Saturday September 11

Ridgewood Ave, Lake Claire-

This sale was advertised in the paper but there’s not a lot to it. Most of the stuff is laid out in the driveway. Among the items are a windsock shaped like a monkey, a monkey shaped candleholder, a ceramic basket containing ceramic fruit and a 17” monitor that has a sticker on it saying "free".

McLendon Ave. Candler Park

This sale looks bad from the start its in the garage of one of the new infill homes and it contain mostly kid's stuff. Among the items are two boxes of candles shaped like golf balls, a framed Keith Haring poster, and racks of children’s clothes. A few books including “ The Crafter’s Book of Santas” and “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” Lots of toys including bags of plastic army men and wrestlers, and an old pot bellied wood stove.

I buy nothing.

San Antonio Ave, Virginia Highland “estate sale”

I can tell that this is not an estate sale once again the sellers are misusing the term. Here are two yards with items scatted among them in one yard is mostly some old antique chairs and dresser, in plastic bags for $10 are old copies of American boy. I can tell this is one of those “ I want to be an antique dealer sales but this pitiful stuff is all I have sale” the adjoining yard is something else altogether. There are dozens of boxes of unopened CDs. They are being sold as 15 for 15 dollars. Most are compilations of older material re-released with the logos of companies like Saab and Heineken on them undoubtedly promotional items. I ask the seller if he was a distributor, but he tells me he’s a producer and no one can make money in the music business any more.

I buy nothing but the producer gives me one of the CDs.

Courtney St, Virginia Highlands

A modest assortment of items arrayed in a small front yard. Among them are a Power Puff Girls waffle maker, old law school text books, a copy of "Chariots of the Gods" a copy of ET on VHS, a Better than Ezra CD, a Paula Abdul cassette.
Across the street is a sale that not really in a formative stage as a few pieces of office furniture are in the driveway. A man fumbles around the garage where the is more office furniture and parts of cubicles. He asks me if I need office furniture.

I buy nothing at either sale.

McLynn Ave, Virginia Highlands

Two older women are having this sale but this is one of those sales that have less merchandise than it appears to have. The two ladies are pining the loss the weekend service of the Virginia-McLynn MARTA route when I enter. I hear a shopper remark, “my husband never buys anything”. Among the possessions in the yard are a framed print describing what it is to be a southerner (“eat black eyed peas and sit on porches”) a humidifier still in the box, a soup tureen with UGA’s bulldog Uga on it, a long handled ax, a book on crewel embroidery, a bed pan and a ceramic ashtray with a sticker on it that says “hand painted”

I buy nothing.

West Ponce De Leon, Decatur.

This sale started yesterday so it been picked through a bit. There are lot of children’s items as well as books and tapes on raising children. Among the items, a torn leather sofa (why have nice furniture when you got kids) an Abs of Steel video, a Curious George CD Rom, a book “ How to Sign with Your Baby” which on close inspection is not how to negotiate contracts with infants but rather how to communicate with babies without speaking. A Palm computer with a folding keyboard and at least 3 dock stations, There is a electric guitar next to a lemonade stand. The dad says to his son “ Maybe if you play that thing you could attract some business.” I leave before he does.

I buy nothing.

Fairview Ave, Druid Hills –“Yard Sale of the Century”

This must be a very dull century. They should of just called it yard sale of the millennium it's the same four years. It’s late in the day and there is not a lot left. A fake mustache, a old bike, a Steve Miller Band T shirt, a formal shirt some old tote bags. A woman recognizes me and asks me if I am still a comedian. I ask her if she used to heckle me. She said no but she did say that I once asked her if she was manic-depressive. She tells me now that she is. She also tells me she wants to be a comedian.

I buy a pair of men’s shorts for $2