Saturday, June 4, 2011

I Went Yard Sale'ing

Yesterday and this weekend is the Dixie Hwy. 90-mile Yard Sale, running from Marietta to Ringgold, GA.

Yard sales are an excellent way to save money on things you want or need. In the past I have gotten some great deals on things just because other people didn't want or need the item any longer, but nothing at all with it.
But I'm not squeamish about buying something that might need some cleaning up or some minor repair, if it will end up in the condition I need, and saves me money.

About the only reason you haven't seen me posting about yard sale'ing before now is because - after 20+ years of buying/collecting stuff, junk, and crap - I'd decided I had enough sh*t in here, and started getting rid of it, instead of getting more. I swore off yard sales, because I  didn't *need* anything.
As I told my Aunt's friend that went with us yesterday - "If I don't have it, you don't need it." lol

Shopping this Yard Sale, for me, was really for more of an adventure than a shopping trip: something different to do. 
There were hundreds - probably thousands, along the whole route - of yard sales. Lots and lots of deals.
I passed on alot of good deals because I didn't want to bring more stuff that I didn't really need home.

Yesterday, I found a shower curtain, liner, and hangers all for $2.00. That was a GREAT deal because I had said I didn't want to pay more than $5.00 for it, so when the lady said Two-dollars, I grabbed it quick!

I also found Ryan a pair of Hollister shorts for .25 cents. Another great deal!

Otherwise I paid $1.00 for a stupid glass Chicken candy dish. What was I thinking?
At least I didn't buy it for myself; I bought it for my Mom, but she needs more junk to sit around collecting dust about as much as I do. Not at all.

Hollister Shorts, Chicken candy dish,
Shower curtain/liner/hangers

My husband and son wasn't able to go yesterday, so they wanted to go today. We went to some different ones than me and my Aunt and her friend went to yesterday.

The first deal I got was a jar grabber, for use in canning, for .25 cents. Usually I use my pasta tongs to lift the jars out of the water bath, and they don't grip wet jars so good. 

Then I found a retractable clothesline for $1.00.  I was *so* excited about this one, I have been looking for one everywhere. I used to have one, but put it somewhere and haven't seen it since.
I like to hang clothes out on my backporch, and right now I have an old telephone-cord-line tied between the posts, which ain't real pretty. 
At the same place I found a canning funnel for .50 cents. Don't know that I actually needed it, but maybe I will one day. Anyway I can pack all my canning supplies inside the big hot-water-bath pot.

I also bought a Written Test from the City of New York Fire Dept dated May 26, 1956, for $1.00.
My son, Ryan, took his Firefighter certification tests yesterday, so he wanted to read it and see how it compared to the test he had to take.
He also found himself a vintage, metal ice-cream coop with a push-handle release, and a camping mess kit, for $1.00 each.

John found himself a set of sheets for his bed at the fire station for $2.00 each, a tool belt for $2.00, a mechanics light for $4.00, and a retractable waterhose for $1.00.

(Clockwise from left)
Canning funnel, Camping mess kit, Retractable water hose,
Tool belt, Mechanics lights, Twin Sheets, Fire Dept. Test,
Ice-cream sccop, Jar grabber, Retractable Clothesline 

2 comments:

Cheap&Sweet: Life on the scales said...

You just cant take men anywhere! They buy everything don't they?! JK LOL No but really great deals I need that Retractable water hose!

Melissa said...

LOL, yeah, this was just the stuff I would let him buy. He was trying to buy a George Foreman grill (we already have one he never uses, but the one he wanted to buy was bigger and stood on a stand) and a Magic Bullet thing. I tell you I have a cabinet full of appliances that he's *needed* and never uses.

As for the retractable water hose, it has something called quick-connect ends, and he needed to buy some connector things from Walmart. $8.00 later, he didn't get the right things. They didn't have the right things. So he can't even use the stupid water hose.