Wednesday, March 28, 2007

3/24/07 A multitude of sales in a steaming sea of pollen

In a city covered by lung clogging yellow dust I made my way thought no less than eight sales all within two miles of my home. I did not find a lot of interesting stuff but it was a good day to see what my neighbors were getting rid of.




Hardendorf Ave – Lake Claire “Yard Sale”

This sale was just two blocks from my home. But it was a dull start for the day. Here I found boxes of slightly dated computer supplies, some women’s clothing, a ceiling light fixture, a 28mm lens for some unknown brand of camera, a few mugs, a set of swizzle sticks, an unopened Alicia Keys Cd and a VHS tape entitled cardio boot camp.
I bought nothing.





Ridgewood Rd. Lake Claire “Yard Sale”

Here a moderate amount of more interesting clutter was scattered about the yard and driveway of this ranch style home a few blocks further from my house. A wall along the driveway was lined with books among them I found “Wine for Dummies”, Howard Stern’s “Private Parts”, Gore Vidal’s “Kalki” “Seinlanguage”, “Dirty Jokes and Beer” and “The Writer’s Encyclopedia”. Under the carport I found a box of VHS tapes of popular movies some of the titles included VHS action movies and comedies such as “Blade” “Water boy”, ”Lethal Weapon 4” and “Con Air”. While I was there a shopper commented that videotapes are the new 8 tracks, as no one seemed to be looking in the box. Stuff scattered about the yard included some men and women’s clothing, an atomic clock, a few bicycle accessories, some bottles of bath oil, a few small picture frames, a dog coat and some faux pumpkins. In a box labeled free I found a back scratcher, an ice tray and a booklet entitled “Secrets of Male Prowess” I bought a padded bicycle seat cover and took the free booklet on male prowess.

Seller with faux pumpkins.
Iverson Ave. - Candler Park “Yard Sales”

Here I found two sales in neighboring homes. The first sale was in the yard of a craftsman bungalow. A few tables were in the front of the yard offering such items as a empty bottle in a gift box of Camus Cognac, some stem ware and glass bowls, an ice bucket for champagne and a variety of vases. Laid out on tarps on the lawn was a heating pad, a VHS copy of Hotel Terminus, a chess teacher program, a bread maker and some brightly colored tiki mugs. Several boxes of books lined the driveway in them I found “Though as Nails Flowers for the South”, “Yakuza”, ”Aristotle’s Poetics”, “American Jihad”, “When Work Disappears” and “Reaping the Whirlwind”.

Bread maker no longer needed.














Bightly colored tiki tumblers.














The adjoining sale was in the back yard of the house next door. Going down a flag draped alley I found a collection of vintage goods. Placed around the back deck area were commemorative plates, an old catalog for Top Value stamps, a variety of figurines, a fondue set, an American flag, some candlesticks, a mailbox, two tennis rackets and some colored light bulbs. Among some books were “How to Do it, the Lively Art of Entertaining”, ”The Boston Cooking School Cookbook” “The Mammoth Book of Erotica”, “”Emily Post’s Etiquette”, “The Road Less Traveled” And “Love Warps the Mind a Little”.
I bought nothing.
Seller with comemorative paltes.
Springdale Ave. - Druid Hills “Yard Sale”

This was a small sale in the driveway of a brick two-storey traditional home. Here I found a mink stoll, a leather jacket, a few belts, some vases, some luggage and a practice putting green.
I bought nothing.








Seller with mink stoll.















Oakdale Ave. - Druid Hills “Yard Sale”

This sale was a small event in the driveway of a brick ivy covered manor house. Here I found a few books including “The Chosen”, “The Brothers Karamazov”, and “Intimate Strangers’,” Heart of Darkness “Inside the Third Reich” and “What Dr. Spock Didn’t Tell Us” as well as some assorted clutter Among the clutter was a mirror, a souvenir scarf from the island of Grenada, some mugs and a few small picture frames. Stretched across the end of the driveway was a clothesline full of women’s clothing.
I bought nothing.






Clothes at end of driveway in Druid Hills














Candler St. - Candler Park “Yard Sale”

This was another small sale in the small yard of a frame bungalow. Here I found a pair of ice-skates, luggage, rugs and a rocking chair.
I bought nothing.
Waddell St. - Inman Park “Yard Sale”

This was a repeat sale of one that I had stumbled upon while I was on a bike ride a few weeks ago. At that time I did not have my camera with me and was not able to photograph the fine lamp that someone had made out of an old Miller Lite bottle. This was on the curb along with a selection of old cookbooks, some house fixtures, a pair of high-heeled women’s boots and an old trunk.
I bought nothing but captured on film the lamp along with its owner.




View of Clutter along Wadell St.











Elizabeth St. - Inman Park “Yard Sale”

This was a small sale that three women were having in front of a brick apartment building. In the yard was a bread machine, an Xmas tree stand, some women’s clothing, some plates and mugs a few books. Among the books were “Our Right to Choose”, “Beloved”, “Girl Interrupted”, “Better Bones, Better Body”, “Sexism and God Talk”, “What Women Want” and “One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest”
I bought nothing.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Saturday 3/17/2007 - The Season has Begun

The season has begun. Like tulips pushing their way through the spring soil the signs of sales have sprung onto utility poles. No longer do I need to plan and peruse the listings in the AJC or Craigslist. I can just get into my car and wonder about to encounter the detritus assembled in people’s yards and driveways on this Saturday morning.

Lakeshore Dr – Lake Claire “Yard Sales”

There were two sales on this street near my home. The first was in a newer home that I had visited last year. The initial item I noticed here was an ugly rubber colorful piranha mask that I had photographed a year ago. There was not a lot at this sale some books including “The Inventors Desktop Companion”, “American Corporate Identity”, “Best financial Advertising”, “A March to Madness”, ”Swimming with the Sharks”, “Fumbling Toward Divinity”, “How to Fix everything in Your Home”, “How the Cadillac Got Its Fins” and “Not That You Asked”. There were also a few dolls; some old chairs and a pair of saw horses. When I asked the seller if I could take his photograph for this site and a possible book proposal he was kind to pose with the fish mask. He also showed me his proposal for a book on southern BBQ that was soon to be published and told me how he got a book deal.
I bought nothing but learned a little about getting published.


Seller with fish mask and angel.
















The second sale on Lakeshore was a more formal affair with a wide selection of goods spread across a wide yard in front of an elegant tile roofed home. Here I found a small statute of a greyhound laying on a rug with the image of a butterfly, a large ceramic rooster, a cartoonish cardboard stand up of a young angel, some bar stools, a unopened GI Joe with a Mercury Space capsule, Xmas lights, a large plastic bin filled with matchbooks from local restaurants, some men’s clothing, a M&M figure sitting in a toy Lazyboy recliner, (a toy that not only indulged children to be obese but lazy as well), some kitchen appliances and a package of pasta in the shaped like Stars of David. Among some books scattered about I found “Life of Pi”, “The Dog Who Grew Me”, and “The Age of Stonehenge”. At the end of the yard there was a table stacked high with movies on VHS tapes that attracted no buyers.
I bought a barbeque spatula.
Greyhound figure on a rug.















Ceramic rooster among the clutter.
Ridgecrest Ave. – Lake Claire “Yard Sale”

Here I found two smaller sales huddled together in front of two brick homes near Dekalb Ave. On one side I found mostly children’s clothing, a pile of toys, some household items such as Venetian blinds as well as a potty seat with the name Gabrielle inscribed across the backrest. On a table were two large tree-like items that appeared to be composed of dried grass or hay. The neighboring sale had only a few household items such as a telephone, an ice tray and a small desk.
I bought nothing.



Box filled with children's shoes.
Howard Ave. Kirkwood “Yard Sale”

This sale was a world removed from the prior sales. In the crowed yard of a 100-year-old two-story frame home was a jumbled assemblage of aging debris. Among the assorted clutter was a selection of children’s clothing, lots of old shoes, wigs, a copy of the 10 Commandments, a big drum, a yellow crock pot, many small tables, piles of purses, cheap glassware, tarnished silverware and assorted hardware. The seller insisted I take a photo of the wheelbarrow shaped plywood flower cart in the yard.
I bought nothing.




large drum for sale.














Shoes and wig together.
Arkwright St. Edgewood “Yard Sale”

I did not know what to expect from this sale on what was once one of the most run down streets in the Edgewood community. But in front of this well kept craftsman bungalow was a large selection of clutter looked over by two women and a man. One of the women worked for the Cartoon Network so there were several promotion items from the network. Following the incident in Boston I wondered if CN promo items were fetching higher prices. The seller told me that the scare inducing litebrights promoting Aqua Teen Hunger Force were now netting big prices on EBay. They had none of those here. The most threatening looking CN item here was a personal CD player. This sale was the only one of the day capitalizing on it being St. Patrick’s Day. Here several horrible looking cheap bright green wigs were for sale. Other stuff gathered about included a gumball machine, which the seller said she wanted someday to put in a nursery. But she had had it for ten years now with the aging gumballs still inside it. On some tables I found a commemorative plate for Cypress Gardens, a coin purse with a happy face, a package of chocolates shaped like bandages, several timers, a Bedazler in its original box and some Beanie Babies. Overall for such a well kept looking house on a terrible street the sale appeared very confused. One larger items was a large handmade shower curtain one of the sellers had created with a gigantic cartoon like image of a sunglass wearing, cocktail sipping woman taking a bath with a dog sitting nearby. I didn’t know what to make of this sale especially after seeing the platter full of Piggies-in-a- blanket on the porch. I don’t know if this was the seller’s breakfast or if they were for sale. But the people here were very nice and did pose for photos.
I bought a green wig for one dollar.

Seller next to gumball machine.














Garish headwear for St. Patrick's Day.
Wylie St. – Reynoldstown “Yard Sale”

This sale was on the porch of a two story home facing the graffiti on the wall surrounding the nearby rail yards. In front of the home in a narrow yard was a table holding a box or comics, a box of old Penthouse magazines, and some books. Among the books were “Cherokee Animal Tales”, “Discipline and Classroom Management”, “Intellectual Freedom Manual”, “The Golda Meir Story” and “Games with Books”. Next to the steps leading to the porch was a collection of commemorative Coke bottles, a red trunk, a printer, a microwave oven and a large television. Up on the porch was a large heavy looking power saw, a cat litter box filled with old beer cans from obscure breweries, a few lamps and a great view of the train yards with the skyline of Atlanta.
I bought nothing.

Selection of adult reaing matter.














View of the train yards.
Kirkwood Rd. – Kirkwood “Yard Sale”

This was very different than the earlier sale in Kirkwood. This sale was in the small fenced in yard in front of a charming Victorian bungalow. Here I discovered a selection of women’s and children’s clothing laid out on rugs and tarps, golf clubs, fishing rods, a sofa, a black lacquer dresser and various home furnishing. In a large rattan chair was an oversized slumping plush Santa effigy. Up on he porch was a bowling ball with the image of a bloodshot eyeball and a Bible the seller said she had received as a wedding present. Some books on the porch included “Don’t Shoot the Dog”, “Digital Fortress”, “The Romanov Prophecy”, “The Millionaire’s Mind”, “The Final Days”, “The Handy History Answer Books”, “Practical Thai” and several of the Left Behind series books.
I bought nothing.

Giantic Santa at resting in chair.














Eyeball bowling ball on pedestal.
S. Cander Rd. – Decatur “Yard Sale”

I found the final sale of the morning when I drove out to Decatur to try and drop off some old batteries at an electronics-recycling event. I had the wrong day for the recycling but I did find this sale across from Agnes Scott College. Here was a large selection of clutter randomly spread about a wide and deep tree shaded yard. The setting was almost pastoral, but most of the stuff was not that interesting. Under the grove I found another large ceramic rooster, a framed Andrew Wyeth poster for the Helga series, the Sex and the City trivia game, some teapots, lamps, vases and candles. Hanging from a ropes strung between two tall pines was an assortment of women’s clothing. Back towards the house I found some books including “Real Food for Dogs”, “The Hidden Life of Dogs” and “Bridal Bargains”. Nearby I found Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil Cds and an unopened printed pad with the heading saying “Things you must do for me”.
I bought a few scented candles for Cindy who had complained the previous night that our house smelled stuffy.

Yet another large ceramic rooster.













A useful list found in Decatur.

My Error

Last week a reader brought to my attention that I had stated a sale on Selman Street was in Cabbagetown when in reality the location is in neighboring Reynoldstown. That reader is correct. I am delighted that my readers are such sticklers for local geography. While some neighborhood demarcations can be questioned this street sign topper does not lie. I stand corrected.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

3/10/2007 - Where are the Sales in Lake Claire?

The weather is pleasant, the morning is clear, yet there are no sales in Lake Claire or Candler Park. So I drive to nearby neighboring areas in search of the yards of clutter.

Selman St. - Cabbagetown “Yard Sale”

This was held in one of the tiny front yards of a typical Cabbagetown bungalow. Two women had piled a selection of clutter here for whoever might wander by. There was a lot of art stuff here including over a dozen small paintings that included among other things images of a black cat. (The same cat was wondering around the yard). Other art stuff included two of those self-contained plein air painting combination easel and art boxes. One of the sellers told me they were just two heavy to haul around plus Cabbagetown does not seem to be the epicenter of plein air painting. Among the other stuff gathered into the narrow space near the street included a headless black manikin, a massaging chair cushion, a Petri 35 mm camera, a microwave oven and a few books. Among the books were “Sight Unseen”, “You Cannot be Serious”, “The Oath”, “Art In New York State”, “The Well Mannered Dog” and The Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training”.
I bought nothing.


Artwork found in Cabbagetown.














Rupley St. - Virginia Highland “Street Sale”

This was a series of five sales on one block of a street in the center of Virginia Highlands. Rupley is an upscale street even for this neighborhood, with stately homes that seem to belong more to neighboring Druid Hills. As is the case of most street sales the stuff here did not have the appearance of homes trying to desperately become uncluttered. While it was nice to have such a selection of sales within a walkable vicinity to one another, the overall quality of what was on display was to be blunt - quite boring. What I found at nearly all stops was a tedious selection of recreational gear, exercise equipment, slightly dated tech gear, Xmas decorations and some home décor that must have not fit into these upscale Mediterranean and manor homes. The last home did have a wider selection of stuff including some old architectural pieces such as a large metal pyramid. Under a blue canopy this sale offered a large cutout of a praying angel, old copies of Architectural Digest, a distinctive looking pair of cowboy boots with matching yellow jacket and a fainting sofa stripped of it’s fabric leaving only some rusting springs on which one could recline.
I bought nothing.

Jeweled boots among the clutter.

















Boring athletic gear for sale.
















Bare springs to recline upon.















Dyson Rd. - Druid Hills “Garage Sale”


This sale was actually in a garage something that is somewhat rare in this city. Crowded into the detached garage behind a brick bungalow was a hodgepodge of clutter. The high points here was a pair of old witch’s hats, some African carvings, small ceramics from Equador, a tapestry from Thailand, a game for boosting SAT scores, some dolls, and a massaging collar. Among several boxes of books I found “The Great American Gentleman”, “Who Will Tell the People?” “I’m Mad as Hell”, “A New Dawn for America”, “Thinking Straight”, “The Gift of Fear”, “Quick Escapes Atlanta”, “Politically Incorrect”, “As We Go Marching”, “Guerilla Marketing”, “Awaken The American Dream”, “The Creative Impulse” and “The Business of Art”. In addition to all this there was an Aquasaurs kit. Going beyond sea monkeys the kit offered eggs and a tank for hatching “real live prehistoric creatures.”
I bought nothing, but considered the possibility of selling cockroaches as prehistoric pets.



Kit for hatching prehistoric creatures.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Friday 2/23/2007 - Another estate revealed

Park Dr.- Decatur “Estate Sale”

Knowing I would be coaching my team at the Reading Bowl on Saturday and would be missing what ever was happening in the yards of clutter, I made a trip to this sale immediately after work ended on Friday.
The sale was in a simply ranch house that appeared smallish from the street. The home was not far from the estate sale I had visited the week prior. Inside the living room the first thing that caught my probing eyes was a massive 30 by 30 inch bound swatch book of wallpaper samples from the 1970’s. This Book of Kells sized work was entitled Tone on Tone. I considered if Tone on Tone was one of the few things to survive a nuclear holocaust would our distant descendents be forever trying to figure what this cryptic codex represented?
Massive tome of wallpaper.














In the basement of this home I found an assortment of dusty clutter. Shelves were filled randomly with cans of WD40, gardening tools, eyeglasses, metal polish and straw hats. Other stuff on this lower level included an old bicycle, a case of unopened 6 once coke bottles, a VHS tape of the Live Aid concert and a book entitled “Who Lives Here”
Upstairs in the bedrooms I found on one bed an exacting array of shoehorns, eyeglasses and playing cards. I complemented one of the resellers on her presentation skills after viewing this display. In that same bedroom was a closet full of women’s clothing. Among the garments I found a garish blouse that appeared to have party décor hot-glued onto it. In another bedroom was a bed with a not so exacting arrangement of purses scattered upon it. A doll collection of big-eyed children from distant locales was displayed nearby. On a dresser was an antique massager. Another bedroom held a mixture of Halloween and Xmas décor on the dresser there I discovered a bizarre drawing of what appeared to be a spotted dog assembled out of old cans. In the same room were two large ugly recliners neatly covered with lace doilies.

Dolls from arund the world.














Antique massaging device in original case.
















Strange rendering of a canine.
















The den held a large assortment of Xmas décor, an unopened Tiddly Winks game, a copy of the ”Buns of Steel” videotape and a menacing looking sock monkey doll next to an equally scary looking clown doll. Nearby was a small wooden plaque depicting a turtle sitting on a toilet reading the Wall Street Journal. In the living room were a few books including “The Winner Take All Society”, “And Our Defense is Sure”, “The Old Mr. Boston Bartending Guide”, “Self Help Handbook”, “Everyone’s a Coach”, “The Discipline of Market Leaders”, “The Naked Communist” and “The Preaching Life”. I also found a vintage speedometer, a wooden letter A, a pair of empty Mrs. Butterworth bottles, a Tiki carving, an old one liter bottle of Tab and some drinking vessels from a Polynesian themes bar in Las Vegas.
In the kitchen was the usual assortment of kitchen-wares. Here I found wooden bowls in the shapes of pineapples, a vast assortment of plastic tumblers and a box of Yager’s Liniment for rheumatism.
I bought nothing.



Turtle depicted reading financial news.

















Reading matter found in estate.















Aging medicine in kitchen cabinet.