October 9, 2004

Harold Ave,-Lake Claire

This is a small sale in a driveway. I find an old Technicolor format video recorder; I had not seen one on over 20 years. I don’t know how it got here. Among the items are a Paula Abdul dance VHS tape and kung fu workout tape, a pack of playing cards from Mount Rushmore, A Mac G3 without a hard drive, that is being sold for $100. The package includes a massive scanner and printer. There is also a bag of toy plastic food that includes a fried egg and an ear of corn.
I buy nothing.

Claire Dr, -Lake Claire- Multiple sales

The Lake Claire tour of homes is today so this street has more than a half dozen sales. Whenever I encounter sales like this I find I am disappointed. Perhaps its because the sellers really don’t have to have a full blown sales for one reason or another but just haul out a half drive way or table full of items in hope of making a little money. They really are not good indicators of what is happening with these people’s lives. Among the items I find are a Three Dog Night songbook, rolls of yarn, a wet suit, a book “The gift of fear” a video tape from a Romanian Airline, a prodigy CD, a cap that says “Dream” and some old looking prints of an English fox hunt.
I buy a Bossa Nova CD.

Mathews St.-Lake Claire

This house had started the sale yesterday so I don’t know what I’ve missed, Among the items are a book-“Guidelines for Safe drinking”, A leather bra, a cow skull, a 1966 copy of Playboy, some old canned peppers, yarn and several Nine Inch Nails CDs.
I buy a Clyde McPhatter CD, but return later to buy a bed frame for Todd Butler’s daughter, Kitty.

Ferguson St,-Candler Park

This is a rather boring sale that includes a VHS copy of “Waterworld”, a plastic shark, a shark mask, a old child’s microscope kit, a very ugly abstract painting and a monitor for $20.
I buy nothing.

Lakeshore Ave, -Lake Claire

Most of the stuff is picked through, but there is a book entitled “ Everything I know in life I learned growing up in Florida”
I buy a pair of Ray Bans for 25 cents.

Howard Circle, -Lake Claire

This home has a lot of stuff in the yard including a Bush Cheney sign. Among the items are a pair of camo pants, a motor for a bass boat, golf clubs, a tie with a hammer and cycle, a pack of cards entitled “52 Relaxing Rituals” a candle shaped like a cinnamon bun and a Sigma Kappa sweatshirt.
I buy nothing.

8th-St, Midtown

This is a somewhat strange sale as the seller has a cake and a pie from a local supermarket for sale. Maybe he was supposed to go to a potluck dinner on Friday but decided to have a sale instead. He is also selling an old bottle of Mexican Sherry. The original price tag says 61 cents. There is a table with home recorded VHS tapes with carefully caligragraphed labels indicating title like Silverado, World Cup 94 and Mad Max, a feather boa, a set of Marlboro BBQ cooking tools and a surf board.
I buy nothing but do consider the bottle of Sherry.

Elmwood Ave, -Morningside

Two houses next to one another have a number of items in their yards. One has more antique like stuff. One item is a vintage 1972 answering machine still in the box; it’s a bit of a behemoth compared to today’s compact machines. The seller also has a set of green telephones that looked like they were pulled out of an insurance office in 1974, there is also an old floor model radio and a very large picture of a hippie-looking girl, the painting has spirals of rope winding around the figure.
I buy nothing.

Courtney St, -Virginia Highlands

I drive out of my way following the signs to this small sale. In the yard a few things are on display. In front of a woman in a wheelchair is a pile of old Life Magazines. Holding one up she remarks “Why here’s Liz Taylor when she turned 40”
I buy nothing.

Middlesex, -Morningside Massive Sale

Another Bush Cheney Sign is at the Massive Sale. But I find no evidence of massive stuff at this sale in the driveway behind the house. There are CNN and Headline news mugs, a pink Barbie convertible, a toy Meile oven, a bobbing head Tiger Woods figure, a monitor for $10. Mostly it’s kid’s stuff. There is a sign that says “ask me about the treadmill”. In the center of it all is a large pile of Beanie Babies in perfect condition. The market has obviously collapsed on those once popular collectibles.
I buy nothing.

End of the Day- 2 CDs and a pair of Ray Bans- $2.25