It's All About The Plastic

It was a successful Saturday sale in our neighborhood. Despite the lack of formal advertising, we had a brisk flow of customers most of the day. We managed to get rid of a lot of crap sell many treasures, visit with the neighbors, and acquire a few good items with our earnings. We ended up coming out about even, $-wise, between sales and purchases. This was fine with us. Out with the old, in with the new...

We found out that you can't give away an old tv these days. We had a color tv for sale. For $5. Yes, $5. A small, old-fashioned dial tv, but it works. We had it plugged in & were watching PBS during the sale. It gets a decent picture, even without an antenna; it would probably be great with an antenna. After several inquiries and six hours, we had an offer. My husband had lowered the price to $3. We wanted to get rid of the thing; we already have 3 tvs in the house. Finally, a buyer! But within minutes, it was unsold, when the daughter of our elderly buyer came back to collect her mother's $3 and to tell us that she had changed her mind. The tv's still sitting on the curb on Monday. Unbelievable.

My big finds of the day were plastics for our son. I spied a neighbor unloading a trailer full of large plastic toys the day before the sale. One item in particular caught my eye -- a large plastic playhouse for the yard, in beautiful condition. I've looked at these new in the store, and know that you can buy them for a small-ish mortgage. I had noticed the rare occurence of play houses at garage sales. They're hard to come by, especially in pristine condition. This one would be mine.

I went to see it up-close the night before the sale, and asked my neighbor to let me know what she wanted for it. It's something like this only cuter. It had never been outside & looked like it had never even been played with. They wanted $45 for it. After only a brief bit of hemming and hawing, I decided to take it. I'm on Cloud 9 with this purchase. You can easily spend a few hundred on a plastic playhouse, and this one was like new!

My next acquisition, after a few hours of consideration, was a play kitchen in good shape -  with dishes, appliances, and play food. My son is too young for it now, but it won't be long til he's ready. And for $10, I knew I'd kick myself later if I didn't get it.

Near the end of the day, when I was admiring my purchases, my husband asked, "How much of this plastic crap are we going to get?"

My sister was there to help us & responded, " A lot."

It's always good when he hears these things from others besides myself.

Oh, and a note to the family across the street: If you are going to cook bacon and eggs at the beginning of the community yard sale, make enough for all the neighbors, dammit.

Comments

[Dave Diamond]

In our plastic play kitchen we have lots of play food INCLUDING (drum roll) bacon and eggs. Mmm, plastic bacon and eggs!!

[Marie]

Dave,
Part of my neighbor's sales pitch included the assembly of a plastic bacon, lettuce & tomato sandwich, right before my eyes. How could I pass it up?!

[vw bug]

I understand you getting it. Both my sons love their play 'fort' that is a plastic thing with a slide. I got it for free and wasn't turning it down! My oldest wants a doll house... now if I could just find one.

[Carl V.]

Isn't that always the nature of community yard sales? You did well with breaking even as I imagine the average is that people end up with more crap, albiet new to them, than they started out with!!!

[Holly]

Yes... garage sales are wonderful for finding plastic treasures! I got my sons a plastic kitchen and all the accessories last summer. A plastic tool bench too.

This summer it has been all about small creepy plastic bugs, spiders, and dinosaurs. We have a literal treasure trove of this things! The great thing is that they were CHEAP! And my 4 year old has gotten lot's of joy out of them.

I always break even when I do neighborhood garage sales too. I like your motto on that!

[raehan]

Congratulations on the platics! I know how lucky you were to get that playhouse at a garage sale for that price.

[Sarcasmom]

We had a yard sale years ago. It's amazing to see what people have been hoarding for years. My neighbor had the light cover from the front of a train engine. A real train. And someone bought it! Here today from Michele via Sharp Corners.

[Jody Halsted]

Ah, kids toys at garage sales. Not much better than that! Congrats! And if that house gets near Iowa, let me know!