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Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 10:55 AM

We had a yard sale this morning and we put crap out there that I figured was just one level above landfill material - it was going out to the curb for garbage pickup on Monday morning.

I couldn't believe it, but people bought EVERYTHING. I mean, like a suitcase falling apart at the seams - canvas - for $5?

A televion that does not work, will never work, and is a piece of utter crap for $35?

I put prices on it all but I hardly expected any of it to sell. Our so said, "Don't throw it out yet - let's have a yard sale." So, I put my son (teenager) in charge of it with his little friend. They just came in with $287.00!

They sold it all.

What makes someone buy ONE curtain for $3?

Or a pelican vase for $5?

That saying, "One man's garbage is another man's treasure" is REALLY true, folks.

We made almost $300 in about 2 hours on crap.

I'm truly astounded.

Volks · Nov 26, 2005, 11:05 AM

Perceived value. This is a psychological phenomenon. If you advertise something for free, people think it's worthless garbage. Put a price on it, and people will believe it has value. If the price is less than or equal to what they think it's value is or could be, then they'll buy it.

demograph68 · Nov 26, 2005, 11:07 AM

Is it your fault for you selling crap or their fault for them buying it? Well, some people sure do like their stuff with the face of Mary, Jesus, Mickey Mouse, etc.

RAILhead · Nov 26, 2005, 11:07 AM

Yeah. Personally, I think garage sales should either be totally banned or that everyone on the block should vote to allow or disallow them -- or at least determine when they should occur.

I cannot freaking stand my street being full of crap divers. Pulling in front of the house. Parking on the grass. Blocking fire hydrants. Blocking driveways. It's like a swarm of vermin or something.

Disgusting.

Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 11:11 AM

It's like a swarm of vermin or something.

KeriVit · Nov 26, 2005, 11:12 AM

I'm having a moving sale tomorrow. Too bad it snowed and I slipped and cracked/broke a rib. That's really helping me get stuff together. Should be quite a success. Freezing, snowy, me too gimpy to put stuff out... lovely.

demograph68 · Nov 26, 2005, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by RAILhead

Yeah. Personally, I think garage sales should either be totally banned or that everyone on the block should vote to allow or disallow them -- or at least determine when they should occur.

I cannot freaking stand my street being full of crap divers. Pulling in front of the house. Parking on the grass. Blocking fire hydrants. Blocking driveways. It's like a swarm of vermin or something.

Disgusting.

Try living in one of those gated neighborhoods.

besson3c · Nov 26, 2005, 11:23 AM

Maybe it's the same sort of reason why people still shop at Walmart, despite what is known about this company?

People are addicted to buying cheap ****.

Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 11:41 AM

Probably!

They should call it Wal★Crap™

Mastrap · Nov 26, 2005, 11:44 AM

I dunno. We have picked up some serious bargains at garage sales, either where people had no idea of the real value, or just wanted to get rid of stuff. Recent example is a 60's mouth blown Swedish glass bowl. Value about $250.00 and up, bought for $35.00. Result.

Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 11:46 AM

Guess you're right.

I admit that I do love Craigslist. It's like a virtual garage sale.

Mastrap · Nov 26, 2005, 11:48 AM

Craigslist so rocks. Love it.

Kevin · Nov 26, 2005, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Mastrap

I dunno. We have picked up some serious bargains at garage sales, either where people had no idea of the real value, or just wanted to get rid of stuff. Recent example is a 60's mouth blown Swedish glass bowl. Value about $250.00 and up, bought for $35.00. Result.

Yeah my dad found an old 50s Fender tweed champ for $25. Gave the guy $100 for it. And sold it for much, much more.

nredman · Nov 26, 2005, 11:59 AM

i told everyone you post on macnn - so thats why everyone went crazy

besson3c · Nov 26, 2005, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Probably!

They should call it Wal★Crap™

WalCrap!!

HAHAAHHAHAH!!HAH!!HAH!!HA!!!!!

That's awesome! HAHAH!HEHEHEEHEH!!!11

demograph68 · Nov 26, 2005, 02:07 PM

It wasn't that funny.

besson3c · Nov 26, 2005, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by demograph68

It wasn't that funny.

Hehhe!!haha!!!hEHEHEHEHEH!! This is funny too... OF COURSE it was funny!

Everything is funny here, we are all happy. Everybody is happy. It's all funny! You're funny too! Just kidding. No, seriously..

Kevin · Nov 26, 2005, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by demograph68

It wasn't that funny.

No it wasn't. They are just being dumbasses.

The Godfather · Nov 26, 2005, 03:44 PM

CD: wouldn't you like to move where the horses are as tall as yours?

Our ponies thank you in advance.

P.S. How big was the TV?

Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 04:01 PM

The television was 36" HDTV. The cord on it was loose. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. I am too busy to fool around with hauling it to be repaired. It's too big, anyway. I want a smaller LCD or plasma tv instead.

nonhuman · Nov 26, 2005, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

The television was 36" HDTV. The cord on it was loose. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. I am too busy to fool around with hauling it to be repaired. It's too big, anyway. I want a smaller LCD or plasma tv instead.

I thought you said that it would never work? Sounds to me like it's probably a pretty simple repair for someone who wants to put in the time. I'd say they got a pretty good deal.

Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 04:08 PM

Hopefully they did. I gave it to some Guatemalan family that all wore crucifixes around their necks, even the children. They'd come from church in an old minivan. They probably need a break. It's Christmas.

ghporter · Nov 26, 2005, 05:34 PM

Cody, I applaud you for your donation. That's THE spirit I can deal with, not all this "buy, buy, buy" crap you see everywhere you go.

As for garage sales, people buy what they want. Sometimes ONE curtain is NOT a curtain-sometimes it's what you'll make a bird cage cover from. A broken TV? Maybe that's a source of parts for one just like it. And there are also folks who cruise garage sales for one of two reasons: they either just enjoy looking at stuff people sell, or they think they'll find something really valuable that the seller doesn't realize is valuable-like the guitar and the hand-blown glassware above. Still, I wish garage sale-goers would drive at least legally and NOT park in front of my driveway. (In my neighborhood they DON'T park on the grass or sidewalk.)

We're in a "gated community" and there are some pretty tough rules about how often people can have garage sales-usually we do two weekends a year when ALL the residents get together and have their sales. This is a Good Thing, because it limits the problems with bad drivers, and it helps control traffic through the gates.

As for being a resident of a gated community, it's because of WHERE the place is, not the gates. DOJ stats indicate that there is no measurable difference in the crime rate in gated communities when compared to adjacent non-gated communities. It gives some of our neighbors a warm feeling, though.

Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 05:49 PM

We live in a gated community also - but it's a joke because on weekends the gate is up for guests who are coming and going.

Anyway, I put all kinds of prices on things and then they would say, "You want $5 for that? I give one dollar." I'd say, "Okay!" They were kind of shocked, but happy. At the end I put FREE on everything left. Desk, beds (as in bed with mattress, frame, etc., including a day bed and a trundle bed), sofa, end tables, all kinds of stuff. I had all kinds of things shoved into a spare bedroom and I just pulled it all out, including a lot of baby stuff. We live in one of those places that a lot of nice things end up on the curb. Once we even picked up something ourselves: A like new black leather office chair that had Neiman Marcus on the bottom of it. It was classic. We grabbed it quick! Took it to one of the offices of the company my spouse works for and cleaned it and it was beautiful. Turns out that the guy that owned the house was getting a divorce, had moved out, had forgotten to take his chair, and his ex threw it out.

The Godfather · Nov 26, 2005, 06:13 PM

It must have been your first garage sale ever, considering the amount of crap you collected over the years. $300 profit, while still giving stuff for free.

wdlove · Nov 26, 2005, 06:14 PM

I'm so happy that your Yard Sale was a success Cody. A very productive time was had.

volcano · Nov 26, 2005, 08:22 PM

As a college student who is always looking for an extra buck, I am a huge fan of garage sales and craigslist. I'll often scour numerous locations and buy the items that I know are worth something. Actually, I recently went to a local thrift store that has set prices on everything, no matter what it was. I can't remember specifically, but the figures were something along the lines of: t-shirts: $1, pants: $2, jackets: $2.50, etc. I found a bunch of high quality, good condition, highly recognizable clothing (Christian Dior, Club Monaco, Armani, etc) and sold it to one of those run-of-the-mill "vintage" clothing stores downtown - I bought everything for around $30, and walked out the door of the vintage shop with nearly $500.

KeriVit · Nov 26, 2005, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by volcano

As a college student who is always looking for an extra buck, I am a huge fan of garage sales and craigslist. I'll often scour numerous locations and buy the items that I know are worth something. Actually, I recently went to a local thrift store that has set prices on everything, no matter what it was. I can't remember specifically, but the figures were something along the lines of: t-shirts: $1, pants: $2, jackets: $2.50, etc. I found a bunch of high quality, good condition, highly recognizable clothing (Christian Dior, Club Monaco, Armani, etc) and sold it to one of those run-of-the-mill "vintage" clothing stores downtown - I bought everything for around $30, and walked out the door of the vintage shop with nearly $500.

I'm glad you took advantage of the vintage clothing store rather than the Goodwill store.

Cody Dawg · Nov 26, 2005, 08:35 PM

Yes, I did have a LOT of stuff. My attic was crammed full. My guest room was crammed full. I had a pinball machine from the 80s, etc. I couldn't stand it all.

Now I'm going to Target...to probably buy MORE crap!

calimehtar · Nov 26, 2005, 08:43 PM

I don't know about crap in general, but I love stumbling on someone selling a good record collection. Admittedly I hardly listen to the records I pick up, but there's something about owning a copy of Led Zeppelin Presence pressed in the 1970s

DeathToWindows · Nov 26, 2005, 09:40 PM

Yeah, I used to be a yard sale freak... now I'm a CraigsList + eBay freak... and I'm really, really scary.

besson3c · Nov 26, 2005, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by DeathToWindows

Yeah, I used to be a yard sale freak... now I'm a CraigsList + eBay freak... and I'm really, really scary.

This mop and pail of water is for sale:

How much will you give me for it? Michael Jordan used it when he was starting out.

besson3c · Nov 26, 2005, 09:54 PM

Also, I'm trying to find a good home for this historic paperclip:

This paperclip was used by George Washington to hold together drafts of the Constitution. Bids on this paperclip will start at $100, and I ask that you write a little piece about why you want to own this paperclip. It's a very special paperclip, and I want to make sure it finds a good home and somebody that will take good care of it.

demograph68 · Nov 26, 2005, 09:55 PM

The spongebob sticker triples the value me thinks.

This paperclip was used by George Washington to hold together drafts of the Constitution.

"The most common type of wire paper clip was never patented, but it was probably in production in Britain as early as 1890 by 'The Gem Manufacturing Company'."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperclip

YOU LYING SONOFABITCH!

volcano · Nov 26, 2005, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

This mop and pail of water is for sale:

How much will you give me for it? Michael Jordan used it when he was starting out.

I just have one question:

Is it vintage, modern, retro, industrial, contemporary, unique, IKEA-inspired, Eurway-like, or all of the above?

I can see the title now:

"VINTAGE mop and pail of water with RETRO Spongebob Squarepants sticker, used by Michael Jordon! - $100 OBO"

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. It's nauseating how often people overuse those terms on items that are worth less than my own belly button lint.

IceEnclosure · Nov 27, 2005, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg:
A televion that does not work, will never work, and is a piece of utter crap for $35?

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg:
The television was 36" HDTV. The cord on it was loose. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. I am too busy to fool around with hauling it to be repaired. It's too big, anyway. I want a smaller LCD or plasma tv instead.

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg:
Hopefully they did. I gave it to some Guatemalan family that all wore crucifixes around their necks, even the children. They'd come from church in an old minivan. They probably need a break. It's Christmas.

Ice says:
You have a certain mean-ness in your good-spirited nature. Overall, I'd say it's a negative, not a positive.

Cody Dawg · Nov 27, 2005, 09:30 AM

I don't think so, IceEnclosure.

As WDLove or Kevin or Cubeoid how "mean" I am.

They will

at you - like I am

The only way that I am "mean" is when reading your commentary about me being mean!

1. I gave them the television for free and before they left my husband replaced the cord on it and got it working again - took him 35 minutes but got it going.

2. Look at question 1.

3. They were from Guatemala and I love the Guatemalans. They are quiet and gentle tiny little people. There is a big uproar in our town about them because they are migrant workers and a lot of the affluent people want them gone, but I happen to like them. They are little Indians and they are interesting, religious, and usually nice. They are also poor, unfortunately.

Thank you for listening.

torsoboy · Nov 27, 2005, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I don't think so, IceEnclosure.

As WDLove or Kevin or Cubeoid how "mean" I am.

They will

at you - like I am

The only way that I am "mean" is when reading your commentary about me being mean!

1. I gave them the television for free and before they left my husband replaced the cord on it and got it working again - took him 35 minutes but got it going.

2. Look at question 1.

3. They were from Guatemala and I love the Guatemalans. They are quiet and gentle tiny little people. There is a big uproar in our town about them because they are migrant workers and a lot of the affluent people want them gone, but I happen to like them. They are little Indians and they are interesting, religious, and usually nice. They are also poor, unfortunately.

Thank you for listening.

Wow, that's quite a contradiction to what you said earlier. All of those smiley faces don't make you a nice person.

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

A televion that does not work, will never work, and is a piece of utter crap for $35?

Going from calling people crazy for buying something that will never work and is a piece of crap for $35, to something that sometimes worked that was sold to a Guatemalan family for a good price because it was Christmas and you didn't have time to fix it, to something that you gave away for free out of the goodness of your heart that your husband somehow found time to fix for them before they left... you'll be a saint soon for sure.

Cody Dawg · Nov 27, 2005, 10:06 AM

Blah, blah, blah.

I do think the BMW-driving soccer mom driving a $60K car and buying a $3 curtain - as in singular and not plural - is weird.

Thank you for saying I'll be a saint.

I doubt it, but I do try.

The Godfather · Nov 27, 2005, 10:50 AM

If you stopped making threads about how you hate people, people wouldn't be sceptical about how much you love people.

Kevin · Nov 27, 2005, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

Ice says:
You have a certain mean-ness in your good-spirited nature. Overall, I'd say it's a negative, not a positive.

Cody is one of the few I would consider "mean spirited" in here.

Those picking on her about insignificant petty things however...

Cody Dawg · Nov 27, 2005, 10:56 AM

Well, to be fair, yes, I have been frosty once in a while, but for a good reason.

Am I unpleasant to those less fortunate? NO. There is absolutely no way I'm mean to those less fortunate.

Kevin · Nov 27, 2005, 10:58 AM

Everyone has been unpleasant from time to time. Expect WDlove that is.

I think there are just a few of your "fans" in here pulling on your "pigtails"

BlueSky · Nov 27, 2005, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

...I love the Guatemalans. They are quiet and gentle tiny little people. ...They are little Indians and they are interesting, religious, and usually nice.

I have to agree with Cody on this. Guatemalans are indeed very tiny, eeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy Indians and I happen to collect them. I have a family of 6 of them on my fireplace mantle in the living room and guests just go gaga when they see them. I've had many offers to sell them, but I'm hanging on to a good thing...someday they'll be worth a LOT of beans.

It's so cute when they play their tiny, itsy-bitsy musical instruments, the girlfriend and I often join in with our tuba and ukelele and sing songs of yester yore.

besson3c · Nov 27, 2005, 11:09 AM

Cody just has a strange sense of judgement. She once said something about the Democrats not accepting a politician because they were either female or black, or both (can't remember), and perhaps something about the Republicans battling for the little guy... This, despite the fact that Republicans have held onto the long-standing stigma of being a white Christian male party that is typically big business friendly.

Perhaps she is just opinionated about her perceptions and moral compass, and they override the most common public perceptions to her, and she likes to rant and rave about her beliefs/causes?

Just a crazy theory.

Cody Dawg · Nov 27, 2005, 11:11 AM

I'm a girl. I change my mind from time to time. I vote the person not the party - I'd even vote for a Democrat if I believed in him or her.

My perception is my own reality.

Spliffdaddy · Nov 27, 2005, 11:12 AM

91% of Americans believe there is a God - so, obviously a lot of Democrats believe there is a God, as well.

Most Americans are white, therefore most Democrats are white, as well.

besson3c · Nov 27, 2005, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I'm a girl. I change my mind from time to time. I vote the person not the party - I'd even vote for a Democrat if I believed in him or her.

My perception is my own reality.

I assume you mean that by being a girl you are naturally less stubborn?

I wasn't trying to criticize you, just pointing out that you, like many others including myself, are opinionated, and perhaps like to "think outloud" a little bit.

besson3c · Nov 27, 2005, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Spliffdaddy

91% of Americans believe there is a God - so, obviously a lot of Democrats believe there is a God, as well.

Most Americans are white, therefore most Democrats are white, as well.

Whatever Spliffdaddy... I know you want to turn this into partisan warfare, but you'll notice I wasn't endorsing the stigma, just acknowledging it.

If you do want to have this argument, you'll have to explain how a belief of God is relevant here. Religion only becomes relevant when politicians legislate catering towards religious groups. Frankly, the Left has been much better at separating Church from State lately, and not endorsing social conservatism that is based around religious dogma.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll be yelled at about playing outside of our Political Lounge sandbox, so I'll stop

Cody Dawg · Nov 27, 2005, 11:21 AM

1. I don't think the Guatemalans are Democrats.

2. I do think that they believe in God.

3. And Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.