A Yard Sale Romance

I'm an avid garage saler. And by "avid," I mean crazy; like, giddy, weak-in-the-knees enthusiastic. My husband and I (now just past our 15th anniversary) have been going to yard sales together since we were dating, and we both come from families that made yard sales frequent family outings.

I grew up with a single mom who is creative, has a fantastic sense of style, and a keen eye for good junk. Blend that with the fact that we didn't have a lot of money, and I learned early on that yard sales make a dollar go a lot further.

Of course, as a girl, I didn't like the garage sale style. Chippy-rusty-old yard art, mismatched-but-vintage china and silverware, and funky cottage antiques were normal to me, but so different from my friend who had all the new stuff. (I used to think it was so cool that all her plates matched, and of course she loved that all mine didn't : )

Let's say that with age, though, I've come to appreciate my roots. And, having married a man with the same passion for the "thrill of the hunt," we're an unstoppable force on Saturday morning.

When my husband and I were first married, we'd be up at 6 on Saturdays, getting coffee and rolling up to the 7AM sales just a touch too early, hoping we'd find someone who thought of us as customers rather than "early birds." When we did, we'd scope the sale (and the still unpacked boxes) with the flashlights we'd brought, searching for treasure in the pre-dawn chill.

Since then, we've made garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, tag sales, barn sales, car boot sales, flea markets, rummage sales, jumble sales, and all the other "piles of junk" a part of our Saturday mornings. Even on vacations, cross-country trips, overseas excursions and business trips, if we can fit in some g'sales, we'll do it.

We use an app called iGarageSale which plots sales near your location. Great if you're at a hotel in the DC metro like this trip. That's a lotta sales!

Hmmm, this could be interesting.

When walking to NYC sales, the scenery is different than when driving to a local Central California barn sale.

...too bad. This wouldn't fit in the overhead bin.

Mostly I would look for chippy furniture and home accents while my husband is always searching for American-made tools and lighting to rewire and sell.

Today, we do some resale through Glitterfarm, my creative outlet, online community, and business. This has only fueled our enthusiasm, spilling over even to our kids who frequently choose to spend allowance dollars on Saturday vs. during the week. 

I couldn't imagine not garage saling. Even on mornings when I start out thinking, "Nah. I'm tired," I get the nagging, "something good could be out there," feeling, and we all pile in the car. 

Anyone else have the bug? Leave your comments, as I'd love to hear about what you love about yard sales.

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(By the way, I'll be at the Remnants of the Past vintage market this weekend with some of my finds. If you're in California, or know someone who is, take a look! Here's the page and the blog.)