Rogers St. – Kirkwood “Yard Sale”

This sale was a welcome relief from the overly sanitized sales of Virginia Highlands. In some way the two neighboring sales south of the tracks were the opposite of the prior sales. The first sale was in the yard behind a home that may have also been a business. Old cars and pickup trucks were parked in the gravel front yard. A smiling large plush Spngebob wearing a Rasta wig greeted me in the driveway. Scattered about the yard in no order at all was a vast assortment of tools, junk, oddities and anything else the owner may have stumbled across in his life. A large white tent in the yard was filled with even more junk. The yard if you can call it that, was delightful. In the middle was an aluminum Christmas tree planted in the ground. The tools ranged from large table saws, boxes filled with oversized wrenches, welding masks and endless hand tools and a gigantic fan. Other things were just bizarre, a foam cheese steak hat that had faded and become decrepit. It sat atop a microphones stand. In another area was a large stump carved into a fish with fishing gear resting beside it. Bags of golf clubs leaned against the tent. Two oversized plastic toy cars were parked in the middle of the clutter. A large Velcro dartboard was hanging from a fence. One cardboard box contained dozens of 12-volt adapters. A large round metallic image of a swan sat below it. Bags with wine corks were found on some of the tables. A framed shadowbox displayed the many varieties of nautical knots.

12-volt adapters for everyone.














Decrepit cheese steak headgear astride mic stand



















Oversized toy cars.













Rasta Spongebob welcomes you

Inside the tent the strangeness continued. There I found DJ gear and a small shark in a glass jar. I opened a camera case to find it contained a statue of a gnome. On a shelf was the power unit for an electric fence.I bought a promotional clock from the makers of Viagra to use in my upcoming show.

All purpose electric fence

















Shark in a bottle












Gnome in a camera case

Rogers St. “Moving Sale”

I notice that the door was open on the house next door and people were coming out carrying things. When I entered I found that two women were having a moving sale. I passed a door held open by a cow skull painted gold and entered a dark living room where one of the sellers was cleaning up a spilled cappuccino. Inside were a number of strange things including a shot glass chess set, a beer making kit, books on how to make money in the music business and a wig with plastic fruit on it. While I was there the women said they were moving because Kirkwood had gotten too expensive to live in. Leaning against one wall was a large poster for the 50’s film “Thunder in Carolina”. On a large metal shelving unit were dozens of old videotapes. Some of the titles included “Chained Heat”, “Iron chef”,” Cannibal Apocalypse”, “Legendary Panty Mask” and “Hideous Sun Demon”. Some nearby artwork featured a print of a vampire’s mouth and a pastel drawing of a ghastly figure being attacked by demons and swarming roaches.I bought the wig, chess set and demon painting.

Drunkard's chess set.









Southern heritage film poster.



















Vampire artwork.

Golden Skull holding open door leading to treasures.

1/21/06 Emphatic serving dishes and a moratorium on McMansions

Last week I documented a visit to a sale at a home slated for demolition to make way for a McMansion to be built in Virginia Highlands. A few days later the mayor put a moritoriun on such activity, not yard sales but the tearing down of perfectly good homes. Today I went to a sale at an newer infill home and decided that the owners are just not filling them with the quality of clutter that are found in older and smaller homes. So while McMansion construction may bring about yard sales the quality may suffer.

North Ave. – Candler Park “Moving Sale”

This sale had great signs but was very disappointing. It was held on the porch and in the garage of a new infill home across from Freedom Park. When I arrived the weather was dreadful and there was not much stuff in the garage under the home. All I found was a futon, a sofa and a box labeled adult books. Adult books at this sale means California travel guides and Oprah book of the month selections. Another box held some kids books and videos.
Upstairs on the porch were a few children’s things, a cordless phone, a snack maker and a freezer pop maker.
I bought one item for my installation.

One of the few things found on North Ave.

Rosedale Dr. - Virginia Highlands “Estate Sale”

This sale was in an older traditional brick home with a small Greek revival porch. Inside the professional sellers were set up at the door near a table full of old Xmas décor. I headed past them to examine the contents of the kitchen in the rear of the home. In a dirty pantry/closet I found a very old and very large electric roaster, a meat grinder, an electric fryer and an Oster duo massager. In a cabinet in the kitchen I found the first of several food shaped serving dishes. Here I found a covered bowl shaped like a potato with matching potato shaped salt and peppershakers. On the same cabinet was a narrow platter that resembled a stalk of celery and another covered bowl and salt and pepper set, this one in the form of corn on the cob. Also in the kitchen was the usual assortment of glassware and cutlery and dozens of cake decorating tools.

Soothing sensations of massage.













Potato shaped implements.

In the bedroom a closet was filled with women’s clothes. On the doorknob hung a Stetson straw boater. The bed was covered with beach towels. One featured the bold graphic of an old time swimmer. A mink wrap and a pair of electric scissors was also in the same room

Face on a towel















Stetson boater

The bedroom connected to another bedroom. This one contained a multitude of shoes and a large pile of purses. On the bed was a box containing a Joey wig. I presumed this to be a reference to Joey Heatherton not Joey Ramone even though the wig would work for both looks. Also on the bed was a scarf with the word teen stitched over and over into the fabric. Leaning against a wall was a portrait of sextuplets wearing curly wigs. A box filled with books contained the titles “The Tinnitus Handbook”, “Dear Store” and “Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul”

Teen scarf















A wig from Joey

I headed upstairs following a narrow flight of stairs near the bedroom door. On that level I found only a bed frame a heavily stained mattress.
A door from the kitchen opened to stairs to the basement. In a small, dark, dirt floor area was a washer and dryer and a pile of old financial records. Among the dirt covered papers were two samples of Georgia granite from a monument maker.
When I passed the same door latter I noticed that the sellers had locked it and had posted a sign saying no entry.

Filthy mattress

In the living room was a baby grand piano with a covered bowl shaped like a cabbage sitting on top of its strings. The living room furniture consisted of a French provincial sofa and an old recliner. On the sofa was a scary looking clown doll with very long legs. Next to the recliner was a box of old sheet music. Near a fireplace was a rack of lps including recordings by Jim Nabors, gospel records, Bosa Nova hits, and a album entitled “Honeymoon in South America”. Standing upon the mantle was an animated Santa dressed in western wear.

Cabbage bowl on piano.














Santa in western attire


















Long limbed clown doll.

In the dining room was a box filled with cookbooks, and more Xmas décor including a talking wreath in its original box. On a chair set a framed print entitled “Old Atlanta” it showed a train in front of Stone Mountain. The old could not have been that far back since it showed the memorial carving.