Garage Sale season that is. I know there are many people out there who will disagree with me, but I stand firm:Garage Sales are a scam.
Think about it. You visit someone's house where they have all of the crap that either they no longer want, or no longer find useful, or that just plain old doesn't work anymore. You look it over, see the "potential" of said item (usually covered in a layer of dust and cat hair), and make an offer significantly lower than the "ticketted price". Most often the seller takes the offer simply to get the crap out of their yard. Let's be honest, they were actually thinking of taking it to the dump or (best case scenario) the thrift store, but didn't want to pay for the gas or dump fees. So they set up a maze of clutter in their yards, slap pieces of masking tape with prices written in sharpie painstakingly to each item (or box of items) and wait for the masses.
As if the concept of the garage sale isn't bad enough, there are the Garage Salers...those who not only peruse the items for sale, but do it with excitement! They get up at the crack of dawn (which, in the summer is as early as 4:30) grab their newspapers and plot out a route which will get them to each and every garage sale before "the good stuff" is gone (most believe this happens at 6:30 sharp).
It just doesn't make much sense to me.
Garage Saler: "oooh, how much is this box of junk?"
Owner of Box of Junk: "Well, you can take that away with you for 5 dollars!"
Garage Saler: "I'll give you 4"
Owner of Box of Junk: "Well, you sure do drive a hard bargain...but you've got a deal. You can take my box of junk away from my house, leaving me with clean empty space for the low price of 4 dollars. Have fun letting it clutter up your home!"
Owner of Box of Junk: "Well, you can take that away with you for 5 dollars!"
Garage Saler: "I'll give you 4"
Owner of Box of Junk: "Well, you sure do drive a hard bargain...but you've got a deal. You can take my box of junk away from my house, leaving me with clean empty space for the low price of 4 dollars. Have fun letting it clutter up your home!"
Ok, so occassionally there is some stuff that is worthwhile, that actually works, that is still of use, and is actually a bargain. Occassionally.
3 comments:
We had a garage sale a few years ago. Here is the exchange with me and a professional garage saler:
pgs: how much for the sandwich maker?
me: three dollars
pgs: I'll give you two bucks
me: done!
pgs: (pays with a $20 bill)
I hate garage sales.
One cannot imagine what those people would be doing otherwise. Hmmm. Anyway, I speak for the ethical garage sale host,however few of us there may be. It is not all worthless crap and I refuse to feel guilty for the 430 dollars we made last Sat. I look on it as a form or concentual piracy. Harrrrr.
Seeing as I'm fairly certain that some of the stuff in that garage sale once belonged to me, I agree, it's not all crap. I had cool stuff! haha!
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