Saturday 3/22/08

Several years ago I wrote about visiting yards sales the Saturday before Easter and said it was a not so Good Saturday for sales. I learned this week that there is a lull in yard sales regardless of the weather on this holiday eve day. Some basic research revealed that I was wrong in my glib terminology. It is not Good Saturday as I recalled from my parochial school days but Holy Saturday. Among other names bestowed on the day before Easter are White Saturday, Black Saturday, Easter Eve, Low Saturday and Silent Saturday. Regardless low, silent black or white its not a great days for yard sales. While I do not want to enter into religious discussion in this site in today nearly all the book collections I found put up for sale on appeared to feature some spiritual works. Regardless of the banality of whatever other clutter the sellers were divesting themselves of the reasons these religious works were put out for sale indicates the vendors either wanted to spread the word or felt these works were simply taking up space in their home and lives. I will let the reader decide. Regardless it was still a lousy spring day for yard sales.



Elmira Ave. - Candler Park “Yard Sale”

This was a moderate sized sale with a collection of clutter spread out on the grass in front of this old craftsman bungalow. Among the stuff displayed there was a box holding quartet of bobbing headed hockey players, a box of small picture frames(another ubiquitous item at yard sales), a collection of hats and caps, a skinhead wig, a selection of unused children’s creative playthings that included coloring sets, and science experiments as well as a box of books. Among the books were “Trend Following”, “Unlimited Real Estate Profit”, and “Are You Dumb Enough to be Rich?” “The Secret Life of Bees”, “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things”, “Hope for the Troubled Heart”, “Created to Be God’s Friend” and “What Should I do with my Life?”
I bought nothing.


Quartet of hockey players.
















N. Morningside – Morningside “Estate Sale”
After driving by several locations were sales were supposed to be held, I checked out this inside-the-house event in Morningside. Only two rooms of the large manor home were open to shoppers and the contents were boring and disappointing. The living room was crowded with some furniture, books and décor items and a screened-in sunroom had some straw baskets and dried flowers displayed in old watering cans. The books were boring too. Among them I found Works by Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts and Sue Grafton, “Great Entertaining”, “Crisis” and “The New York City Cabdriver’s Joke Book”. I bought nothing and quickly moved on.




Box of boring baskets.


















Hillpine Dr.- Morningside “Yard Sale”

This sale set up in a very charming courtyard area beside a large Tudor home had more to look at and the clutter in this setting was pleasantly photogenic. Among the stuff displayed between a stone fountain and a restored garage was an old console stereo, a old off brand slide projector, a lava lamp, some toys, a chandelier, a copy of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians on DVD and a large ceramic Easter Bunny.
Among some books were “Religious Themes in Flower Arrangement”, “Outline of General Zoology”, “The Life of Christ”, “The Land Question in Palestine”, “Healing and the Mind”, “The Desire of Ages” and “3 Most Important Steps to Your Better Health and Miracle Living”.
I bought nothing.

Lava lamp in well appointed courtyard.

















Oakview Ave. - Oakhurst “Yard Sale”

This was the most impressive and interesting sale of the day. An assortment of all sorts of clutter was spread out in the front yard of this older frame bungalow. A disassembled ceiling fan that looked sadder than most fans rested in the dirt with its amputated blades appearing limp and useless. On a sofa in the middle of the yard was a collection of framed Norman Rockwell prints and an old print of a collie. On a table in front of the sale were an opened bucket of powdered margarita mix and some plastic cocktail glasses. One presumed these items were being sold as a set. On the ground were bright blue tarps holding colorful neckties, old athletic shoes and some bedclothes. Two stools were in the middle of the yard one held a basket of Xmas foliage and the other held a motor board cap a remnant of someone’s graduation. There was a box of books on the ground that contained the following titles -“More Than you Dare Ask”, “Taking Sides”, “Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope”, “Diverse Worship” and “The Coming Conflict with China”.
I bought nothing.



Dejected and disassembled ceiling fan.














Rockwell images upon a sofa.














McLendon Ave. - Lake Claire “Yard Sale”

On the way home I stopped at this small sale near my home. A small selection of things was displayed on the homes steps and on two tables in the homes tiny front yard. On one of the tables was a wooden lamp base in the shape of a four-legged mustached man, a wine cooler, a pair of socks, some mugs, a candleholder and a few pieces of stemware. On the steps were some games toys and jigsaw puzzles. On another table were an old manual portable typewriter and an even older adding machine. Among some books was “Prayer of Jabez”, “That Special You”, “The Cowgirl Companion”, “Saturday Night Live – The First 20 Years”, “Children’s Letters to God”, “Hot Stuff” and “The Good Life”.
I bought nothing but did notice that one of the shoppers here had bought some sort of massive oversized giraffe figure that was protruding through the sunroof of her car.

Purchase made in Lake Claire.