Yard sale season has begun here in Lancaster, PA. Churches (which have large indoor spaces) seem to be leading the way, having some kind of architectural insurance in the case of inclement weather.
Last weekend, four members of my family hit the road. Our first, unplanned stop netted three pairs of dress shoes for me, $1 each. This was a lucky find -- my current heels are decaying, and my feet (size 9) are not optimal for yard sales.
A few other planned stops were mostly unproductive, and then we hit the magic spot: a church-basement sale that had a $2 fill-a-bag AND a bunch of things we could actually use. Altogether, the weekend haul cost us $7.25; for that princely sum, we brought home all this:
There was also a really nice pair of black shoes I passed up; the woman selling them explained that she was selling them for $7 because she'd originally bought them for $125. That kind of explanation is familiar to me, and there are ways in which it's compelling. But to keep spending really low while yard saling, I have to ignore what the value is to the person selling the items. (If I were being completely obnoxious, I would say, "Just because you spent a lot, doesn't mean I have to make the same mistake." But I try to limit my obnoxious-ness).
Instead, I try to keep in mind on my own goal: I will eventually want to get a pair of black walking shoes, and I am very likely to eventually find them for $2 or less. Instead, I blamed myself for being an utter cheapo. What I did say, as I was putting the shoes back on the table, was, "They're very nice, and I'm sure they're worth it. But it's against my religion to spend more than $2 on shoes. I'm just cheap that way. Sorry." And there were no hard feelings.
Last weekend, four members of my family hit the road. Our first, unplanned stop netted three pairs of dress shoes for me, $1 each. This was a lucky find -- my current heels are decaying, and my feet (size 9) are not optimal for yard sales.
A few other planned stops were mostly unproductive, and then we hit the magic spot: a church-basement sale that had a $2 fill-a-bag AND a bunch of things we could actually use. Altogether, the weekend haul cost us $7.25; for that princely sum, we brought home all this:
- three sets of dress shoes for me;
- one pair of long-boarding shoes for K-daughter;
- a large pile of briefs and undershirts for the boys;
- two highly coveted baseball caps;
- one nail care set (soon to be a gift for the stylin' J-son);
- a puzzle;
- several pairs of summer shorts and a running top for me.
 |
| The first harvest of the 2012 yard sale season. |
Instead, I try to keep in mind on my own goal: I will eventually want to get a pair of black walking shoes, and I am very likely to eventually find them for $2 or less. Instead, I blamed myself for being an utter cheapo. What I did say, as I was putting the shoes back on the table, was, "They're very nice, and I'm sure they're worth it. But it's against my religion to spend more than $2 on shoes. I'm just cheap that way. Sorry." And there were no hard feelings.
No comments:
Post a Comment