Faux food, Bloody Marys, cupcakes and mixtapes 8/16/08

To commemorate the four-year anniversary of this site I went out to visit more yard sales. In the midst of the summer doldrums I am happy to see that sales around here have for the most part gotten stranger around the edges.

Ferguson St. - Candler Park “Yard Sale”

This sale was just around the corner from a larger event on McLendon. There was not a lot of clutter here; the sale consisted mainly of hand made pottery, thermos bottles, Martha Stewart books and old Dutch safety posters. There were a few other things such as a folk art painting of Elvis done by a lesser known Howard Finster relative, some retro glassware and a few chemical beakers. When I told the seller I was taking photos for this site he told me he was not familiar with it but was a regular reader of Yard Sale Bloodbath, the Seattle based site that documents yard sales. If you haven’t visited the site its in my list of links.
I bought nothing.




McLendon Ave. - Candler Park “Yard Sale”

At this sale around just around the corner from the Ferguson sale here I was immediately recognized as “that Yard Sale Addict guy who takes photos of yard sales”. This sale with a moderate amount of clutter spread out in the lawn in front of an older two-story home appeared a bit more normal. Here I found a pair of bicycles, a pet carrier, a printer/scanner, some luggage, five boxes of mini DV tapes, s few curtain rods in their original packaging, women’s clothing and the usual assortment of mismatched mugs. Among some books I found “Dark Clouds/ Silver Lining”, “Always Enough”, “Unveiling Islam”, “The Tao of Relationships” and “Betrayal of Trust”.
All did seem normal here until I came across what appeared to a pillowcase featuring a strange cartoon about police brutality. The seller told me she got it from a west coast critic of police brutality.
I bought nothing.

Police brutality pillowcase.

















Oakdale Ave. – Candler Park “Yard Sale”

This sale was in the porte-cochere of a house that bordered on the upscale Druid Hills neighborhood. Here I found tables covered with a painstaking orderly selection of bits and pieces of hardware. There was also a lot of other stuff not so well arrayed including a large platter of faux pastries. Other stuff included a candle in the shape of an artichoke, some streamers made from unloaded fireworks, two pet doors in their unopened boxes, three bottles of suntan lotion, a fajita making kit, a hush sign from a golf tournament, an imitation Nagel painting and a pair of teacups with cute faces on them.
I bought nothing









Faux food in porte-cochere.


















Explosive looking decor.




















Connecticut Ave. - Lake Claire “Yard Sale”

The seller at this sale appeared to have spent considerable time making very well crafted sign. The stuff gathered in her yard was not that usual Tupperware, plush animals, women’s shoes; some office supplies (sold as back to school items) some books and Cds. Among her books I found “The Midnight Disease”, “A Touch of Wonder”, “A Short History of Progress”, “The Dark Side of Japanese Business” and “A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government”
Other stuff in her yard included a pair of dumbbells and a large framed print of Audrey Hepburn. The seller chose to pose for me lifting the dumbbells.
I bought nothing.








Well made signs in Lake Claire.

















Springdale Rd. – Druid Hills “Estate Sale”

This was a major disappointment. I presume I should have come to this sale the when it started on Friday since the inside of the house was nearly stripped bare. But judging by the remnants left in the wake of furious bargain hunters I don’t think this was that great a sale to begin with. Inside I mostly found a multitude of ‘watch your step signs’ among the empty rooms in this large manor house.
I saw little and bought nothing.









Hemlock Ave. - Ormewood Park “Garage Sale”

This was another open house with barely anything for sale in it. It was held inside and outside a new infill home on a steep lot. Walking around the house there were very few signs and I was unsure what rooms were open for my perusal. In the kitchen I was delighted to see that they were selling old cans and packages of foodstuff. In these days of runaway inflation on food a bargain is always welcome. Among the foods offered for a mere quarter were Kroger’s Tomato soup, Vienna sausages, refried beans, canned raspberries and pasta sauce. Aside from the food all that was left in the house were some men’s clothing that was too big for me and some furniture. Outside I did discover some tools and Xmas and Halloween décor.
I bought nothing.







Santa and Death, together at last.





















Gresham Ave – East Atlanta “Yard Sale”

People, especially the children seemed to be having a lot of fun at this sale. In front of a craftsman bungalow I found a wide array of children’s toys and games and a half dozen children frolicking about them. There were adults sitting off to the side seemingly enjoying this day of divestment. When I arrived one of the seller’s children was running about yielding and incredibly noisy toy chain saw it made me fully understand the parents wish to sell the headache inducing plaything. Other stuff displayed in the front yard included a variety of masks, including a full head alien mask, a box containing plastic shrunken heads, a set of Zig Ziglar cassette tapes, a used potty seat (sitting next to some kitchen wares), a magnetic poetry kit, a motorized ice cream cone in its original box and a poster depicting the anatomy of an ant.
The children had set up a refreshment stand, which sat fully unattended the entire time I was there. But at least they were using truth in advertising. The sign for the stand read Lemon Blend not lemonade.
When I asked one of the sellers to pose she choose a pair of hand painted curio holders. She said her mother had painted them. She was selling them for fifty cents and hoped that her mother would not find out.
I bought nothing.

Masks found in East Atlanta.





















A sample of the playthings for sale.























Hand painted craft by Mom only fifty cents.

















Pearl St. – Cabbagetown “Yard Sale”

This sale was a fundraiser for an adult men’s softball team that was trying to raise money to pay to go to a tournament in Seattle.
The bulk of this sale was a very large selection of men’s clothing, most of it very large sizes. The clothing was priced at the bargain rate of four items for a dollar. After digging about the clothing in the hot sun for 15 minutes I finally found four items. In addition to clothing there were a few tables of electronics and house wares, a few items of furniture and a large ceramic elephant. As I was concluding my purchase one of the sellers bought out a large pitcher of Bloody Marys and gave me a free cupful.






Woodward Ave. - Taco Town “Yard Sale”

Taco Town is a small neighborhood and Latino enclave between Grant Park and Cabbagetown. This sale was in the tiny front yard of a small mill style bungalow. Into the crowded space the sellers had placed a PA system, baby stuff, some toys, a wedding dress and a crate of old Lps. A Manx cat wandered all about this clutter. Up on the porch was a table with a sign Mixtapes and Cupcakes. On the table were a stack of mix tape Cds created by the seller, and a selection of jewelry.
One of the sellers’s offered me one of the cupcakes. They were very good especially considering I had drank the Bloody Mary on an empty stomach.
I bought nothing.




Cupcakes without the mixtapes.
















Esters St. - Reynoldstown “Yard Sale”

The signs for this sale said free beer. But when I arrived there the seller told me the beer was free to anyone buying anything over $15. Then he recanted and said if I spent a dollar fifty he would give me two beers. I didn’t need the beer I needed breakfast. But here on this narrow street in front of a rehabed house was an somewhat messy array of picture frames electronics, home furnishing and fancy dolls. In the side yard was a disassembled pool table and a massive round sign with the Misfits logo.
I bought nothing.