In HarmonyBy Mary Matus There are a lot of traditions associated with summer picnics,
family reunions, fireworks. A few years ago I experienced one summer
tradition for the first time: the yard sale. How far back does the yard sale tradition go? Did cavemen have yard
sales? Did one caveman turn to another and say: Too many rocks
in cave. Must get rid of. Then theyd line them up outside
the cave. Maybe the rough ones would be worth five berries, and the
smooth ones would be worth 10. Nowadays, the yard sale (or garage sale) has become a way to display
all the junk youve collected over the years. I think people expect
you to look at all their stuff and say: Wow! Look at all the cool
stuff they have! I think the reality is more like: God!
Where did they get all this crap! As I browsed through the yard sales, I thought some of the stuff should
have just been thrown away. Then you wouldnt have to admit you
actually wore bell bottoms or bought Partridge Family collectible plates. Dont get me wrong. Im not completely bashing yard sales.
It is a good way to get rid of that stuff you were just going to throw
away. If you make $20 from a box full of clothes, thats still
$20 you didnt have before. I think clothes are the most sensible thing to sell, especially childrens
clothes. You know, the ones you bought the week before your child had
that growth spurt. But I dont think yard sales are supposed to be sensible. As they
say, one mans junk is another mans treasure. People seem
to think that a yard sale is a great big treasure hunt. Except you dont
have a map. And instead of gold, you might find a bunch of Donna Summers
8-tracks. While its true a lot of people sell stuff without realizing what
it is worth, the chances of finding hidden treasure are pretty slim.
What do you expect to find, a lost DaVinci? Honey, look! Its
Mo Lisa, Monas Lisas transvestite brother! The sad thing is that the traditional yard sale may be on its way out. As I watched somebody try to haggle over a couple of knickknacks, the
seller replied: We might as well sell it on eBay. After all, thats all eBay is, a big electronic yard sale. And
I think you can find a better level of crap. So, if you need to reach me, Ill sorting through my stuff. Hey,
theres my Vanilla Ice tape. |