Friday 7/27/07

Wiltshire Dr. - Avondale Estates “Estate Sale”

I had not been to a Friday estate sale this summer so I stopped in at this sale late in the morning after the professional resellers had pillaged what they needed. This was not a particularly interesting sale but it was refreshing to wander again in a stranger home examining the artifacts of their life. This smallish brick ranch home had the usual flotsam and jetsam of a long life from the old kitchen wares to the linens and blankets piled upon the beds. The most notable items were the extensive collection of hand painted plaster Xmas figurines. The overtly cute figures occupied three tables in one bedroom and nearly all had angel wings. Some clothing remained in the estate including a collection of women’s hats, a selection of ladies gloves and some garishly colored dresses.



This home held few books. Cookbooks dominated the collection of a shelf where I found these titles “Party Cookbook”, “Cookbook for Two”, “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten”, “Getting the Most Out of Your Life”, “The New Testament” and “The Lucky Stiff”. In one of the bedrooms I found a small stack of old stickery magazines and some religious works. Some artifacts that stuck out among the mundane china and glassware presented in the main rooms were a life size ceramic replica of a magnolia bloom and a dried gourd. In one of the bedrooms I found a box of old faded silk roses and a watercolor portrait of a blond woman in profile.
The basement had more ambience that the upstairs with it’s dim light coming from bare bulbs and sunlight filtered by the dirty windows of the garage door. Here I found old paint cans, a catalog for Hummel collectors, a fishing net hanging from the ceiling, some old Halloween décor, a game called Take 12, a basket of faux apples and a shelf holding assorted containers of miscellaneous hardware that listed in a way that made it look as though it would topple at any moment.
I bought two old tourist brochures for Georgia that were die cut into the shape of the state.

Portrait found in Avondale.



















Cloth items piled upon bed as seen in mirror.


















Multiude of cute figurines.















Hummel catalog in dim basement.

Saturday 7/21/07

After returning from Nashville to take down my exhibition Cindy and I took a brief vacation in south Florida. While walking on the white sand beaches yard sales seemed miles removed from the cool turquoise water of the Atlantic. But by the weekend I was back on the streets of Atlanta seeing what was offered in my neighbor’s yards. I found that yard sales had for the most part taken a vacation as well.

Page Ave. – Candler Park “Bathroom remodeling Sale”

The signs directed me to the back yard of this brick Tudor home where I found two women hovering over a disassembled bathroom counter top and a big Jacuzzi tub. I didn’t even bother to wander over to get a good look at the hardware as I was in no mood to remodel my bathroom. As I was heading back to my car I noticed there were a few items gathered for sale on the front stoop. Setting there unattended were a toilet brush, some kitchen utensils, some plastic shelving and a pair of flip-flops.
I bought nothing.

Hooper Ave. – Candler Park “Yard Sales”

Hooper is a dead end street that is now filled with new infill housing. While there were five sales on this street none were remarkable in any way. I do have some bias against infill housing yard sales but these were even below my expectations. Everything was new and unmemorable from the prints of jungle animals to the women’s clothing and the microwave ovens. I could not even find a single noticeable item to photograph. Quantity trumped quality.
I bought nothing.


Oakdale Ave. Candler Park “Yard Sale!”

A single chair that held a few items of women’s clothing was next to a small table with a purse upon it. This was all there was to this sale. A sign placed the chair read “I’m moving so everything must go”. There was no one attending the goods but this sale was much more interesting to me than all the sales on Hooper Ave.
I took nothing but a photograph.






Dekalb Ave. Candler Park “Community Yard Sale”

I had a difficult time parking in the small lot of this relatively new development along Dekalb Ave. A few minutes after I squeezed in two women in a van arrived and made it impossible for me to make an exit. Blocked in I took my time examining the assembled goods laid out in the parking lot. Among the stuff I encountered were parts of a pirate costume, a nurses costume still in it’s original bag, several wigs, a plush rabbit, a Dali-esque looking clock, old ladies hats wrapped in clear plastic, the usual selection of small picture frames and a box of mostly rock and dance Cds. Among some books I found “The Dinosaur Club”, “Out of Eden”, “When Anger Hurts”, “Naked Pictures of Famous People”, “Marriage and Families”, “Feuds About Families”, “Many Lives, Many Masters” and “Sudden Fury”. Sitting on the pavement were about a half dozen canvases painted in simple shades of blue, white and red. The women finally moved their van and I left buying nothing.

A selection of pirate goods on Dekalb Ave.













Melting Clock














Minimalist artwork in Candler Park.














Sterling St. – Candler Park “Yard Sale Give Away”

I don’t know if this ever was a real yard sale but when I arrived at the pile of stuff on the grass in front of an apartment building two Hispanic men were rooting through the assembled clutter. One of them nervously asked me if it was really all for free and I told him that it was as indicated on the sign the said “take what you need”. Above the sign resting on a tree trunk as a strange looking doll with deep blue eyes. Next to the same sign on the ground was a strange painting showing two bonneted girls being attacked by an alligator. Other things offered at no cost included some giftwrap, plastic food containers, curtain rods and tennis rackets.
I took some off the giftwrap to use for decorating my school library.


Doll in tree at give away sale.














Alligator attack captured on canvas.
















McLendon Ave. Lake Claire “Yard Sale”

This was a larger sale held on the yard of a rented duplex bungalow next to the Yoga studio. Here two women looked over a collection of clothing, travel accessories, books and various small items spread out on the yard. Hanging on the porch wall was a poster of popular cocktails, a poster of James Dean and a fabric print with Shakespeare’s image. Among some books I found “Idiot’s Guide to Acupuncture and Acupressure”, “Get Lost, The Cool Guide to Amsterdam”, “Lonely Planet Cambodia”, “For The New Intellectual”, “Writing About Art” and “Memoirs of a Geisha”.
Among the clothing were shoes, tops and thongs. Other stuff included a pair of swim fins, a backstage pass to a Metallica concert, a button that said “I made it” and a boxed copy of Photoshop. While I was there a fluffy long haired cat wandered amid the clutter.
I bought nothing.


Images hung on a porch wall.















Feline wandering among the clutter.

Saturday 07-07-07

McLendon Ave. – Candler Park “Moving Sale”

There was nothing lucky about today’s date. The morning began with a trace of rain, but later cleared up. There were not many posters up so I did not expect much. The first sale was a major disappointment. All the goods gathered in front of this large Victorian home appeared to have been taken out of a booth at a flea market or antique store. They still bore price tags from the store on them. Since there was really nothing here that appeared to have been used by the sellers I promptly left in disgust.


Hardee Ave – Edgewood “Yard Sale”

This was a very meager sale with a few items piled up along the driveway of a small brick home. Here I found a clock made from a frying pan, a microwave, some African artwork, a bag labeled Crock Pot racing, women’s clothing and some kitchen items.
I bought nothing.







Chalmette Ave. Morningside “Estate Sale”

There were huge signs for this sale along Briarcliff road. When I arrived I found it was at the home of a sale I had attended a few months ago. In that past event stacks of decrepit goods were piled onto tables made of plywood in the front yard. Today the same decrepit goods were arrayed through the interior of the home. There appeared to be more stuff on display than the previous sale but it was just more of the same. This home appeared to be the sad repository for useless and unneeded items. I have seldom encountered so much stuff that had so little value. In rooms thought out the home were well arranged piles of old car radios, computers that used long forgotten operating systems, filthy stacks of toaster ovens, rows of nondescript glassware and boxes of 12 and 9 volt adapters that would never again be paired with the devices they once powered.
As I wondered through this home, the more I witnessed the less I understood. Why was this stuff here in Morningside? Who were these scraggly looking men who sought to sell these useless goods? Why would anyone think anybody wanted this stuff? Perhaps this sale was not a sale at all but a provocative display depicting the banal evil and waste of planned obsolescence?
I left feeling dirty and disturbed.

Twisted mass of DC adapters.













Useless electronics on display.














Stacks of filthy toaster ovens in basement.













View of extended cluterr in backyard.

Sunday 7-01-07

Clifton Rd.- Candler Park "Yard Sale"

On Sunday I found this sale around the corner from my home. When I arrived there was no one watching over the pile of goods in the front yard of this small brick bungalow. There was simply a sign that read “Clothes and Books 50 cents all other items $1.00 put money in mailbox”. As I began my inspection of the assembled clutter a van with a man and a woman pulled up and stopped. Upon reading the sign the sign the woman loudly announced, “This is the best type of yard sale I’ve ever been to”. She them began gathering a great amount of goods. When the man with her questioned what they would do with some of the stuff she just said that she could send it to Israel.
Among the stuff for sale on the honor system were women’s clothing, some books, glassware, some bicycle parts, shoes and candles.
I left with a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses and a tee-shirt. I did leave the appropriate cash in the mailbox.




Instructions for using self service yard sale.

Saturday 6/29/07

McClendon Ave. – Lake Claire “Yard Sale”

This was not much a day for sales, perhaps with the holiday on Wednesday people didn’t care put their stuff out in the yard. This sale was a small affair around the corner from my home. Here two women watched over a small selection of stuff gathered along the sidewalk. Among the stuff there was a copy of a book entitled “The stuff we hold secret”, the Top Ten Game, a foot massager, two highly decorated knives, a framed copy of a document entitled “The Prayer for a Married Couple”, an unopened package of paper wedding decor and an empty frame for a graduation picture. In addition to these sparse things they were selling some fresh baked goods.
I bought a very tasty coconut pumpkin muffin.


A prayer no longer needed.

















Boulevard Dr. – Reynoldstown “Moving Sale”

Later in the morning I needed to go to Lowe’s so I stopped at this sale in the yard of a bungalow a block from Moreland Ave. While I photographed and perused the clutter the sellers set on the front porch and discussed neighborhood crime. Taped to the front of a table were two large signs explaining the pricing policy. But nothing I saw seemed to have the stars of stickers indicating the prices. Among the stuff found in the yard was a Mac G3, a mug containing some cigars, some kitchen implements and four small paint cans with retro postcard images of Arizona on them. There was also a selection of men and women’s clothing and some books. Among the books were “Who’s Who in Rock and Roll”, “The Joy of Beading”, “Ethiopian Traditional Recipes”, “American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen” and “Aristotle’s Ethics”.
I bought a pair of pants.

Pricing information in Reynoldstown.

Friday 6/28/07

Fayetteville Rd. – Oakhurst “Moving Sale”

I went out with Cindy in mid morning to check out a Friday sale for the first time this summer. The sale was marked by a large sign made out of moving boxes as well as a crumpled sheet of cardboard that hung over the for sale sign of this frame cottage. The sale was in the back yard. Here we found a moderate amount of jumbled goods. Among them were some items that the seller had made herself. These included a series of mirrors with brightly painted frames and some notebooks with covers made from old Lp sleeves. Piled on tables and on the grass here were manikin parts, several old dial telephones, a ceramic ET figurine, a plaster skull face and several religious prints. On one table was a pair of praying hands next to a Slayer CD. In a cardboard box were about a dozen old thermos bottles. In a box of books I found “Black Coffee Blues”, “War and Peace”, “Start Your Own Business”, “Holy Bible”, “Master Photography”, ”A Feast of Snakes” and “Dr. Spock’s Baby and Childcare”.

I bought nothing but Cindy later went back and bought one of the mirrors and an old dress form. The dress form was still damp from last night’s rainstorm.

Creative sign design.














Selection of antiquated communication devices.













Praying hands and heavy metal.