Tales from the Pavement (Addendum)

For some reason, I left off my favorite story from the last Peddlers Mall sidewalk sale in my Tales from the Pavement post.  That's what happens when you don't take notes or at least make a list before starting a blog.  Oddly enough, it just kind of occurred to me the other night, just as I was falling asleep, that I had forgotten to include that story.  Seriously.  Just like that.  Out of the blue.  Several days after the post was published.

Sometimes, I think I'm just plain weird.

Anyway, since the story really does exemplify some truths about the junking business, it really needs to be told.  Since I'm going way more low key this time around for the sidewalk sale, I may not have too many tales to share next week.  So enjoy this late addition, just in case I end up having a boring run on Saturday.

I had this really ugly, beat-up microwave cart in my stuff at the sale.  I hated the thing.  It's the kind of thing I would never buy on my own and certainly not the kind of merchandise I want to have associated with my booth.  The only reason I had it was because it was kind of forced upon me by my uncle when I was buying leftover stock from him.  He had been using it to stack stuff on and didn't need it any more.  It doesn't have to be pretty when you're just stacking stuff on it.  It just has to be sturdy, and it certainly was that.

So he starts off trying to sell it to me for 2 bucks, and I pass.  Then it becomes "free, if you want it."  Still, I pass.  Then it becomes, "Here, I'll carry this to the car for you."  What could I do?  He was determined to get rid of the thing and I was stuck with it.

I had marked it for a couple bucks and put it in the booth.  There it sat.  Out of place and in the way.  Unwanted.  Since it was still usable, I could not bring myself to throw it away.  That violates my own personal junker code.  I could have donated it, but I had kind of mixed feelings about that, since my uncle had given it to me. So I was stuck.

I hauled it down to the sidewalk sale, along with some other dud furniture, and priced it at a buck.  I didn't have high hopes, but in the middle of the afternoon, a woman looked at it and yelled at me.  She was asking if the price was correct. I told her it was and she got really excited.  I mean really excited.

Her daughter needed a TV stand, and she was trying to help her out.  She needed something cheap, but was having a hard time hitting yard sales because of her work hours.  By the time she gets off on Saturday, they're mostly over.  She carried on about that ugly microwave cart like it was some kind of antique treasure.

I was just happy the damn thing was gone.  And I even got a dollar for it.  Hell, I would have paid her the dollar to take it!

Sometimes, it really is true that one man's trash is someone else's treasure.