came AFTER the sale, they could have anything they wanted - for FREE.

Such distrust.

Unknown said...

What a character he was!

Tracy said...

Jenny HELP I am gathering items in my garage and need to sell them please pop over and organise me please :)

Theresa said...

I would LOVE to visit your garage sale but "me thinks" the hubby won't drive me there:) Have a blessed day you crazy lady! HUGS!

Unknown said...

LOL! Garage sales are torture for me. I am practically giving away good items at unbeatable prices yet barely break even. I showcase items like they tell you to do, creating that "pleasant shopping experience" to no avail. Maybe I just don't have the personality to interact, like you, with the customer. (I seriously have to tell the story about the shoplifting that occurred at my last "moving sale")

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Heeehehehe!

I do believe ya love playin' with people's minds Hon!

Am I right...do I win the big prize??? :o)

God bless ya and have an incredible day sweetie!!! :o)

Busy Bee Suz said...

What is it with crabby people??? I was banned from having anymore garage sales by the husband 10 years ago. Because of the crabby/rude people. I wish I could go to yours though!!!!!!

Pondside said...

It's true that it takes all kinds to make the world, and I think we meet every kind at a garage sale.
I'd love to hold a garage sale, but no one would come out here and all the way up the drive, so from time to time I fill a box and join a friend who's having a sale - and then I get to have a visit too.

21 Wits said...

Oh yes, doing some of the simplest things in life can be so much fun...and I tell you if I lived close, and not a gigantic airplane ride away, I'd for sure drop in! Enjoy your selling ladies!

anitamombanita said...

Definitely for the intellectual exchange and the self-torture! For me, it would be like sitting in the Wal-mart parking lot waiting for a good photo to happen...no offense, my WM peops. Love ya...and love love love the photo ops! :) You're a better woman than I, Mrs. Jenny.

Susan Anderson said...

I think it's fun to have them, too!

=)

anitamombanita said...

p.s. you leave the nicest comments. Thanks. Like I said, you're a better woman than I. :)

Willoughby said...

How did that woman not understand that she was paying more for the napkins than you were asking?

I gave up having garage sales a while ago. Unfortunately, I never enjoyed them as much as you do. We did have some pretty interesting shoppers when we lived in Detroit, though. One woman asked for a receipt for her purchases so her landlord wouldn't accuse her of bringing home stolen goods.

Judie said...

The last garage sale I had, I sold a total of about $10. Keil dragged out a bunch of his stuff, and made over $200 before 11 a.m. After that, I closed the garage door and went inside to sulk while Keil was at the bank, making a deposit.

Jo said...

Garage sales ... you meet the most interesting people ... but I am done with them for a while ... they are a whole lot of work, especially up here where it seems to rain most garage sale days ...

Ms. A said...

I almost had one, once. Had everything out and priced, then we had to take precautions for a hurricane. Bagged everything up, put it in the attic... 30+ years later, it's still in the attic. Never attempted another one.

Pat Tillett said...

Hi Jenny! That was pretty darn funny! The last yard/garage sell I put on was a riot. I sold stull, I had intended on keeping, I sold stuff that wasn't mine and I sold an old bike for 10 bucks (I think), that an emergency 20 dollar bill hidden under the seat. I'm a shrewd salesmen you know...

Betty said...

I stopped having garage sales when I realized people were stealing fifty cent items. A lady brought some items up to me and asked if she could leave them for a few minutes while she looked around some more. I got busy and when she came back the items were gone. I knew no one had checked out with them. I also caught people changing the prices on items and my stuff was dirt cheap. Although most people were nice and probably very honest the few stinkers made me change my mind about having another garage sale.

Where in Texas is your son moving? Will he be a Texan fan?

Rachel said...

I would totally come to your garage sale! :) Sounds like they ae a hoot and a holler!

Jules said...

Jenny I need you to come immediately! 4 car garage, studio and laundry currently stuffed to the gills with stuff for garage sale don't know where to start!!!!!

GardenOfDaisies said...

Oh Jenny, you sure seem to get some doozies at your garage sales!!! LOL! Wish I lived near, I'd come over and haggle for a better price on your 25 cent pieces. ;-)