Saturday, May 9, 2009

Cape Cod Yard Sales

Bargain shopping and so much more - by susan

Want to have a great weekend? Go out to breakfast and then hit the sales… yard sales that is! Bargain, barter, and buy whatever strikes your fancy. Believe me “need” has nothing to do with it… imagine how great a pair of snowshoes will look on your den wall, a rocking chair for your porch, a pink lawn flamingo for your lawn, or a thunder pot (perfect as a planter) and all of this for less than 20 bucks!

I think yard sales are the primary way we redistribute junk and re-circulate money in this great country. I know I’ve recirculated my money all too often at yard sales. And most of the stuff I buy at sales is really just restocking my own cellar for my next yard sale!

These sales can be huge social events… many yard sale entrepreneurs serve food and drinks. Everyone is friendly; I often feel like I’m at a cocktail party. The last sale I went to I got a door prize. I know for a fact the only reliable way to meet your neighbors in a new neighborhood is to have a yard sale. They all come over to see what sort of junk you have (ok the sitz bath thingy did embarrass me a little). Every other year I collect enough new stuff to host another yard sale and reconnect with my neighbors.

Yard sales teach us the fine art of negotiation… my mother has been yard saling for 50 years and has this down to a science. Bargaining is such an ingrained part of her personality now that she does it at Macy’s. The other day we were buying bath towels and she asked the salesperson if the price was “the best she could do.” The Macy’s employee looked at her like she had a screw loose (ok, that’s another column).

They say you can sell anything at a yard sale and I’m here to attest to the fact that you can. Last fall I went to a sale that had a toilet seat… yes, a used one and I watched someone buy it (no it wasn’t me, there are some things I just won’t buy used).

As the purchaser was walking away with his treasure we all started laughing but he didn’t seem the least bit fazed by our mirth. Hey, the poor guy needed a toilet seat!

When the yard sale is over you can either keep the left over stuff for your next sale or, like many people, you can take it to the swap shop at the local dump. After my last sale I was dropping off a load of non-salable junk and a man started to load it all up in his truck. I asked him what he was going to do with it all and he said, “Have a yard sale”. So if you have some stuff that you don’t need, have never used, or doesn’t fit, just open up shop on your front yard.

The Cape Cod Times lists all the yard sales by town in the Friday and Saturday papers. Or you can just drive down any main road and look for signs. Every year they are plentiful.

1 comment:

  1. I can't wait to hear more! This IS the essence of our shopping futures and a great way to economize in tough times.

    ReplyDelete

We'd love your comments about this post!