grasswire, other primitives, go to garage sales

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1026402

Oh my.

It's pretty boring on Skins's island tonight--just the usual Hate and Rage and Delusions--so I decided to check out the eBay forum, one of the "small forums" on Skins's island.

grasswire (34,955 posts)  Tue Sep 4, 2012, 02:28 PM

My favorite rummage sale coming up this weekend

Ohyeah. Church ladies' rummage sale. I have ALWAYS done well at this sale. A pretty mid-century green McCoy planter for 25 cents. A darling old large studio pottery vase with sunflowers painted on it for 25 cents. Wonderful vintage linens cheap cheap cheap.

Incidentally, I still have all those things for myself.

I get there an hour before the sale starts and scout it out. It's in a parking lot, so roaming is easy. They don't mind if we few earlybirds pick things up as we go scouting.

What's going on in the trade where you are? Hmm?

Vinca (21,955 posts)  Wed Sep 5, 2012, 05:30 PM

1. I can't wait for the fall rummage sales to start.

I had great luck at yard sales last weekend! I bought so much stuff I had to quit early because my car was full. Some of the highlights were a Victorian pool cue floor stand for $10, some old dairy items including a very cool bell that looks like a cow, a 1960's fondue set and a beautiful blown glass perfume bottle. I passed up a record signed by Ringo Starr. The guy started out at $500 and ended up at $80, but I still couldn't take a chance without a COA. Too bad since I was one of the original Beatlemaniacs. LOL.

^^the vindictive primitive, whose motto is "You've got to be sharp; you've got to cheat the other guy before he cheats you."

safeinOhio (6,995 posts)  Fri Sep 7, 2012, 06:18 PM

4. This week I bought 2 nice ukuleles for 10 bucks each..One has an aluminum neck and is a bajo uke. The other is a super nice Silvertone/Harmony, 1960 baritone uke. Both in excellent condition.

The first one was not out in the sale. I asked if they had any old insturments and and they remembered this one. At first the wife said 5 dollars and the husband "no 10", I said 10 would be fine.

S*C*O*R*E

grasswire (34,955 posts)  Fri Sep 7, 2012, 06:53 PM

5. wheee!

If I bought those, I would keep them though. I'd like to learn the ukulele.

safeinOhio (6,995 posts)  Fri Sep 7, 2012, 08:12 PM

6. Thinking about keeping the baritone.

Look out Tiny Tim.

At the sale, the man had an old large stone ware mixing bowl with 10 bucks or best offer. I offered him 5 for it.

He was reluctant and said he'd have to ask his wife. I had already spotted the uke for 20. So, giving him an out on the bowl, I suggested 20 for the two. He jumped on it. I can clear $25 on the bowl real quick. That really gives me the 2 ukes for free. I have the bajo uke in my showcase for $60.

I usually don't really want to keep much that I bought, but dang that old Silvertone is nice.

Last week I bought a Fender Stage Lead, 250 watt 1982 amp in perfect condition for $108 at the Mall I work at. I think I should be able to make a quick 60 or 70 on that one. I work at a large, 38,000 square foot mall with over 300 dealers. I get to see what comes in every day.

I have a ball at my "retirement" job.

^^greedy windfall profiteer, just like the oil and pharmaceutical companies the primitives resent.

One wonders why the primitive doesn't see the hypocrisy here.

grasswire (34,955 posts)  Fri Sep 7, 2012, 09:03 PM

7. you picker, you!!

I ought to think about getting back in a mall, instead of paying $200 a month for storage unit. Maybe I *will* think about it.

I started picking 14 years ago. It has been a blast, and I have made some great sales.

^^obviously has forgotten all about the pie-and-jam shoppe.

grasswire (34,955 posts)  Fri Sep 7, 2012, 09:27 PM

9. I have been out of the trade too, since ebay was ruined.

But I really need to unload.

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grasswire (34,955 posts)  Sat Sep 8, 2012, 03:29 PM

10. rummage sale report

Gee.

The sale today wasn't a tenth as good as in years past. Much less merchandise was donated, apparently.

That said, I did manage to score a beautiful large Bauer mixing bowl; green. It's exactly like my grandmother's. I had already passed this table twice, but on the third go-round I picked up a large lid to see what was underneath. Bauer bowl!! Happy dance!!

I had to fend off two people who tried to take the bowl out of my cart.

No linens, dammit, except a dozen cutwork napkins.

No mid-century stuff.

I did get some red-handled vintage kitchen tools for a dime apiece.

And I missed on a very cool vintage kitchen scale. I saw it just as someone put her hand on it. Gah!

I picked up a hand-painted tray; sort of folk-ish. Normally I would pass that by but this one looks as if the tray is hand-hewn underneath. Interesting. No sticker. And how can a person lose for fifty cents?

Vinca (21,955 posts)  Sat Sep 8, 2012, 05:40 PM

12. Sometimes the mobs at those things are downright stressful.

There's one I go to (and love) that is only good for about 10 minutes then it gets claustrophic because so many people cram into the church hall. You have to be fast. LOL.

Question.

What is it about garage sales in blue areas?

What's this deal about "early birds" being able to pick out merchandise?

What's this deal about someone grabbing something out of one's hand?

What's this deal about mobs?

franksolich went to the local community-wide garage sales last weekend (bought a coffee-table-sized hardcover book, "The American Farmer," circa 1951, nearly new with high-quality black-and-white photographs, for fifty cents).

<<knows "early birds" (professional grabbers) are not tolerated around here.

<<has never had anything grabbed out of my hand.

<<has never swum in any mobs at garage sales.

It must be a primitive thing, all this greed-grab-greed-grab-greed-grab.

[Chris_]

Isn't Judy an atheist?  After reading some of her posts, one would think a bolt of lightning would come out of the sky if she went near a church.

Jesus kicked the money changers out of the temple, Judy.  Take note.

[Chris_]

At the sale, the man had an old large stone ware mixing bowl with 10 bucks or best offer. I offered him 5 for it.

He was reluctant and said he'd have to ask his wife. I had already spotted the uke for 20. So, giving him an out on the bowl, I suggested 20 for the two.

And these people whine about greedy capitalists.

I bought a dwell meter from a guy on Craigslist.  He asked $20 for it.  I paid him $20.  What a concept!

[franksolich]

And these people whine about greedy capitalists.

I bought a dwell meter from a guy on Craigslist.  He asked $20 for it.  I paid him $20.  What a concept!

Same here.  I don't bother quibbling.  I just look at a price, and then take it or leave it.

<<not a quibbler.

<<has never seen anything at a garage sale worth quibbling over.

[EagleKeeper]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1026402


What's this deal about someone grabbing something out of one's hand?

What's this deal about mobs?

franksolich went to the local community-wide garage sales last weekend (bought a coffee-table-sized hardcover book, "The American Farmer," circa 1951, nearly new with high-quality black-and-white photographs, for fifty cents).

<<knows "early birds" (professional grabbers) are not tolerated around here.

<<has never had anything grabbed out of my hand.

<<has never swum in any mobs at garage sales.

It must be a primitive thing, all this greed-grab-greed-grab-greed-grab.

My ex, both the DIL's and the grand daughters all go to the black friday sales.

It's crazy they get together the night before with the most recent sale papers and plan out the day.

And it's all true, one is lucky to get in the doors in one piece and you have to guard the contents of your shopping cart at all times.

Of course this is all anecdotal, I wouldn't be caught anywhere on black friday except on my couch.

Can you imagine standing in line for check out and having some person grabing stuff out of your cart?

[Chris_]

I've only been to a couple of garage sales and have never come across any 'early birds'.  They can stand outside and twiddle their thumbs like everyone else.

The local retirement home had their annual Labor Day garage sale but it got rained out after the second day this year.  Unless someone has a sofa that will fit through a 30-inch doorway, I have no use for used furniture.

[franksolich]

Jesus kicked the money changers out of the temple, Judy.  Take note.

You've got to be careful with Vinca, the vindictive primitive.

She's pretty old now, but when she was younger, rather than taking an honest job at the local manufactory, in which case she'd be retired now with a comfortable pension and good health insurance (she's been ill; had her hips replaced), she decided that was below her, and became a flea-market dealer in New England instead.

She's had inconsistent income, and either lousy or no health insurance since then.

She should've gone to work at the factory; her life would've turned out easier.

Anyway, the vindictive primitive is the sort who persuades a seller that something Wedgewood or Limoges is actually Dollar General junk, and manages to pay a Dollar General price for it.  And then when selling, she charges Wedgewood or Limoges prices for Dollar General junk.

She thinks of herself as being "sharp," but as she's a primitive, it's not likely she's an ethical person.

[franksolich]

Isn't Judy an atheist?  After reading some of her posts, one would think a bolt of lightning would come out of the sky if she went near a church.

Unlike the vindictive primitive, the pie-and-jam primitive isn't smart enough to tell the difference between a Louis XIV vanity and a pressed-wood coffee-table.

<<bets can sell Judy a dead fish as an antique grandfather clock.

[obumazombie]

Same here.  I don't bother quibbling.  I just look at a price, and then take it or leave it.

<<not a quibbler.

<<has never seen anything at a garage sale worth quibbling over.

That's because you don't know how to stick it to the man. And that's because it's libs that are all about sticking it to the man.

[Dblhaul]

sorry dear, both them ukes as a playing insterment arent worth two dimes if ya rubbed them together.

as wall hangers, 5 bucks each.. cuz they are ugly!

[franksolich]

That's because you don't know how to stick it to the man. And that's because it's libs that are all about sticking it to the man.

That's exactly it.

The primitives feel as if they've been cheated, and so they turn around and try to cheat others.

The flea-market primitives aren't in the business because they like antiques, or because they think they might make a lot of money, as do decent and civilized people; they're in it just to get revenge on everybody else for having "cheated" them.

Sigmund Freud pointed out this phenomenon more than a century ago.

[BattleHymn]

grasswire (34,955 posts)  Fri Sep 7, 2012, 06:53 PM

5. wheee!

If I bought those, I would keep them though. I'd like to learn the ukulele.

First off, is there room on the little red wagon for a ukelele?

Secondly, how does one strum a ukelele while wearing 38 layers of coats?

[GOBUCKS]

grasswire (34,955 posts)  Fri Sep 7, 2012, 06:53 PM
I'd like to learn the ukulele.

Poor addled grasswipe Judy is outdoing herself!

I can see her, sitting on a piece of cardboard in the dark, on the floor of her abandoned bodega, strumming a junky little ukulele.

Right after she starts selling pie shop franchises.

Does anyone remember Arthur Godfrey playing  his uke?

And she can afford $200 a month for a storage locker to stash the junk she drags home in her little red wagon?

Right now, poor addled grasswipe Judy is my #2 in the 2012 Top DUmmy competition.

I'm still surprised she gave coach a pass on whacking the round red sodomite.

[franksolich]

Poor addled grasswipe Judy is outdoing herself!

I can see her, sitting on a piece of cardboard in the dark, on the floor of her abandoned bodega, strumming a junky little ukulele.

Right after she starts selling pie shop franchises.

Does anyone remember Arthur Godfrey playing  his uke?

And she can afford $200 a month for a storage locker to stash the junk she drags home in her little red wagon?

Right now, poor addled grasswipe Judy is my #2 in the 2012 Top DUmmy competition.

I'm still surprised she gave coach a pass on whacking the round red sodomite.

You know, she's never really going to get rid that junk.

Like the chronically-helpless primitive, the Paper Roses primitive, Judy's just a pack-rat, a hoarder.

She's just going to spend the rest of her life collecting, gathering, storing, and never getting rid of.

One pities her heirs, as renting those gigantic dumpsters isn't cheap.

As for the second comment in bold, above, I at least give her credit for one thing.  The pie-and-jam primitive has read everything franksolich ever wrote on freerepublic; she's read every single damned word, trying to find the smoking gun.

And of course she's read franksolich other places, but man, talk about an enormous task, just reading franksolich on freerepublic alone.  I'm sure my wordage there 2003-2011 runs into at least six complete sets of the Encyclopedia Britannica.  So one has to give her kudos for persistence. 

[JohnnyReb]

...and the greedy "tax me more" DUmmies will eagerly pay extremely high federal income taxes on their windfall profits....right?.....right?....righttttttttttt.

[franksolich]

...and the greedy "tax me more" DUmmies will eagerly pay extremely high federal income taxes on their windfall profits....right?.....right?....righttttttttttt.

Since it's a cash business, and since the takings are pretty slim, probably it doesn't get reported.

It should be reported and taxes paid on it, but we're talking nickels-and-dimes here.

I've heard stories about New England flea-market dealers who rake in big bucks, but there's no primitive alive capable of doing that.  Primitive flea-market dealers appear to live hand-to-mouth; as mentioned before, the vindictive primitive, for example, probably should've just taken a job at the local textile factory fifty years ago, diligently and humbly working those looms, and she'd be sitting pretty today, with a good pension and great medical insurance.

But noooooo.....such work was "beneath" her.

[Randy]

My middle brother had a Flea Market booth for several years. He'd come home bitching about the nickel and dimers. If it was a quarter they wanted to pay .15¢, if it was a dime they'd want it for a nickel. Then bitch about it being a flea market if he stuck to his price.
If they kept it up he'd tell them that if that dime is going to change your life that much then here, just take it with you. If they came back after that everything was $5 from then on.  I think we've found the group who he hated.

[Ballygrl]

Garage sales always make me nervous, I'm terrified of buying something and they could be infested with roaches.

[vesta111]

Garage sales always make me nervous, I'm terrified of buying something and they could be infested with roaches.

^5 smart girl,bed bugs, spiders and lice.

Smart are those that rent a storage container and move everything they buy into it for a week and set off a roach and bug bomb, close up the door and let it set.

Up here I have seen just how wild these and even the Salvation Amy or Goodwill can get.   We have some odd laws, for these places and if you have controll of a cart, one hand on it anyone caught removing something from your cart can be charged with unauthorised taking.   Sort of like claim jumping.

Special rules for treasure hunting as I call it.  Like the game of checkers pick something up look at it and put it down then remove your hand and it is fair game for someone next to you to claim the item.  Mom taught me what to look for, the stuff that the younger generation think is junk.    Old hand tools,are a goodie--- one year when I was a kid she paid $4.00 for a box of silverware and a few metal vases, they looked like they had been in a fire, blackend  to the point the makers name could not be read.   It took me, her and grandma days of elbow grease to clean up the sterling silver,not silver plate but the real stuff.

What is in demand changes year to year,  those old time screw on earrings or clip ons --costume jewelry-- 50's and earlier were in high demand a few years back. At $.50 a pair a jewelry maker would pay $10.00 for the pair. 

A true Treasure hunting more fun then walking about with a metal detector.  Who knows what you can find, pay penny's on the dollar for, bring home clean it up and find something to hand down to the kids that will become valuable in their life time.

In just this last year people in the area have found paintings behind  reproductions when they took the frame apart.  It is odd though that the stuff that looks expensive is usually junk, the real finds are the ugly and outlandish,    Fun Fun Fun and at times a find that is due to be a part of family history when the Great Grand children inherit it.

         

[jukin]

What a greedy shit!  SO the DUchebag wants to screw over a charity to benefit?

Lord, what a greedy unfeeling, uncaring SHIT!

[franksolich]

What a greedy shit!  SO the DUchebag wants to screw over a charity to benefit?

Lord, what a greedy unfeeling, uncaring SHIT!

I'm not boasting of any virtue here, because there's no virtue in doing what one should do, only in going beyond what one should do.

When buying clothes at a church garage sale, and the total is, say, $7.64, like it was the last time, I give a $20 bill and tell them to keep the change.

I'm sure the flea-market primitives would try to haggle the $7.64 down to a dollar.

[Carl]

They would cheat everyone and everything to get what they want.
Lowlifes.

[obumazombie]

Garage sales always make me nervous, I'm terrified of buying something and they could be infested with roaches.

Like Cabrini Green ?

[franksolich]

They would cheat everyone and everything to get what they want.
Lowlifes.

Now, DU3's not even a year old yet, and the flea-market forum there's still pretty small, not much material in it (however, by publicizing it here in the DUmpster, I hope it encourages more primitives to post there); the old DU always had a whole lot more interesting stuff, simply because it'd been around so long.

One of the constant whines in this forum in the old DU was when a primitive would complain that he'd paid $10 for something for re-sell, and the biggest offer he could get was $5 for it.  "Well, I paid $10 for it; I can't afford to sell it for $5!"

Whoopee shit.

A buyer isn't concerned about how much a seller's paid for something; a buyer's concerned only about its value to him, what he's willing to pay for it.

So the primitive paid $10 for it, and the best he could get is $5 from someone else.

It was obviously a mistake, and so the primitive should just take what he can get for it, letting it be a lesson.

But damn it, no; the flea-market primitives are bound-and-determined to get the price they demand, rather than the price someone's willing to pay.  This is why the primitives' constant complaints about the lack of storage space, or the high price of storage rental.  They just aren't going to let go of a piece of junk unless it's at their price.

In the meantime, the junk just piles up and up and up.

[obumazombie]

Buy retail, sell wholesale. See how long that lasts.