Saturday 9/25/04

The weather is great, but I need to get this sump pump installed so my basement does not flood when the hurricane Jeanne arrives. So I have to go to the hardware store and spend some time in the basement digging the pit to put the sump pump in. But I still manage find time to visit a few sales.

Fowler St.- Kirkwood

At this duplex the sellers are young and have not had very much of their own history to get rid off. They have gone through a lot of coffee makers as they have three for sale. They also have a set of golf clubs, some popular literature and a few kid’s toys. Over all it’s pretty boring.
I buy nothing.

Seneca Rd. - Decatur

This back yard sale has a rowing machine, an oversized stuffed teletubby the size of a five-year-old child. It’s the yellow teletubby not the Twinky Winky, the purple gay one. A book on Literary Criticism, and a John Jakes novel, “ On Secret Service” A Umberto Eco’s “ The Open Work”, a salad shooter, plus a lot of kid’s stuff of no particular interest.
I buy nothing.

Pensdale Dr. - Decatur

In the driveway of this house a nice looking Sony stereo system is playing an instrumental version of “Cry Me a River”, the system sells for $50.
There a number of office items including three file cabinets and some office chairs. They have one of the ugliest Christmas decorations I have ever seem- an anemic looking snowman figure created from an old wooden board. Books include “Sinus Survival” and “No More Allergies” They also have a Cuisinart ice cream maker.
I buy nothing.

Scott Blvd. - Decatur

At the entrance of an Apartment complex a young Goth looking girl is holding a sale. There is not a lot of stuff here. She does have a large stylish shoe collection. There is also a two expensive looking Star Wars masks( of minor characters) still in boxes.
I buy a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers for $1.


Ponce De Leon - Decatur “ Colossal Yard Sale”


The Colossal sale is big but its should be called the Dangerous Yard Sale as the buyers have to cross Ponce De Leon at a curve where the cars are coming around at a high rate of speed. Using caution, I wait for the light to change. At the entrance is a sign from a cemetery indicating which direction is the funeral. It is October and people are starting to sell their old Halloween stuff. The seller indicates that I missed out on the coffin. But there is still a big box of Halloween items including masks and party items including a plastic bag of 30 spiders. There is also a large sack of soccer balls, and a lot of old toys. One of the items on her tables includ candles shaped like garlic bulbs. There is a box of cassette tapes the seller made years ago that include David Bowie, the B-52’s and the Grateful Dead. There is a boxed set of a Book and Cassette that features recipes that go with the music on the cassette.
I buy a copy of Eco’s “Foucault’s Pendulum” for $1.


Drewry St. - Virginia Highlands

This is a relatively small sale in a man’s front yard. The majority of the books he is selling are on day trading. He tells me a man can’t make money in day trading any more and that he’s going into real estate. He is also selling an espresso machine and a selection of Hawaiian shirts.
I buy nothing.

St. Augustine Ave.- Atkins Park, “See Elvis Yard Sale”

This is a relatively large sale in the front yard but a lot of the stuff has been picked through. There is a pair of dogs playing poker jigsaw puzzles, a white satin Elvis outfit, a commemorative plate with a picture of Jesus, a book on Feng Shui, a boomerang, several guides on moving to Washington DC, a Linux handbook and a toilet bowl cleaning brush shaped like a potted plant.

Mell Ave. - Candler Park

This sale in driveway is every well organized. Almost to the point where the seller looks professional. Among the items a tarnished French horn, a clock in the shape of South America, an exercise bike and a rice cooker. He has a large group of original artworks for sale that are mainly male figure studies. Other artwork includes large embroidered copies of Blue Boy and Pinkie. In the back he has a number of Tiki party items including grass skirts and large plastic wall mountable Tiki heads. For Halloween he is selling a skeleton in a nun’s habit. Among his books are The Japanese Way”, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Love” and a sushi cookbook. He also has a book on the art of Duane Hanson autographed by Hanson. I consider buying it but balk at the $10 price. I may latter regret this.

End of the Day: One pair of Ray Bans and an Umberto Eco book for a total of $2.00

A footnote:
After these sales I went home and dug in the basement to install the sump pump. When I went out for lunch later I could not resist the temptation and stopped at several other sales in Candler Park, but did not take notes since I was in a hurry. I did go back after lunch and finish the sump pump installation. In addition a friend of mine who is a professional reseller was having a sale at a house around the corner from us on a busy street. Cindy took two chairs that have been sitting in our shed for years down there to sell and made $60.