The One with the First Garage Sale of the Season

It's GARAGE SALE season, people!! YAHOOO! (Here, let me create a simile for you--deer season is to deer hunter as garage sale season is to bargain hunter.) I went to my first set of sales with a a wonderful friend, Andrea. When she told me last Thursday that she was a thrifter and has seen my blog post about my $5 Goodwill dresses, she was hoping I might also be a garage-sale-goer. BOY WAS SHE RIGHT. She probably didn't know just how "hardcore" I am about deal hunting, but if she is gutsy enough to garage sale with a toddler and an infant, I'm sure can handle my antics. :)

Sure enough, we were perfect shopping partners! We had the same standards for prices. ("No, I wouldn't buy those sandals for $4. I would pay $1 or maybe 50 cents.") We could spot a "good" or a "bad" sale from the end of the driveway. We didn't mind letting the other come or go at their own speed. No pressure, just fun, relaxed rummaging. 

And at the end of all that, she made a stop at my favorite store (Aldi) for me and we found out she's an Aldi lover as well. Awesome!

I found a few perfect items for very little money--my favorite kind of purchases. A blue tri-fold lawn chair (low to the ground, you can lay flat or elevate your back, etc.) for $1.00! Plus these great music books and a few classic reads like Pride and Prejudice and Huckleberry Finn--all for $3.00. 

Let the hunt begin!

The One with the True Haggler

Tonight my mom called. We chit-chatted for a while and just before hanging up, I remembered a story from last weekend that I just had to tell her. By the end of my re-telling, we worth both cracking up with laughter, just about dying over the ridiculousness of the story I had just told. 

The story you are about to read is true. None of the details have been altered in any way.

This past Saturday, as I got back from my long-ish run (5 miles in 40 minutes thankyouverymuch. woo!), I decided my "cool down" would be walking with Kevin to the Rummage Sale at the Knights of Columbus hall just around the corner. This would kill four birds with one stone. 

1. get first dibs at the sale.

2. cool down from my run. 

3. go for a walk with my husband. 

4. spend time with my husband. 

Much to my glee, he agreed! And off we went. 

When we arrived, I was a bit confused and kind of bummed. This wasn't a rummage sale at the Knights of Columbus. This was a the-Knights-of-Columbus-need-to-sell-all-their-old-junk-because-they-sold-their-building-sale. I took a courtesy look around. You know the type. "Yeah, I don't really see any way I'll find something worth buying here, but because I'm here, I might as well look around and pretend to be interested." 

We made our way into the bar area of the hall and found boxes and boxes of glassware. There were these adorable little glasses I wanted to get, but Kevin quickly informed me they were shot glasses, so I moved on. (I'm naive, what can I say.) But then, my husband, who has a teensy addiction to glass ware and always seem to find a glass he just has to have, found a box of 96 drinking glasses. Sure, they're probably beer glasses, but they are the "regular" height of a water glass, and have a uniquely small diameter, and a sweet frosted look. Kevin convinced me to buy some of them with this argument-- "they're so compact, lots more glasses can fit in our cupboards this way." True. And he of course mentioned how awkward it is to drink out of our square-ish glasses. (He and my mom just get totally thrown off and don't seem to know how to drink out of them--do you drink from a corner or an edge? So funny.)

Anyways, I conceded and we filled a box with 16 glasses. Yes, 16. 

I then set out to choose a price. Glasses are cheap at garage sales. And abundant. Plus, I can buy new glasses at Walmart for very little money. 

$1.00.

I decided I wanted to give the guy one dollar. 

With that in mind, I approached the older gentleman at checkout counter. He asked another guy, "Hey, how much do you want for these."

"Five dollars." 

"Five dollars?" I reply. "I'll give you a dollar for them. Glasses are cheap." 

"Not those, they aren't," the man replied. "Those are worth $5.00."

"I'm sorry, but I won't give you any more than two," I said, standing firm. "I can't get glasses almost that cheap brand new. And besides you have a box of 96 of them back there."

But the guy wouldn't budge. 

Another gentleman approached us and offered $3.00. 

"Nope," I said, "I'm not going any higher than two dollars." 

(Yeah, this is for real, folks.) 

They turned me down, so I sent Kevin to return the glasses to their collection. 

(I've gotta give my husband some mad brownie points for this too. He never took control of the situation. He knows I'm hardcore about garage sales, and he let me handle it. Thanks, babe.) 

While I was waiting for his return, the only lady working with this rummage sale was standing in my vicinity. She had tried to talk the guys down in their price, but those men were certain their glasses were worth more. 

At that moment, she leaned over and said, "You can have them for two. I'll go get him." (him, being my husband.) 

VIC-TOR-Y!

Kevin was totally stoked to get his box of awesome glasses. I, on the other hand, was totally irritated that I had to spend a whole extra dollar to buy him his glasses. (And no, I'm not joking. I was actually irritated.)

Now, a week later, I'm happy. The glasses are super cute. And he was right--many more glasses can fit in my cupboard this way. And I don't regret that extra dollar one bit.

Anyone else out there a haggler?!  Or am I crazy and alone on this one? 

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The One with $20.25

It's official!! Garage Sale Season in underway! I suppose you could say--"Melanie is to garage sales as hunters are to deer season." In other words, it's a BIG deal and if you're not a garage sale fan, you think I'm crazy. I'm totally ok with that. 

It was only 48 degrees this morning, but the rain had stopped. I double checked the sale listings I had found in the local newspaper's online classifieds as well as the garage sale section of Craigslist. I then printed off the list of items I was looking for in this season of thrifting. (I've discovered having a "plan" is a very good thing.) Finally, I donned a coat--yes a COAT--for the occasion and hit the road. 

At the first sale, I came away with two beautiful satin blouses and a sweater for $1.50. They all fit me perfectly--I'm thrilled. I was a teensy bit quite frustrated, though, when Kevin noticed a huge water-looking stain on the front of the green satin. Ack! I have it pretreated right now! 

The woman hosting the second sale was a piece of work. She was a talk, talk, talker and quite pushy--not my favorite type of yard sale host, I've got to be honest. Despite that, I found a hardly-worn pair of size 10 Chuck Taylor Converse high tops for Kevin. I offered the lady $1.00 and she took it! (They sell for $65.00!!) Kevin's already wearing them. :)

At the last sale, I saw quite a few great finds--but most of them weren't on my list. *kept my arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times* I came across a sewing machine--which IS on my list--but one crucial piece of it was missing. Not so much...

I DID find a few great items before leaving, though. We now have a beautiful cloth shower curtain. It's in perfect shape and Kevin likes it as well. I was just thinking last night that this brown-brown-brown theme was getting boring. We needed to mix it up a bit. The new curtain goes well with the brown and green we already have. For $2.00 it's a perfect bathroom makeover!  

Finally, I came across the hardcover copies of most of the Harry Potter Series! Books 2 and 4 are missing and book 3 doesn't have a jacket, but I got five of them for $15 which is totally worth it for Kevin and I. I normally don't spend more than $0.50 on a book, but seeing how this exact set was on our wish list and would have cost close to $100, we took it! 

Are you hitting the garage sale path any time soon?? Good finds yet?

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The One with the "World's Largest Rummage Sale"

You may remember my love of garage sales. 

Rummage sales. 

Yard sales. 

Consignment shops. 

Anything second hand?

I'm all about it. 

Well, the largest church in our conference hosts the world's most gigantic rummage sale every July. 

I've looked forward to it every since I had my first taste of it's amazingness in 2005. 

This is a garage sale guru's heaven. 

Prices are super low. 

Inventory is categorized, mapped out, and sorted beautifully. 

And get this--

all of the proceeds go directly to world missions!

So you can't even feel guilty about spending money because it's going to one of the most noble causes. 

All the way back in May, I had requested off Thursday, July 29th. 

I needed the day, people.

This sale is not for the faint of heart. 

I arrived a few minutes before the doors opened at 9am, 

and the parking lot was already filled to capacity. 

With the rush of shoppers, I headed into the book room. 

The book lover's gold mine. 

All books were 75 cents and after about a half hour, I had a box full of 17 books totaling $12.75--the cost of one inexpensive book at retail cost. 

I found another copy of Tolkein's The Silmarillion and The Hobbit. 

(I was really really hoping for the Lord of the Rings trilogy as ours in literally broken apart at the binding.)

C.S. Lewis' Perelandra.

A Grief Observed. 

and Screwtape Letters.

Karen Kingsbury's Like Dandelion Dust

(which, I hear, is being made into a movie.)

I overheard someone asking about her books and the lady said, "I know there's one over here."

And I said, "I think I have it!" 

*sly grin*

I picked up two Bibles--one a devotional Bible for couples and one with notes by Max Lucado. 

(Bibles for $0.75?! I mean, really?)

I found a couple of Bronte classics, 

and a collection of the Browning Poetry.

(Kevin doesn't know Elizabeth Barret or Robert Browning.

What in the?!)

Today, I went back for more. 

Mostly because I knew more books and merchandise would have surfaced and prices would be even lower. 

Sure enough books were just a quarter today! 

I found 7 more!

Devotionals by Billy Graham and Corrie Ten Boom. 

The Swiss Family Robinson. 

(I loved that movie as a kid!)

Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis 

(Heard it was great. No idea what it's about. 

But I really love Bell's stuff.)

More success. Excellent. 

I also managed to procure about 4 sweaters, some blouses, a jean jacket, a fall trench coat, and a pair of black slacks for me; 

a dress shirt and 4 awesome ties plus 2 great polos for Kevin;

AND four pairs of amazing shoes (nearly new, perfect fit, irresistibly adorable) and 4 purses/bags (once again: nearly new, perfect fit, irresistibly adorable).

I kind of have a purse fetish. 

But I figure it's not a terrible thing when I get them all for under a dollar. 

And realizing I can buy 30 purses for the cost of one in the department stores?

I'll take it! 

I finally own an apron!  

It's red--perfect match for Stan the KitchenAid MixerWilton Angled Spatula 8". 

I snagged an offset (frosting) spatula--Wilton Brand, 

a couple beautiful tumbler glasses*, 

and a mug and a couple random miscellaneous items for my husband who loves random miscellaneous items.

*By the way, we've decided to become those people with the awesome mismatched collection of glassware.
I mean, what fun is having all of the same glasses.
"They" say you can mix and match your table settings.
So I say that goes for glasses.
And besides, my husband has some crazy obsession with cool glasses.
Really.
Every time we're anywhere and he sees a new drinking glass, he wants it.
It's hilarious and awesome at the same time. 

When I went back for me this morning, I detoured at a friend's yard sale. 

She had some fantastic clothing items--but after seeing the church's really super cheap prices, hers seemed steep. 

I did manage to get a brand new Spring Arbor sweatshirt and three cute tops for $7. 

I'll call that a win. 

Especially after I spent $1.75 on 7 books. 

I love rummage sales, did you know that?