This has already made the rounds, gone viral, been seen by the world and probably all of you, but I cannot get enough of it.
I love Dolly Parton. I have for ages and ages and ages and ages. But she frustrates me. Or, rather, her schtick can frustrate me.
Dolly has spent years crafting a persona--this larger than life image that is the consummate entertainer and performer who makes such an indelible impression on people. I, and millions of other people, adore it. And her. It's certainly played a large part in her popularity over the years and kept her relevant in a country music industry that has become increasingly image-obssessed.
But Dolly the performer, the persona, the image can get in the way of Dolly the artist. Dolly the musician with the beautiful voice. Dolly the gifted songwriter. Emmylou Harris wrote about this in the liner notes to a Dolly tribute album a decade or so ago. She expressed the wish that more people knew the sides of Dolly that she has known for years.
Get a copy of her first album, Just Because I'm a Woman. It is mind-blowingly awesome--full of layers of emotion and beauty and honesty that you don't always feel from the persona. Then check out any of her bluegrass albums from the 2000's where she's striped down, acoustic, and pure feeling, like the best bluegrass should be. Finally, get her original greatest hits album, if you can find it and revel in all of her classics the way they were originally recorded.
Which brings me to this video. "Jolene" is one of Dolly's best songs, but it's never better than the way it was originally written to be sung--stripped down and raw. This version is the purest and cleanest I've heard in years. The original is marked by a plaintive acoustic guitar line that runs through the song. I've always felt that Dolly's best songs layer in a lot of folk music influences among the country touches. That's "Jolene" in a nutshell.
By going acapella here, they've restored that original feeling to the song. I love that Dolly plays with the song in concert--changing "Jolene" to "drag queens" to acknowledge her cross-dressing fans--but this is a song about heartache, yearning and hurt. You cannot listen to this recording and not feel your heart-breaking for her. This is pain and inadequacy and fear. There's nothing polished and slick about that. That little whisper at the end just nails it. "Oh. Jolene." How can you not cry for this woman?
The other thing that comes out here is what a great harmony singer she is. Honestly, that should be no secret, especially after the Trio albums. I love to hear her sing with others. And the look on everyone's faces is awesome--a mix of the sheer joy of performing good music and being awestruck over singing a classic with a legend. How cool is it that Dolly swaps out her lead vocals for the climactic last verse? Amazing.
Okay. I just rambled on and on about a video that is less than three minutes. I've always told you all that I can overthink and over-analyze anything. That's why I blog.
I like it when Dolly entertains me, but I love it when she moves me.
I'm going to have another listen. Or three.
Who else thought the bald guy was wearing a bathrobe at first glance?
Showing posts with label pontificating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pontificating. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2016
Wednesday, June 01, 2016
Some thoughts about this junk stuff
Junk set out time always makes me contemplate this junking life I'm leading. I usually intend to share them on the blog, but never seem to get around to it. Consider this post to be a random look at some of the things rolling around in my head. Very random. Like that surprises anyone.
My long-suffering husband is fond of saying to me: "Just because it's free, that doesn't mean you have to take it." My typical response to that is: "What? I left some stuff didn't I?"
Right before I got out of the van to grab that metal box from last week's sneak peek, I told him: "You might as well go ahead and give me that eye roll. I know it's coming when you see this thing."
I wish I could find money, like the guy at Things I Find in the Garbage. I mean, I do find money, since I sell what I find, but just finding actual cash once and a while would be cool, even if it's only a buck.
I learn a helluva lot from other blogs that guides me in picking stuff. Sometimes, I pick something up and think: "So and so would make a project out of this." Or "I saw this used this way in a blog." Or the ever famous: "I know that such-and-so would really love this one." I match my finds up to people all the time. I even play a guessing game about what will catch particular people's eyes enough for them to mention it in a comment. I'm right a lot of the time.
On the nicer side of the neighborhood, where people have alleys and garages and off street parking and trash pick up, they tend to toss their junk out at any time. It doesn't get picked up, but it's out of sight, out of mind until the next pick up comes around. I've started taking Sunday evening "junk constitutionals" to see what's new.
People complain about the mess that gets left behind when people go through the junk piles. Scrappers are notorious for rooting through stuff and making a huge mess. I've learned over the years, however, that there are a fair number of piles that start out as a mess from the moment the stuff is put out. An awful lot of residents just randomly toss things out into huge, unorganized piles that cascade all over the place, at gravity's accord.
I'm not saying that to excuse junkers and pickers, but it is time to bring a little perspective to the issue.
Making a mess is something that I will go out of my way to avoid. Items I pull out of boxes go right back in the boxes or into other boxes. One time, I accidentally dropped some glass stuff and stayed until I had picked up every shard and carefully disposed of them. I'll even tell home-owners I see that I won't leave a mess.
One of the biggest contributors to the mess situation is clothing. People put out bags of clothing that get torn open and scattered, then it all gets rained on. I very rarely open bags, especially if I can tell they're full of clothes. We are not that far from a Goodwill, and there are several churches in the area that have clothing closets and do give-aways. We also have three or four of those for-profit thrift drop boxes for clothes scattered throughout the neighborhood. There are even several charities that pick up donations. Tossing useable clothing is something I just don't understand.
Seeing boxes of books at the curb always makes me sad, even when I know it's stuff that no one is going to want.
Queen of Fifty Cents coined the term "Taker's Remorse" the other day in a post. This is the feeling you get from picking up freebies that you really don't want or that really aren't what you need/want. Our junk set out periods easily resolve this dilemma. Typically for me, there's a flaw that I didn't see when I grabbed something. I work kind of fast and quickly shove things in to my bag. When I look at something later and realize that it's not going to work for me, I either leave it on someone else's pile or toss it on my own when I get home. Problem solved!
If something makes it to the booth and turns out to be a dud, it will eventually get a markdown or two, then head to a sidewalk sale, if necessary. After all, it was free.
My long-suffering husband is fond of saying to me: "Just because it's free, that doesn't mean you have to take it." My typical response to that is: "What? I left some stuff didn't I?"
Right before I got out of the van to grab that metal box from last week's sneak peek, I told him: "You might as well go ahead and give me that eye roll. I know it's coming when you see this thing."
I wish I could find money, like the guy at Things I Find in the Garbage. I mean, I do find money, since I sell what I find, but just finding actual cash once and a while would be cool, even if it's only a buck.
I learn a helluva lot from other blogs that guides me in picking stuff. Sometimes, I pick something up and think: "So and so would make a project out of this." Or "I saw this used this way in a blog." Or the ever famous: "I know that such-and-so would really love this one." I match my finds up to people all the time. I even play a guessing game about what will catch particular people's eyes enough for them to mention it in a comment. I'm right a lot of the time.
On the nicer side of the neighborhood, where people have alleys and garages and off street parking and trash pick up, they tend to toss their junk out at any time. It doesn't get picked up, but it's out of sight, out of mind until the next pick up comes around. I've started taking Sunday evening "junk constitutionals" to see what's new.
People complain about the mess that gets left behind when people go through the junk piles. Scrappers are notorious for rooting through stuff and making a huge mess. I've learned over the years, however, that there are a fair number of piles that start out as a mess from the moment the stuff is put out. An awful lot of residents just randomly toss things out into huge, unorganized piles that cascade all over the place, at gravity's accord.
I'm not saying that to excuse junkers and pickers, but it is time to bring a little perspective to the issue.
Making a mess is something that I will go out of my way to avoid. Items I pull out of boxes go right back in the boxes or into other boxes. One time, I accidentally dropped some glass stuff and stayed until I had picked up every shard and carefully disposed of them. I'll even tell home-owners I see that I won't leave a mess.
One of the biggest contributors to the mess situation is clothing. People put out bags of clothing that get torn open and scattered, then it all gets rained on. I very rarely open bags, especially if I can tell they're full of clothes. We are not that far from a Goodwill, and there are several churches in the area that have clothing closets and do give-aways. We also have three or four of those for-profit thrift drop boxes for clothes scattered throughout the neighborhood. There are even several charities that pick up donations. Tossing useable clothing is something I just don't understand.
Seeing boxes of books at the curb always makes me sad, even when I know it's stuff that no one is going to want.
Queen of Fifty Cents coined the term "Taker's Remorse" the other day in a post. This is the feeling you get from picking up freebies that you really don't want or that really aren't what you need/want. Our junk set out periods easily resolve this dilemma. Typically for me, there's a flaw that I didn't see when I grabbed something. I work kind of fast and quickly shove things in to my bag. When I look at something later and realize that it's not going to work for me, I either leave it on someone else's pile or toss it on my own when I get home. Problem solved!
If something makes it to the booth and turns out to be a dud, it will eventually get a markdown or two, then head to a sidewalk sale, if necessary. After all, it was free.
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
Top Five Things to Look for This Summer at Yard Sales (Revisited Yet Again!)
Let's make a different kind of list. Okay?
I promise that this is the last post on this theme for this year. I started to actually make this one my post for the group blog, but decided that it might be better to stay within the boundaries of the given task.
I also toyed with the idea of making this a secondary part of the post I submitted, but ended up cutting it out for length. After I decided that it might be a good idea to include an intro for new visitors, I became concerned about how long the post was. In the end, I was very happy with the way the initial post came out, so I think I made the right call.
But some ideas are too good to let slide away. Truth be told, this is a concept I have been wanting to blog about for a while now. It just took the group blog to spur me into actually doing it.
When I first got my booth, I got asked one question over and over: "What do you sell there?" My answers must have frustrated people because I tended to describe items, rather than naming them. I had one goal in mind when I took my first booth--to have a booth that wasn't like any other space in the mall. To do that, I spent more time thinking about what the stuff I was selling would be like, instead of what it actually was.
Initially, I used to say that I wanted "things that made you think of bongo drums" when you saw them. It worked for me--bongo drums are cool and interesting--but not for other people, who just didn't get what I was trying to say. "You're selling bongo drums?" "What about other instruments?" "Do that many people buy bongo drums?"
In the end, I started thinking in terms of adjectives that best described the things I was looking for. What characteristics do they all have in common? This is the list I created. It was important for me to define those terms, as well, using definitions that relate back to the purpose of looking for those items--the booth.
Unique: Things that are different from the items others are selling. If it is an item that others have in their booths, it still needs to be distinct in some way. For example, others also sell books, but I don't sell the Danielle Steele, Stephen King, harlequin Romance, etc books that you find in so many other booths.
Fun: I want things that make me smile when I find them. More importantly, I want them to make other people smile when they see them in the booth.
Eclectic: I don't want to be one note. I want a range of items, from soup to nuts, that are distinct and different from each other, so that the overall effect of my space is a weird and wonderful menagerie.
Interesting: Something so fascinating that you cannot resist stepping into the booth to check it out.
Oddball: Stuff that is unlike stuff that you've seen before.
As time has gone on, my horizons (and my booths) have expanded quite a bit. I don't hold to this list as hard and fast as I used to. I carry some things that don't really fit onto this list--although it all does add to the eclectic effect. Still, this list does form a key part of my guiding re-selling philosophy. In the end, it's more about knowing how to bend and mold the list, instead of how strictly I adhere to it.
I don't really think I'm proposing anything that new here. Most folks are already doing this sort of thing without realizing it. Go back and re-read Donna's Five Things post. Her opening is a list of adjectives! (And I didn't even have to pay her so she would do it!)
Try it yourself. Think about the things you're looking for at yard sales this summer. It doesn't matter whether you re-sell or buy for yourself. Can you create a list of five adjectives that gives a good overall description of these items? Give it a try!
Feel free to share your own list in comments.
For an added challenge, try to do it without using the words "vintage" "retro" "antique" or "primitive." I know. BLASPHEMY!
I promise that this is the last post on this theme for this year. I started to actually make this one my post for the group blog, but decided that it might be better to stay within the boundaries of the given task.
I also toyed with the idea of making this a secondary part of the post I submitted, but ended up cutting it out for length. After I decided that it might be a good idea to include an intro for new visitors, I became concerned about how long the post was. In the end, I was very happy with the way the initial post came out, so I think I made the right call.
But some ideas are too good to let slide away. Truth be told, this is a concept I have been wanting to blog about for a while now. It just took the group blog to spur me into actually doing it.
When I first got my booth, I got asked one question over and over: "What do you sell there?" My answers must have frustrated people because I tended to describe items, rather than naming them. I had one goal in mind when I took my first booth--to have a booth that wasn't like any other space in the mall. To do that, I spent more time thinking about what the stuff I was selling would be like, instead of what it actually was.
Initially, I used to say that I wanted "things that made you think of bongo drums" when you saw them. It worked for me--bongo drums are cool and interesting--but not for other people, who just didn't get what I was trying to say. "You're selling bongo drums?" "What about other instruments?" "Do that many people buy bongo drums?"
In the end, I started thinking in terms of adjectives that best described the things I was looking for. What characteristics do they all have in common? This is the list I created. It was important for me to define those terms, as well, using definitions that relate back to the purpose of looking for those items--the booth.
Unique: Things that are different from the items others are selling. If it is an item that others have in their booths, it still needs to be distinct in some way. For example, others also sell books, but I don't sell the Danielle Steele, Stephen King, harlequin Romance, etc books that you find in so many other booths.
Fun: I want things that make me smile when I find them. More importantly, I want them to make other people smile when they see them in the booth.
Eclectic: I don't want to be one note. I want a range of items, from soup to nuts, that are distinct and different from each other, so that the overall effect of my space is a weird and wonderful menagerie.
Interesting: Something so fascinating that you cannot resist stepping into the booth to check it out.
Oddball: Stuff that is unlike stuff that you've seen before.
As time has gone on, my horizons (and my booths) have expanded quite a bit. I don't hold to this list as hard and fast as I used to. I carry some things that don't really fit onto this list--although it all does add to the eclectic effect. Still, this list does form a key part of my guiding re-selling philosophy. In the end, it's more about knowing how to bend and mold the list, instead of how strictly I adhere to it.
I don't really think I'm proposing anything that new here. Most folks are already doing this sort of thing without realizing it. Go back and re-read Donna's Five Things post. Her opening is a list of adjectives! (And I didn't even have to pay her so she would do it!)
Try it yourself. Think about the things you're looking for at yard sales this summer. It doesn't matter whether you re-sell or buy for yourself. Can you create a list of five adjectives that gives a good overall description of these items? Give it a try!
Feel free to share your own list in comments.
For an added challenge, try to do it without using the words "vintage" "retro" "antique" or "primitive." I know. BLASPHEMY!
Friday, November 06, 2015
Some thoughts about curb-diving
A couple of years ago, I wrote a post with some tips/hints for hunting junk curbside. While wandering around this time, I had some new thoughts I wanted to share about the endeavor. One of the things that struck me was how much I've changed as a curb-picker. For one thing, I am no longer reticent to take stuff with the owners watching. Sometimes, when I've gathered stuff while the home owners were still around, they offer me extra stuff. One time, a lady asked me to help her carry a heavy-ass dresser to the curb. She couldn't handle it by herself. I didn't take that one. I don't like to do heavy-ass. I just make extra sure that I'm neat when I'm being watched.
Speaking of being watched, somewhere along the line, I lost my inhibitions about this. Last set out, I ended up over by the building where Keith and I used to work. He's transferred to another site now, but still sees people from this building all the time. I called him and told him that his co-workers were likely to be telling him they saw his husband digging through the trash! In fact, on that day, I ran into an old friend from that job! I was covered in sweat and grime and carrying a bag of goodies.
This time around, an old man that lives down the street came by while we were setting our own junk out. He said he had seen me carrying off all kinds of junk and wanted to know what I did with it, so I told him. He kind of shook his head and walked off, but not before he took a flower arrangement off our pile. I turned to Keith and said: "How does it feel to be married to the neighborhood hobo?"
Nowadays, I go out several times all throughout the week, starting when the piles start showing up. There are lots of early birds and also lots of late starters. There can be new stuff to look at every day. I've also started going out in light rains (no competition) and after a rainy day. Not everything gets ruined by the rain.
In our neighborhood, I tend to go out on foot. It's easier to spot stuff that way. We live kind of in the middle of our set out zone, so I can go just a few blocks in any direction and find things, but I'm never too far away to do a drop off at the house. It's good exercise too. I just take a couple of bags and head out. Of course, for the big stuff, there's always Mazda.
Setting limits is important, too. I know some people only look for certain items, but I look for a little bit of everything, so I set some limits. Looking everything over closely is important. I tend to look for reasons to not take something, instead of reasons to take it. Since I have a lot of large items right now and they don't seem to be selling, I pretty much by-passed most of the furniture finds. I had a strict "no chairs" rule and a "no heavy shit" rule.
if I hadn't limited myself this time, I would have overwhelmed myself with reclaimed wood. There was a ton of it out there, and I saw some folks who were going out just for that. Not having the space for it kept me from going overboard. I;m not sure how many reclaimed wood folks like to buy their supplies, as opposed to finding them.
Personally, I think it's a ton of fun to go out and search. I kind of like that we have designated times to set stuff out. I know there are places where you can just set your stuff out for any garbage pick up day. I'm not sure I could handle going out and picking all the time like that. With a few set outs a year, I kind of look forward to it as a special treat, like a holiday.
Speaking of being watched, somewhere along the line, I lost my inhibitions about this. Last set out, I ended up over by the building where Keith and I used to work. He's transferred to another site now, but still sees people from this building all the time. I called him and told him that his co-workers were likely to be telling him they saw his husband digging through the trash! In fact, on that day, I ran into an old friend from that job! I was covered in sweat and grime and carrying a bag of goodies.
This time around, an old man that lives down the street came by while we were setting our own junk out. He said he had seen me carrying off all kinds of junk and wanted to know what I did with it, so I told him. He kind of shook his head and walked off, but not before he took a flower arrangement off our pile. I turned to Keith and said: "How does it feel to be married to the neighborhood hobo?"
Nowadays, I go out several times all throughout the week, starting when the piles start showing up. There are lots of early birds and also lots of late starters. There can be new stuff to look at every day. I've also started going out in light rains (no competition) and after a rainy day. Not everything gets ruined by the rain.
In our neighborhood, I tend to go out on foot. It's easier to spot stuff that way. We live kind of in the middle of our set out zone, so I can go just a few blocks in any direction and find things, but I'm never too far away to do a drop off at the house. It's good exercise too. I just take a couple of bags and head out. Of course, for the big stuff, there's always Mazda.
Setting limits is important, too. I know some people only look for certain items, but I look for a little bit of everything, so I set some limits. Looking everything over closely is important. I tend to look for reasons to not take something, instead of reasons to take it. Since I have a lot of large items right now and they don't seem to be selling, I pretty much by-passed most of the furniture finds. I had a strict "no chairs" rule and a "no heavy shit" rule.
if I hadn't limited myself this time, I would have overwhelmed myself with reclaimed wood. There was a ton of it out there, and I saw some folks who were going out just for that. Not having the space for it kept me from going overboard. I;m not sure how many reclaimed wood folks like to buy their supplies, as opposed to finding them.
Personally, I think it's a ton of fun to go out and search. I kind of like that we have designated times to set stuff out. I know there are places where you can just set your stuff out for any garbage pick up day. I'm not sure I could handle going out and picking all the time like that. With a few set outs a year, I kind of look forward to it as a special treat, like a holiday.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Now for something completely different!
I know it's supposed to be "Retro Y'all" day, and this is a kind of "Retro Y'all" post, but this isn't any ordinary Saturday. No Siree! It's.......
For real. I wouldn't make that up.
So there's only one video that will work today.
You all should have known that was coming. (I had such a crush on Burt Ward when I was a kid.)
There's a Batman Day giveaway with all kinds of Bat-swag, if you want to enter. (And you know that my birthday is coming up....)
Here's a nice rundown of different approaches to the character that gets what I consider to be the heart of the whole idea of The Batman. It's not darkness or vengeance or crime or violence or even justice. It's weirdness, plain and simple. Everything about Batman is at the very least a little strange, if not outright silly. The best incarnations take that inherent oddity and run with it, without caring what the fan-boys think.
So how am I celebrating this auspicious occasion? Well, the only Batman attire I have is a pair of boxers, so I'm going to be wearing them today. (I will wear other clothing in addition to said Bat-boxers. It's Batman Day, not Fat, Middle- Aged Nerds in their Undies Day. That takes place every Sunday in my living room. TMI?)
Actually, I do have a Batman T-shirt, but I have no idea where it is. I think it might be hiding out with the missing socks from the dryer. I probably need to get on the Bat-phone and get some assistance in cracking that case. I'm sure the Bat-Computer could find it with no problem.
There's probably no better way to celebrate such a day than with a trip to the comic shop, so I guess I'll be heading over there. Especially since it's alsonerd herd sidewalk sale day! Last one of the year, in fact. Been selling comics like crazy lately, so I need to lay in a stash for the winter. I've got a small one, but I think I need some more.
I'll close out with a really good article about the problems of trying to evolve and develop the Batman mythos in a corporate culture that has come to view him as a cash cow to sell movie tickets and video games, rather than a vehicle for lasting stories. The idea these days seems to be that they'll just throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks as far as the comics go, and when the crap stops sticking, then they'll just "reboot" with a new first issue. As long as the box office is big, who cares?
That whole line of thinking is (yet) another reason why I have no stomach for modern super-hero comics any more. If you're keeping track, that's like the third or fourth one I've shared. Maybe I should make a check list. How can you collect the set if you don't have a check list?
Of course, the truly wonderful thing about fictional characters is that you can pick and choose which version(s) you like and ignore the rest. This Batman Day, I'm celebrating:
Someone else can celebrate the other versions.
By the way, I found out about this too late to do a post about it, but yesterday was National Comic Book Day. (Not sure who decides these things.) I read some comics to celebrate. Now, will someone please tell me when Wonder Woman Day is? Also National Spring Roll Day. I really need to celebrate that one. A lot.
BATMAN DAY!
For real. I wouldn't make that up.
So there's only one video that will work today.
You all should have known that was coming. (I had such a crush on Burt Ward when I was a kid.)
There's a Batman Day giveaway with all kinds of Bat-swag, if you want to enter. (And you know that my birthday is coming up....)
Here's a nice rundown of different approaches to the character that gets what I consider to be the heart of the whole idea of The Batman. It's not darkness or vengeance or crime or violence or even justice. It's weirdness, plain and simple. Everything about Batman is at the very least a little strange, if not outright silly. The best incarnations take that inherent oddity and run with it, without caring what the fan-boys think.
So how am I celebrating this auspicious occasion? Well, the only Batman attire I have is a pair of boxers, so I'm going to be wearing them today. (I will wear other clothing in addition to said Bat-boxers. It's Batman Day, not Fat, Middle- Aged Nerds in their Undies Day. That takes place every Sunday in my living room. TMI?)
Actually, I do have a Batman T-shirt, but I have no idea where it is. I think it might be hiding out with the missing socks from the dryer. I probably need to get on the Bat-phone and get some assistance in cracking that case. I'm sure the Bat-Computer could find it with no problem.
There's probably no better way to celebrate such a day than with a trip to the comic shop, so I guess I'll be heading over there. Especially since it's also
I'll close out with a really good article about the problems of trying to evolve and develop the Batman mythos in a corporate culture that has come to view him as a cash cow to sell movie tickets and video games, rather than a vehicle for lasting stories. The idea these days seems to be that they'll just throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks as far as the comics go, and when the crap stops sticking, then they'll just "reboot" with a new first issue. As long as the box office is big, who cares?
That whole line of thinking is (yet) another reason why I have no stomach for modern super-hero comics any more. If you're keeping track, that's like the third or fourth one I've shared. Maybe I should make a check list. How can you collect the set if you don't have a check list?
Of course, the truly wonderful thing about fictional characters is that you can pick and choose which version(s) you like and ignore the rest. This Batman Day, I'm celebrating:
- The Adam West TV Show Batman
- Any animated version of Batman
- Manga Batman
- Batman in the 70's and 80's comics I bought as a kid
- Batman from the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's stories that I read in reprints as a kid
- George Clooney Batman (I pride myself on being pretty much the only person in the known universe who loved that movie.)
Someone else can celebrate the other versions.
By the way, I found out about this too late to do a post about it, but yesterday was National Comic Book Day. (Not sure who decides these things.) I read some comics to celebrate. Now, will someone please tell me when Wonder Woman Day is? Also National Spring Roll Day. I really need to celebrate that one. A lot.
Thursday, November 06, 2014
All in Vein
So this was how I spent the majority of my birthday:
Well, I wasn't hooked up to the IV the whole time, but I was in the cancer center for most of the day. I was in the consult room for HOURS! This doctor in. That doctor out. This question. That question. Maybe an answer, but I'll check on that. Oh, look! Here's a new nurse! Oops! She's gone! Don't forget to fill out the survey about your bowel movements!
And then of course, there was ther LOOOOOOOOONG stretches of just sitting and waiting. Here's a recap:
1. I have Stage 4 melanoma, which is the highest stage. After this, I get my diploma and graduate. I don't remember taking the first three levels, but it must have been all those frat parties. This is because I now have melanoma that has metastasized in a "distant organ." I love that phrase. It makes it sound like my spleen is miles away from the spot on my neck where this all started. As if I needed anything else to make me sound fat.
2. They still think that they can cure this thing. I guess we'll see about that.
3. They really want to get me into the follow up drug treatment to the one I am taking now, as that is the hotshot new treatment that everyone is doing and I want to be one of the cool kids. I missed out on the whole twerking thing, so I want to catch this fad while I can. Per FDA regs, you can only get the new treatment after you take the one I'm on now.
4. They want to upgrade me to a clinical trial that uses the drug I am on now, plus a series of shots of another drug--kind of like what I did before, except that it's like three weeks worth of daily shots each treatment cycle that I would most likely do at home. Blam! Right in the belly. At least it's a target I could not possibly miss. It all hinges on insurance approval for me joining the trial, which is supposed boost the efficacy of the drug I am already on.
5. There is a spot on my liver that needs to be checked out, so I have a PET scan today. Chiquito really hates those things, but I keep explaining to him that it's a pet scan, so he has to be there. He wants a second opinion on that one.
6. Just for shits and giggles, I'm having an MRI early Saturday morning. I don't know exactly why they're sending me to this one, but the brain is a place this crap can spread, so they're probably just checking things out. I did not know that I was going to have this one until I was sitting with the scheduler. They're probably just going to find that my skull is full of old comic books and pop tarts.
After all of that, I finally headed down to the clinic for the actual infusion, where three nurses poked me four times to find a vein. I am getting ready to kick and scream for a port. I've had quite enough of this stuff, especially if I am looking at treatments into the spring, which it seems I am. Thankfully, it was the three best nurses in the place. There are more than a couple there who are nice enough to be sure, but who just aren't good with the difficult sticks. One of them is a digger who just can't let go of the idea that she can get that vein if she just....twists....the needle....the right way. She was headed out when we got there, which made me happy.
The infusion itself was pretty quick. There were no pre-meds, so the whole deal took about 90 minutes after the drug got there. I didn't have a problem with burning, but I got this weird pressing sensation in my arm, like someone was pushing down on it.
So far, I feel fine, just a little bit draggier than normal. The first session is usually the easiest. If get to shoot myself in the belly, then that will amp up the side effects considerably. Every time I go to the bathroom now, Keith asks me if I have diarrhea. They played up the diarrhea as a side effect to watch for.
Honestly, at this point, I don't know how I feel about any of this, besides pissed that I am doing it again. I'm finding it hard to put a lot of trust in these drugs. They all keep carrying on about how astonishing the success/survival rates are, almost 20%! Wow! I know that's a big improvement over, say, 0%, but everybody keeps saying that to me like it's some magical, mystery number that means I get to be one of the elect automatically. All I keep thinking is: "What about the other 80%?" That is a much bigger number after all.
Bring that up and you get told to "focus on the bright side" and not to "give up hope" and "keep fighting" and so on. I feel like I am being asked to totally ignore the dark side of this equation like it does not exist. I can't do that, especially if my organs are hosting little melanoma franchises. The numbers last time were much more in my favor, yet here I am back in this pickle again. Twenty percent is a long shot and I would be dishonest with myself if I didn't admit that.
It's a long shot I am willing to take, however. As long as I am able physically and fiscally, I'll take every shot and chance I can get as many times as I can get them. I'm in this deal for the long haul, wherever it heads. I just want people to stop asking me to only acknowledge one of the possible destinations. How am I supposed to avoid it, if I have to pretend it's not there?
More as it develops.
 |
| That's my chemo birthday grimace! |
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| That is not a comfy spot for an IV. |
1. I have Stage 4 melanoma, which is the highest stage. After this, I get my diploma and graduate. I don't remember taking the first three levels, but it must have been all those frat parties. This is because I now have melanoma that has metastasized in a "distant organ." I love that phrase. It makes it sound like my spleen is miles away from the spot on my neck where this all started. As if I needed anything else to make me sound fat.
2. They still think that they can cure this thing. I guess we'll see about that.
3. They really want to get me into the follow up drug treatment to the one I am taking now, as that is the hotshot new treatment that everyone is doing and I want to be one of the cool kids. I missed out on the whole twerking thing, so I want to catch this fad while I can. Per FDA regs, you can only get the new treatment after you take the one I'm on now.
4. They want to upgrade me to a clinical trial that uses the drug I am on now, plus a series of shots of another drug--kind of like what I did before, except that it's like three weeks worth of daily shots each treatment cycle that I would most likely do at home. Blam! Right in the belly. At least it's a target I could not possibly miss. It all hinges on insurance approval for me joining the trial, which is supposed boost the efficacy of the drug I am already on.
5. There is a spot on my liver that needs to be checked out, so I have a PET scan today. Chiquito really hates those things, but I keep explaining to him that it's a pet scan, so he has to be there. He wants a second opinion on that one.
6. Just for shits and giggles, I'm having an MRI early Saturday morning. I don't know exactly why they're sending me to this one, but the brain is a place this crap can spread, so they're probably just checking things out. I did not know that I was going to have this one until I was sitting with the scheduler. They're probably just going to find that my skull is full of old comic books and pop tarts.
 |
| This is my "I'm relieved all the poking is over" face. |
The infusion itself was pretty quick. There were no pre-meds, so the whole deal took about 90 minutes after the drug got there. I didn't have a problem with burning, but I got this weird pressing sensation in my arm, like someone was pushing down on it.
So far, I feel fine, just a little bit draggier than normal. The first session is usually the easiest. If get to shoot myself in the belly, then that will amp up the side effects considerably. Every time I go to the bathroom now, Keith asks me if I have diarrhea. They played up the diarrhea as a side effect to watch for.
Honestly, at this point, I don't know how I feel about any of this, besides pissed that I am doing it again. I'm finding it hard to put a lot of trust in these drugs. They all keep carrying on about how astonishing the success/survival rates are, almost 20%! Wow! I know that's a big improvement over, say, 0%, but everybody keeps saying that to me like it's some magical, mystery number that means I get to be one of the elect automatically. All I keep thinking is: "What about the other 80%?" That is a much bigger number after all.
Bring that up and you get told to "focus on the bright side" and not to "give up hope" and "keep fighting" and so on. I feel like I am being asked to totally ignore the dark side of this equation like it does not exist. I can't do that, especially if my organs are hosting little melanoma franchises. The numbers last time were much more in my favor, yet here I am back in this pickle again. Twenty percent is a long shot and I would be dishonest with myself if I didn't admit that.
It's a long shot I am willing to take, however. As long as I am able physically and fiscally, I'll take every shot and chance I can get as many times as I can get them. I'm in this deal for the long haul, wherever it heads. I just want people to stop asking me to only acknowledge one of the possible destinations. How am I supposed to avoid it, if I have to pretend it's not there?
More as it develops.
Sunday, March 09, 2014
Ephemeral
A little while ago, I got a message on my phone telling me I was running out of storage space. I've gotten in the habit of just whipping out my phone when I need to take a pic for the blog or Craigslist or whatever. I usually snap several, just to make sure one of two come out okay.
I've got Dropbox installed, so the pictures I take on my phone automatically upload to my PC. I still prefer to do what minimal photo editing I know how to do on the computer. I get a little better control than with my fat thumbs on my phone. Since I use the copies on the PC, all those photos have been kind of piling up on my phone, until I started to run out of space.
I ended up spending a few minutes here and there deleting things I had already used and had no reason to keep. Do I really need that pic of a Little Tikes table that sold nearly a year ago? Uhm, that would be a no. Digital spring cleaning--gotta free up those megabytes! When I was done, it struck me just how many pictures I had deleted. It had never dawned on me just how often I grab my phone and snap away.
I can remember when pictures were things you took at parties and on vacation, and not something you did willy nilly every time you saw a broken phone or some interesting graffiti. (Which reminds there's a bit of "wall art" down the street I want to snap.) I'm not being old curmudgeon dude here when I say this. In fact, I love the freedom and flexibility this little gadget gives me, not to mention the blog content. Hardly a day goes by that I don't use it. I'm just surprised at how impermanent all those pics are now. I use them and I toss them. Done.
Junkers are used to dealing with what is called "ephemera." Some specialize in it. You see boxes of it at nearly every estate sale: receipts, letter, bills, old brochures, maps, old cards, notes, postcards, and, yes, even pictures. Printed materials in other words. Stuff on paper. The term "ephemera" speaks to the fragility of paper, its impermanence. It rips and tears. It rots. It burns. Lots of it doesn't last.
Another definition for ephemera is this: Things that are useful only for a very short time. in that sense, all those photos clogging my phone (and probably lots and lots of other phones) are truly ephemeral. That couch I just posted to Craigslist? Don't need it any more. That funny dog I just put on Facebook? Done with it. That plate of food I just Instagramed? Burp.
I don't know that I have any kind of point to this at all. It just struck me as interesting. So does this image: Forty years from now the junkers are pawing through a box of old cell phones and tablets at a yard sale, hoping to strike gold and find one that still has tons of pictures on it. The box is labelled: "ephemera."
It could happen.
I've got Dropbox installed, so the pictures I take on my phone automatically upload to my PC. I still prefer to do what minimal photo editing I know how to do on the computer. I get a little better control than with my fat thumbs on my phone. Since I use the copies on the PC, all those photos have been kind of piling up on my phone, until I started to run out of space.
I ended up spending a few minutes here and there deleting things I had already used and had no reason to keep. Do I really need that pic of a Little Tikes table that sold nearly a year ago? Uhm, that would be a no. Digital spring cleaning--gotta free up those megabytes! When I was done, it struck me just how many pictures I had deleted. It had never dawned on me just how often I grab my phone and snap away.
I can remember when pictures were things you took at parties and on vacation, and not something you did willy nilly every time you saw a broken phone or some interesting graffiti. (Which reminds there's a bit of "wall art" down the street I want to snap.) I'm not being old curmudgeon dude here when I say this. In fact, I love the freedom and flexibility this little gadget gives me, not to mention the blog content. Hardly a day goes by that I don't use it. I'm just surprised at how impermanent all those pics are now. I use them and I toss them. Done.
Junkers are used to dealing with what is called "ephemera." Some specialize in it. You see boxes of it at nearly every estate sale: receipts, letter, bills, old brochures, maps, old cards, notes, postcards, and, yes, even pictures. Printed materials in other words. Stuff on paper. The term "ephemera" speaks to the fragility of paper, its impermanence. It rips and tears. It rots. It burns. Lots of it doesn't last.
Another definition for ephemera is this: Things that are useful only for a very short time. in that sense, all those photos clogging my phone (and probably lots and lots of other phones) are truly ephemeral. That couch I just posted to Craigslist? Don't need it any more. That funny dog I just put on Facebook? Done with it. That plate of food I just Instagramed? Burp.
I don't know that I have any kind of point to this at all. It just struck me as interesting. So does this image: Forty years from now the junkers are pawing through a box of old cell phones and tablets at a yard sale, hoping to strike gold and find one that still has tons of pictures on it. The box is labelled: "ephemera."
It could happen.
Friday, July 19, 2013
What's in a Name?
This is my 1000th post, something I never thought I would reach. It's only taken ten years to get her, after all! In honor of that, I wanted to do something a little more personal. I hope you enjoy it.
My full name is Michael Edward Mitchell. Some of you all already know that, as I have used it a few times here on the blog. I've been "Eddie" derived from the "Edward" part for my whole life, however. It's what I was meant to be called. Never "Mike" or even "Michael."
When my mom was nearly a teenager, her youngest brother, my uncle Mike, was born. Since both of my grandparents worked, and it was the fifties, Mom usually had to take care of him. The story goes that she decided during these times that she would name her first boy "Michael" after him. And so I became a namesake.
The middle name thing came along later. Mom said that she wanted at first to name me "Michael Andrew." The reason she didn't was because she didn't like the name "Andy." Since there was already one Mike in the family, she didn't want to call me by that name, so she needed a workable middle name. Rather than "Andy" she would have called me "Drew." She eventually decided that it was going to be hard enough to get people used to using my middle name. A less common nick name from that middle name might even be more problematic, so she scrapped the idea and went with "Edward."
She said it was just a name she liked, but we found out years later that my great-grandmother had a brother named Edward, so it's actually a family name. If had been a girl, I would have been "Sara Dorine," two more family names--Dorine was my grandmother's name. Mom always said that she was so sure that she was carrying a boy that she referred to me as "Eddie" just about from the moment she found out that she was pregnant.
My uncle Mike was a teenager when I was born. We've talked a lot about how we share some of the same memories of my grandparents in ways that are different from everyone else, because we were both kids. He was one of my first heroes when I was very young. I loved for him to pick me up and play with me. One of the good things that came out of my mother's passing is that we have gotten to be close again. He lives across the river from me, and we both have booths in the same Peddlers Mall. We get together and share stories about junk and go junking and stuff. It's pretty cool.
As far as I was concerned, my name was "Eddie." I never found out about this "Michael" thing until I was in first grade. There I was sitting in the gym with my mom and all the other kids and their parents. They were calling off names, and kids were going off with teachers. They called this "Michael Mitchell" dude, and my mother gets up and starts walking away! WHAT?? She finally turns to me and says: "That's you. Come on." An identity crisis at 5 years old. How cruel is that?
I had a running battle with my name for years after that. I just wanted to be "Eddie." But on the first day of school every year, I was "Michael." Every time I went to the doctor, I was "Michael." Worse yet was when people would take shortcuts and just assume they could call me "Mike" because of the "Michael" part. That's. Not. My. Name.
My biggest problem with "Michael" was that I could not spell it correctly. For years, I got it wrong, prompting my mother to fuss and bemoan my illiteracy. I could do fifth grade math in the third grade, but I could not spell my own name. Where had she failed? It didn't help things much when I would try to point out that from my point of view, my name was "Eddie" and it would be so much simpler if everyone just got used to that. Then I would get the story about where my name comes from.
Somewhere around the sixth grade, I figured out that if I spelled "Michael" correctly, when I looked at it backwards, the first four letters would spell "Leah." Don't ask me how I came up with that, but it worked.
When I graduated high school and saw my name printed out on my cards, I had a revelation about how cool my name actually is. Look at it:
It's wonderfully symmetrical. You can draw a line right through the middle of it, and the are the same number of letters on either side. The first and last name are derivations of each other, so the sort of mirror each other. They have the same number of letters and start and end with the same letter. It really is pretty cool. It sounds awesome when it's all called out, too.
Since college, I've toyed around with using various versions of my name. I did "M. Edward" for a while. That's even still my official signature. I tried "M.E." and also "Michael Edward" which I liked because it sounds really pretentious. In fact, whenever I get business cards, I put the whole thing on there.
In every day life, I'm pretty content to be just plain ole "Eddie." It fits. But never "Ed." The only two people who ever called me that are both gone now. It's kind of reserved for their use. I've stopped fighting the "Michael" thing and will come meekly when called. I do, however, make every attempt to squeeze my whole middle name in when filling out forms, no matter how few spaces they give for the middle initial. Sometimes, the broader culture needs reminding that the first name is not always the "default" name.
My full name is Michael Edward Mitchell. Some of you all already know that, as I have used it a few times here on the blog. I've been "Eddie" derived from the "Edward" part for my whole life, however. It's what I was meant to be called. Never "Mike" or even "Michael."
When my mom was nearly a teenager, her youngest brother, my uncle Mike, was born. Since both of my grandparents worked, and it was the fifties, Mom usually had to take care of him. The story goes that she decided during these times that she would name her first boy "Michael" after him. And so I became a namesake.
The middle name thing came along later. Mom said that she wanted at first to name me "Michael Andrew." The reason she didn't was because she didn't like the name "Andy." Since there was already one Mike in the family, she didn't want to call me by that name, so she needed a workable middle name. Rather than "Andy" she would have called me "Drew." She eventually decided that it was going to be hard enough to get people used to using my middle name. A less common nick name from that middle name might even be more problematic, so she scrapped the idea and went with "Edward."
She said it was just a name she liked, but we found out years later that my great-grandmother had a brother named Edward, so it's actually a family name. If had been a girl, I would have been "Sara Dorine," two more family names--Dorine was my grandmother's name. Mom always said that she was so sure that she was carrying a boy that she referred to me as "Eddie" just about from the moment she found out that she was pregnant.
My uncle Mike was a teenager when I was born. We've talked a lot about how we share some of the same memories of my grandparents in ways that are different from everyone else, because we were both kids. He was one of my first heroes when I was very young. I loved for him to pick me up and play with me. One of the good things that came out of my mother's passing is that we have gotten to be close again. He lives across the river from me, and we both have booths in the same Peddlers Mall. We get together and share stories about junk and go junking and stuff. It's pretty cool.
As far as I was concerned, my name was "Eddie." I never found out about this "Michael" thing until I was in first grade. There I was sitting in the gym with my mom and all the other kids and their parents. They were calling off names, and kids were going off with teachers. They called this "Michael Mitchell" dude, and my mother gets up and starts walking away! WHAT?? She finally turns to me and says: "That's you. Come on." An identity crisis at 5 years old. How cruel is that?
I had a running battle with my name for years after that. I just wanted to be "Eddie." But on the first day of school every year, I was "Michael." Every time I went to the doctor, I was "Michael." Worse yet was when people would take shortcuts and just assume they could call me "Mike" because of the "Michael" part. That's. Not. My. Name.
My biggest problem with "Michael" was that I could not spell it correctly. For years, I got it wrong, prompting my mother to fuss and bemoan my illiteracy. I could do fifth grade math in the third grade, but I could not spell my own name. Where had she failed? It didn't help things much when I would try to point out that from my point of view, my name was "Eddie" and it would be so much simpler if everyone just got used to that. Then I would get the story about where my name comes from.
Somewhere around the sixth grade, I figured out that if I spelled "Michael" correctly, when I looked at it backwards, the first four letters would spell "Leah." Don't ask me how I came up with that, but it worked.
When I graduated high school and saw my name printed out on my cards, I had a revelation about how cool my name actually is. Look at it:
Michael Edward Mitchell
It's wonderfully symmetrical. You can draw a line right through the middle of it, and the are the same number of letters on either side. The first and last name are derivations of each other, so the sort of mirror each other. They have the same number of letters and start and end with the same letter. It really is pretty cool. It sounds awesome when it's all called out, too.
Since college, I've toyed around with using various versions of my name. I did "M. Edward" for a while. That's even still my official signature. I tried "M.E." and also "Michael Edward" which I liked because it sounds really pretentious. In fact, whenever I get business cards, I put the whole thing on there.
In every day life, I'm pretty content to be just plain ole "Eddie." It fits. But never "Ed." The only two people who ever called me that are both gone now. It's kind of reserved for their use. I've stopped fighting the "Michael" thing and will come meekly when called. I do, however, make every attempt to squeeze my whole middle name in when filling out forms, no matter how few spaces they give for the middle initial. Sometimes, the broader culture needs reminding that the first name is not always the "default" name.
Friday, July 05, 2013
This Is How We Do It: Thrifting for ReSale Tips
Eddie-tor's Note: I started this post quite a while ago, but it sat in my drafts forever waiting to be finished. As a result, it is now going up when I'm kind of in a thrift-lull imposed by my chemo and the bricks. Please read this as a description of the way I used to do things, the way I would do things now if I could, and the way things are going to be again--very soon! Thanks!
A lot of re-sellers I know don't like searching for merch at thrifts. 'The prices are too high," they say. "I can never find anything." Most of these folks have never thrifted for fun, pleasure, and personal use, so I don't think they get the thrifts and the thrift mentality. Me, I love them. Always have. Always will. Whether shopping for me personally or for re-sale, going to a thrift is an adventure I look forward to every week.
Which is not to say that there isn't a certain knack involved in thrifting for re-sale. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind.
The wider your net, the better your luck. The more focused you are in your quest, the more specific the type of merchandise you seek, the less likely you are to be successful on a given day. One of the reasons I usually find several items is that I sell a great variety of things. If furniture is too high on a given day, toys and books may not be. Greater focus leads to more finds. (Although there always will be those days where you find absolutely nothing!) If I were totally focused on high end antiques or gold and silver jewelry, I don't think that thrifts would be high on my list.
Routinize your thrift stops. Because of travel distances and gas prices, one of the best way to keep expenses down is work your thrift stops into other trips that you have to make. The way I look at it, if I am heading somewhere I have to be for some other reason, that thrift stop doesn't add any extra expense to the trip. It's just a stop-over. I'm lucky in that my weekly work route takes me by three thrifts. I can't help but build in a few extra minutes every few days for a quick junking run.
Not all thrifts are created equally. Let's be honest. Some thrifts are over-priced for what they have. Some are full of nothing but crap. Others are just a musty, dusty mess. It's okay to recognize that some thrifts are just not worth trying regularly, even if they are convenient. There's a thrift in the same building where I have a booth. Even though I am over there regularly, I still only stop in there only once every few weeks. It's just that hit or miss. I walk out of there empty-handed more than any other thrift.
But neither should any be totally written off. On the other hand, that same thrift has frequent sales, with deep discounts. So I keep an eye on it, in order to know what's going on, but limit my visits based on experience. Infrequency makes the heart grow fonder.
Small hauls add up. Even if you only find a few items every time you visit a thrift, that haul adds up over time. I try to be excited and thankful for every little bit I can find.
Know the policies. Stick to them. Thrift stores have a purpose, typically supporting some charity or cause. They also have expenses to meet--including overhead and payroll. They're not flea markets, and generally bargaining is not encouraged or appreciated. If you know you are at a store where the prices are fixed, don't embarrass yourself or the staff by trying to bargain. Also, make sure you know their policies on returns (in case an item doesn't work) and on holding purchases (in case you buy something large). There's a store in town I love, but they have an odd rule about not shopping out of the carts that the staff are using to stock shelves. I think it's weird and arbitrary, but it's their store, so I honor the rule.
Be polite to the staff. Chances are they're only making minimum wage. They have to put up with a wide variety of people, some of whom can be demanding and rude. Don't add to their burden. Dealers have a bad rep because some of them are some of the biggest assholes you can run across. I've kind of made it my mission to make a different impression on folks. That includes thrift staff. As a result, some of them have gotten to know me and my interests. They'll point things out to me when I'm in the store. I never ask them to bend the rules, but I do take the time to make some conversation.
Don't be afraid to politely ask for what you need. There's a clerk at the local Goodwill who is kind of haphazard with her wrapping. Sometimes she'll wrap breakables, sometimes she won't. I've learned that if she's in the mood where she's not wrapping, that I need to ask her and she will. If there's something you need or want, that isn't against any posted rules or guidelines, it never hurts to ask. Just be understanding if they cannot do it.
Stay informed. Some stores have regular sales. Others have systems for rotating merchandise so that something is always on sale. Some even have some sort of sale running every day. Staying informed can lead you to the best bargains. Do you know if a store in your area has half-off on Monday holidays? Sign up for email lists. Check the web. Look for Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. There are lots of ways to stay on top of what's going on at your fave thrift. Take advantage of them.
Wrapping stuff well is an art. Getting your purchases home in one piece can be a challenge, whether from a thrift or a yard sale. When you thrift on a bike, like I do frequently, it's even more challenging. Some cashiers are diligent about doing it well. Others, not so much. I've been known to throw in a helping hand when I have a large order or I see that it's not quite up to snuff. I do it under the guise of helping out, not being critical. Everything I know about effective wrapping I learned from one of the best thrift clerks in the city. One of these days, I'll do a post about that.
Large orders take time. Along with the above, I also try to be really friendly with the clerk and with the folks in line behind me on days when I'm buying a lot of stuff. It kind of eases the tension that builds up when people have to wait. I also make sure to thank everyone effusively when we're all done. Always let the little old lady who is just buying a hat or something small go in front of your cartful of stuff. That's a rule.
Check everywhere in the store. Thrifts are the worst for items getting moved and never put back. There's usually too much stuff to keep up with. You may not buy toys, but check the toys anyway. The vintage scarf you find over there may be right up your alley. Check the kids books for adult titles that got misplaced. Plus, older and vintage items often get mixed in with the newer stuff. Make two or three passes, just to make sure you get everything and see everywhere. It's not always convenient, but it's worth it. A couple of thrifts here in town put stuff in these bins that are attached to the tops of the clothing racks, and it's always stuff that is not at all related to clothing. They treat them as overflow display for any type of item, so a lot of people give them a miss. I've made great finds in those bins.
Have fun! If you're not enjoying it at least a little, then why are you doing it? Seriously, find another avenue for your stuff-gathering. The day re-selling stops being fun is the day I stop. There are too many sour-faced dealers out there as it is.
Don't force yourself to spend money. You don't have to buy something every time you come into a thrift. If it doesn't speak strongly to you, don't buy it. If it doesn't speak to you at all, don't buy it. If you have four of them waiting to go into a space, don't buy it. Use your head and common sense. If I'm thrifting and I see several "eh" items, but no "wow" item, I tend to pass by, unless I really need stuff. My personal rule is that one "wow" item trumps several "eh" items. The corollary is that I have to find the "wow" item before putting any "eh" items in my cart. It serves me well and keeps me on budget.
That's how I try to do it, anyway. As always, your thrifting mileage may vary. I'd love to hear your thoughts or ideas in the comments.
A lot of re-sellers I know don't like searching for merch at thrifts. 'The prices are too high," they say. "I can never find anything." Most of these folks have never thrifted for fun, pleasure, and personal use, so I don't think they get the thrifts and the thrift mentality. Me, I love them. Always have. Always will. Whether shopping for me personally or for re-sale, going to a thrift is an adventure I look forward to every week.
Which is not to say that there isn't a certain knack involved in thrifting for re-sale. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind.
The wider your net, the better your luck. The more focused you are in your quest, the more specific the type of merchandise you seek, the less likely you are to be successful on a given day. One of the reasons I usually find several items is that I sell a great variety of things. If furniture is too high on a given day, toys and books may not be. Greater focus leads to more finds. (Although there always will be those days where you find absolutely nothing!) If I were totally focused on high end antiques or gold and silver jewelry, I don't think that thrifts would be high on my list.
Routinize your thrift stops. Because of travel distances and gas prices, one of the best way to keep expenses down is work your thrift stops into other trips that you have to make. The way I look at it, if I am heading somewhere I have to be for some other reason, that thrift stop doesn't add any extra expense to the trip. It's just a stop-over. I'm lucky in that my weekly work route takes me by three thrifts. I can't help but build in a few extra minutes every few days for a quick junking run.
Not all thrifts are created equally. Let's be honest. Some thrifts are over-priced for what they have. Some are full of nothing but crap. Others are just a musty, dusty mess. It's okay to recognize that some thrifts are just not worth trying regularly, even if they are convenient. There's a thrift in the same building where I have a booth. Even though I am over there regularly, I still only stop in there only once every few weeks. It's just that hit or miss. I walk out of there empty-handed more than any other thrift.
But neither should any be totally written off. On the other hand, that same thrift has frequent sales, with deep discounts. So I keep an eye on it, in order to know what's going on, but limit my visits based on experience. Infrequency makes the heart grow fonder.
Small hauls add up. Even if you only find a few items every time you visit a thrift, that haul adds up over time. I try to be excited and thankful for every little bit I can find.
Know the policies. Stick to them. Thrift stores have a purpose, typically supporting some charity or cause. They also have expenses to meet--including overhead and payroll. They're not flea markets, and generally bargaining is not encouraged or appreciated. If you know you are at a store where the prices are fixed, don't embarrass yourself or the staff by trying to bargain. Also, make sure you know their policies on returns (in case an item doesn't work) and on holding purchases (in case you buy something large). There's a store in town I love, but they have an odd rule about not shopping out of the carts that the staff are using to stock shelves. I think it's weird and arbitrary, but it's their store, so I honor the rule.
Be polite to the staff. Chances are they're only making minimum wage. They have to put up with a wide variety of people, some of whom can be demanding and rude. Don't add to their burden. Dealers have a bad rep because some of them are some of the biggest assholes you can run across. I've kind of made it my mission to make a different impression on folks. That includes thrift staff. As a result, some of them have gotten to know me and my interests. They'll point things out to me when I'm in the store. I never ask them to bend the rules, but I do take the time to make some conversation.
Don't be afraid to politely ask for what you need. There's a clerk at the local Goodwill who is kind of haphazard with her wrapping. Sometimes she'll wrap breakables, sometimes she won't. I've learned that if she's in the mood where she's not wrapping, that I need to ask her and she will. If there's something you need or want, that isn't against any posted rules or guidelines, it never hurts to ask. Just be understanding if they cannot do it.
Stay informed. Some stores have regular sales. Others have systems for rotating merchandise so that something is always on sale. Some even have some sort of sale running every day. Staying informed can lead you to the best bargains. Do you know if a store in your area has half-off on Monday holidays? Sign up for email lists. Check the web. Look for Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. There are lots of ways to stay on top of what's going on at your fave thrift. Take advantage of them.
Wrapping stuff well is an art. Getting your purchases home in one piece can be a challenge, whether from a thrift or a yard sale. When you thrift on a bike, like I do frequently, it's even more challenging. Some cashiers are diligent about doing it well. Others, not so much. I've been known to throw in a helping hand when I have a large order or I see that it's not quite up to snuff. I do it under the guise of helping out, not being critical. Everything I know about effective wrapping I learned from one of the best thrift clerks in the city. One of these days, I'll do a post about that.
Large orders take time. Along with the above, I also try to be really friendly with the clerk and with the folks in line behind me on days when I'm buying a lot of stuff. It kind of eases the tension that builds up when people have to wait. I also make sure to thank everyone effusively when we're all done. Always let the little old lady who is just buying a hat or something small go in front of your cartful of stuff. That's a rule.
Check everywhere in the store. Thrifts are the worst for items getting moved and never put back. There's usually too much stuff to keep up with. You may not buy toys, but check the toys anyway. The vintage scarf you find over there may be right up your alley. Check the kids books for adult titles that got misplaced. Plus, older and vintage items often get mixed in with the newer stuff. Make two or three passes, just to make sure you get everything and see everywhere. It's not always convenient, but it's worth it. A couple of thrifts here in town put stuff in these bins that are attached to the tops of the clothing racks, and it's always stuff that is not at all related to clothing. They treat them as overflow display for any type of item, so a lot of people give them a miss. I've made great finds in those bins.
Have fun! If you're not enjoying it at least a little, then why are you doing it? Seriously, find another avenue for your stuff-gathering. The day re-selling stops being fun is the day I stop. There are too many sour-faced dealers out there as it is.
Don't force yourself to spend money. You don't have to buy something every time you come into a thrift. If it doesn't speak strongly to you, don't buy it. If it doesn't speak to you at all, don't buy it. If you have four of them waiting to go into a space, don't buy it. Use your head and common sense. If I'm thrifting and I see several "eh" items, but no "wow" item, I tend to pass by, unless I really need stuff. My personal rule is that one "wow" item trumps several "eh" items. The corollary is that I have to find the "wow" item before putting any "eh" items in my cart. It serves me well and keeps me on budget.
That's how I try to do it, anyway. As always, your thrifting mileage may vary. I'd love to hear your thoughts or ideas in the comments.
Monday, July 01, 2013
Monday Rambles
I'll warn you in advance, this is one of the rambliest rambles I've put down in digital ink in ages. Get ready for a wild ride!
Another chemo week is down the pike and I'm slowly crawling out of the pit. I've figured out that part of the problem during chemo weeks is the extra pills I have to take to accommodate my shots and stuff. The Benadryl beforehand makes me so sleepy I can't stand it, so I end up going home after my shots and going to bed. By the time I wake up, the chills from the shot are setting in, so I have to take more pills. I think all the extra meds contribute to my nausea problems. I know I start feeling better by Sunday, when all of the extra stuff has filtered out of my system. Then I can start dealing with the bricks.
One more to go! One more to go! I'm filled with an equal measure of anticipation and dread. Sometimes, just thinking about going back to the cancer center makes me reflexively retch.
My grandfather passed away Saturday morning. They said he had a really rough couple of days and then passed on. I'm really glad that we went to see him week before last. He was alert and talkative then, and that's a good final memory to have. He was 94, and kind of just gave out. The last few years were pretty rough on him. Besides his own declining health, one of my uncles passed away in 2009 and then Mom died in 2010. I cannot imagine being in your 90's and yet having to bury your kids. No one expects that.
His funeral will be Tuesday, which is going to make for an odd sort of week. The Fourth was already throwing an extra day off in there, and I'm still trying to recover from missing a day of work last week due to chemo. It's going to be a short week, but one with lots of commotion, apparently.
For some reason, my sales decided to pick up over the last week and a half. That was a bright spot during the week of chemo blight. All of a sudden, I started selling large items again and making my sales targets. I finally made rent, and now I'll be getting a (very small) check. But it will be a check. Now I've got to get busy and replenish my stash of larger items. About half my floor stock of small furniture is gone. Luckily, I kind of made up for that with some weekend shopping.
I did get out to one church sale over the weekend. We actually went to two, but the second one wasn't happening until Sunday. What kind of church does that? I mean, besides the Adventists? We did end up going back on Sunday, but it was a bust. We found enough stuff at another Sunday stop to more than make up for that minor irritant. More details on that tomorrow.
Speaking of church stuff, week before last when I was working my booth, there was a woman there seated on the floor in front of my religious wall. She was going through all the pamphlets and booklets very carefully, like she was looking for certain particulars. At one point, she asked me where I found all the older Catholic resources. I kind of gave my usual hem and haw answer (junkers don't reveal their sources easily), so she asked if I was Catholic. My answer to that is always "I'm not, but my father was." She asked if I was raised Catholic. I told her that I was raised Southern Baptist. (The "Southern" part is very important--even all these years later.) I didn't mention my conscious lack of a religious affiliation these days. That seems a bit too personal for a casual conversation with a stranger.
Anyway, in the middle of all this, she says" Well, you know those guys in Rome right now aren't the Catholic Church. It's been nothing but anti-popes since 1958." OMG! I have a real-life sedevacantist on my hands! I knew that Louisville had an SSPX chapel, because I had been to an awesome yard sale there one time, but I had no idea that there was anyone in town who was so anti-Vatican II that they went to the extreme positions. Wow! Now I realize why she was looking through everything so carefully. She was checking for publication dates and imprimaturs!
She told me that she appreciated the stuff I had for sale and that it was a great resource for her and others, then left. Wow! I'm supplying goods for extreme traditionalist Catholics! Who knew? For the record, I find church politics almost as fascinating as church articles.
Day by Days: It was another solid week, for the most part, but not a spectacular one. The show was more about laying groundwork for some of the bigger action to come, as Sami prepares for trial and EJ moves ahead with his plot to take down Stefano. I'm beginning to wonder if Kate wasn't the one who swiped the razor from Rafe's room, to bog down Sami's defense. Judi Evans was excellent this week as Adrienne tried to keep her fears in check and keep from alienating her family. Sonny and Will and the baby are so cute together. Nice little moments with Nick/Will, Gabi/Nick, Kate/Sami (loved how Sami's hand kept hovering over Kate's shoulder, inches away from giving a little comfort, yet totally unable to reach out to her worst enemy), EJ/Chad and Adrienne/Jennifer. JJ continues to annoy me. The Cameron/Abby/Chad triangle looks to be boring as grass growing. Who is the rooting couple supposed to be? Durned if I know. And, we got a Lucas scene! Not enough of those these days.
Kim Thompson died recently. I was going to mention here it last week, but I forgot. He was co-publisher of Fantagraphics, which was one of my favorite comic book companies. Towards the end of my comic book days, most of what I was reading were Fanta titles. He was responsible for, among other things, bringing the works of Lewis Trondheim and Swedish artist Jason into print in English. He brought wonderful things to an impoverished American comics market, and had a tremendous impact on my own reading habits. He will be missed.
Finally a political note. (Those of you who don't really want to read this sort of thing can skip the next two paragraphs. I probably should have said that about my Days paragraph too.)
Like a lot of folks, I am celebrating the Supreme Court decision last week in the DOMA/Prop 8 cases. At the same time, I am only cautiously optimistic about the eventual results of the decision. For one thing, Keith and I still cannot get married under the laws of this state. The decision changed nothing about that. We cannot go to a state where same-sex marriage is legal, get married, and have that marriage recognized here. That part of DOMA was not in the challenge. My parents were married sixteen yers before they split. Keith and I have been together 23. My mother was able to get an increase in her Social Security when my dad died, and they weren't even married then! Me? It's not totally clear yet. That's what I get out of the decision. Not entirely clear yet.
I'm not downing the decision. It was the right one. It was a strong challenge to an unjust law. All I'm saying is that looking at the aftermath and the meaning has to be done with a careful eye. To go further, there is no federal law protecting LGBT folks from discrimination in housing or employment. Unless someone lives in one of the cities or states that offers such protection, then they can be fired or evicted simply for being gay. It's 2013, and this is still reality. It's unconscionable. We won a big deal last week. There's no doubt about that. We also still have a long ways to go.
From chemo to yard sales to soaps to Catholics to comics! From the personal to the political! I've hit the rambling gamut today, haven't I? How about that? About the only thing that didn't make it in was an Emmylou Harris mention. And now you have that.
Despite everything that's gone on this year, I have managed to stay on track with my posting goals. We are halfway through the year, and I am just a little over halfway to my posting goal of 200 posts for 2013. Blogging has helped me cope with the stress of chemo, and I appreciate your reading along with me. This week is already plotted out and pre-published, so keep checking in.
Another chemo week is down the pike and I'm slowly crawling out of the pit. I've figured out that part of the problem during chemo weeks is the extra pills I have to take to accommodate my shots and stuff. The Benadryl beforehand makes me so sleepy I can't stand it, so I end up going home after my shots and going to bed. By the time I wake up, the chills from the shot are setting in, so I have to take more pills. I think all the extra meds contribute to my nausea problems. I know I start feeling better by Sunday, when all of the extra stuff has filtered out of my system. Then I can start dealing with the bricks.
One more to go! One more to go! I'm filled with an equal measure of anticipation and dread. Sometimes, just thinking about going back to the cancer center makes me reflexively retch.
My grandfather passed away Saturday morning. They said he had a really rough couple of days and then passed on. I'm really glad that we went to see him week before last. He was alert and talkative then, and that's a good final memory to have. He was 94, and kind of just gave out. The last few years were pretty rough on him. Besides his own declining health, one of my uncles passed away in 2009 and then Mom died in 2010. I cannot imagine being in your 90's and yet having to bury your kids. No one expects that.
His funeral will be Tuesday, which is going to make for an odd sort of week. The Fourth was already throwing an extra day off in there, and I'm still trying to recover from missing a day of work last week due to chemo. It's going to be a short week, but one with lots of commotion, apparently.
For some reason, my sales decided to pick up over the last week and a half. That was a bright spot during the week of chemo blight. All of a sudden, I started selling large items again and making my sales targets. I finally made rent, and now I'll be getting a (very small) check. But it will be a check. Now I've got to get busy and replenish my stash of larger items. About half my floor stock of small furniture is gone. Luckily, I kind of made up for that with some weekend shopping.
I did get out to one church sale over the weekend. We actually went to two, but the second one wasn't happening until Sunday. What kind of church does that? I mean, besides the Adventists? We did end up going back on Sunday, but it was a bust. We found enough stuff at another Sunday stop to more than make up for that minor irritant. More details on that tomorrow.
Speaking of church stuff, week before last when I was working my booth, there was a woman there seated on the floor in front of my religious wall. She was going through all the pamphlets and booklets very carefully, like she was looking for certain particulars. At one point, she asked me where I found all the older Catholic resources. I kind of gave my usual hem and haw answer (junkers don't reveal their sources easily), so she asked if I was Catholic. My answer to that is always "I'm not, but my father was." She asked if I was raised Catholic. I told her that I was raised Southern Baptist. (The "Southern" part is very important--even all these years later.) I didn't mention my conscious lack of a religious affiliation these days. That seems a bit too personal for a casual conversation with a stranger.
Anyway, in the middle of all this, she says" Well, you know those guys in Rome right now aren't the Catholic Church. It's been nothing but anti-popes since 1958." OMG! I have a real-life sedevacantist on my hands! I knew that Louisville had an SSPX chapel, because I had been to an awesome yard sale there one time, but I had no idea that there was anyone in town who was so anti-Vatican II that they went to the extreme positions. Wow! Now I realize why she was looking through everything so carefully. She was checking for publication dates and imprimaturs!
She told me that she appreciated the stuff I had for sale and that it was a great resource for her and others, then left. Wow! I'm supplying goods for extreme traditionalist Catholics! Who knew? For the record, I find church politics almost as fascinating as church articles.
Day by Days: It was another solid week, for the most part, but not a spectacular one. The show was more about laying groundwork for some of the bigger action to come, as Sami prepares for trial and EJ moves ahead with his plot to take down Stefano. I'm beginning to wonder if Kate wasn't the one who swiped the razor from Rafe's room, to bog down Sami's defense. Judi Evans was excellent this week as Adrienne tried to keep her fears in check and keep from alienating her family. Sonny and Will and the baby are so cute together. Nice little moments with Nick/Will, Gabi/Nick, Kate/Sami (loved how Sami's hand kept hovering over Kate's shoulder, inches away from giving a little comfort, yet totally unable to reach out to her worst enemy), EJ/Chad and Adrienne/Jennifer. JJ continues to annoy me. The Cameron/Abby/Chad triangle looks to be boring as grass growing. Who is the rooting couple supposed to be? Durned if I know. And, we got a Lucas scene! Not enough of those these days.
Kim Thompson died recently. I was going to mention here it last week, but I forgot. He was co-publisher of Fantagraphics, which was one of my favorite comic book companies. Towards the end of my comic book days, most of what I was reading were Fanta titles. He was responsible for, among other things, bringing the works of Lewis Trondheim and Swedish artist Jason into print in English. He brought wonderful things to an impoverished American comics market, and had a tremendous impact on my own reading habits. He will be missed.
Finally a political note. (Those of you who don't really want to read this sort of thing can skip the next two paragraphs. I probably should have said that about my Days paragraph too.)
Like a lot of folks, I am celebrating the Supreme Court decision last week in the DOMA/Prop 8 cases. At the same time, I am only cautiously optimistic about the eventual results of the decision. For one thing, Keith and I still cannot get married under the laws of this state. The decision changed nothing about that. We cannot go to a state where same-sex marriage is legal, get married, and have that marriage recognized here. That part of DOMA was not in the challenge. My parents were married sixteen yers before they split. Keith and I have been together 23. My mother was able to get an increase in her Social Security when my dad died, and they weren't even married then! Me? It's not totally clear yet. That's what I get out of the decision. Not entirely clear yet.
I'm not downing the decision. It was the right one. It was a strong challenge to an unjust law. All I'm saying is that looking at the aftermath and the meaning has to be done with a careful eye. To go further, there is no federal law protecting LGBT folks from discrimination in housing or employment. Unless someone lives in one of the cities or states that offers such protection, then they can be fired or evicted simply for being gay. It's 2013, and this is still reality. It's unconscionable. We won a big deal last week. There's no doubt about that. We also still have a long ways to go.
From chemo to yard sales to soaps to Catholics to comics! From the personal to the political! I've hit the rambling gamut today, haven't I? How about that? About the only thing that didn't make it in was an Emmylou Harris mention. And now you have that.
Despite everything that's gone on this year, I have managed to stay on track with my posting goals. We are halfway through the year, and I am just a little over halfway to my posting goal of 200 posts for 2013. Blogging has helped me cope with the stress of chemo, and I appreciate your reading along with me. This week is already plotted out and pre-published, so keep checking in.
Friday, January 11, 2013
2012: The Year that Was (Non-Cancer Edition)
Sooooooo....
What else happened to me in 2012? Surely it wasn't all melanoma melodrama!
Damn tooting! Except for Nigel and Sixtus, it was actually a pretty darn good year.
For starters, no one in the family died--neither human nor feline. I'm kind of at the age where that has become one of the signs of a good year. A few weeks after Mom died, I was standing in the graveyard and he looked around and said: "There's an awful lot of people in here I used to sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner with." I'm kinda glad to have kept the number of folks above the ground the same this year.
Then there's the job front. My plethora of part-time gigs here and there yielded a connection that in turn yielded an awesome regular part-time gig, with just enough hours at the right amount of pay that allows me to do work that I love, and still have plenty of time for junking!
I don't get benefits, but I got picked up on Keith's insurance this summer. That is what has enabled me to get my surgery.
I had what I consider to be my best year of blogging ever, with over 200 posts in the hopper at year's end.
The junking front continues to reap benefits for me, both fiscal and otherwise. I'll be writing a lot more about that in the year to come.
We bought a new car that's the right size for running around town, going camping, and junking! The best of all worlds!
We saw Kris Kristofferson give an awesome open air show! We also took a lovely trip to celebrate
Yes, those two tumorous twerps did rear their ugly little mugs, but they were dispatched. Now, I just need to make it through the next steps, whatever those may be. I really wish it was all over, but there is still some ways to go, unfortunately.
Overall, though, I can't complain. There are things I could have done better. Things I should have done better. Things I wish I had done. Things I wish I hadn't. In that regard, it was a lot like every other year. Looking back always brings that kind of feeling, doesn't it?
As for 2013, who knows? I guess we'll just have to take that journey together, huh?
What else happened to me in 2012? Surely it wasn't all melanoma melodrama!
Damn tooting! Except for Nigel and Sixtus, it was actually a pretty darn good year.
For starters, no one in the family died--neither human nor feline. I'm kind of at the age where that has become one of the signs of a good year. A few weeks after Mom died, I was standing in the graveyard and he looked around and said: "There's an awful lot of people in here I used to sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner with." I'm kinda glad to have kept the number of folks above the ground the same this year.
Then there's the job front. My plethora of part-time gigs here and there yielded a connection that in turn yielded an awesome regular part-time gig, with just enough hours at the right amount of pay that allows me to do work that I love, and still have plenty of time for junking!
I don't get benefits, but I got picked up on Keith's insurance this summer. That is what has enabled me to get my surgery.
I had what I consider to be my best year of blogging ever, with over 200 posts in the hopper at year's end.
The junking front continues to reap benefits for me, both fiscal and otherwise. I'll be writing a lot more about that in the year to come.
We bought a new car that's the right size for running around town, going camping, and junking! The best of all worlds!
We saw Kris Kristofferson give an awesome open air show! We also took a lovely trip to celebrate
Yes, those two tumorous twerps did rear their ugly little mugs, but they were dispatched. Now, I just need to make it through the next steps, whatever those may be. I really wish it was all over, but there is still some ways to go, unfortunately.
Overall, though, I can't complain. There are things I could have done better. Things I should have done better. Things I wish I had done. Things I wish I hadn't. In that regard, it was a lot like every other year. Looking back always brings that kind of feeling, doesn't it?
As for 2013, who knows? I guess we'll just have to take that journey together, huh?
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Goals 2013 (Long Term)
I think I'm going to spend some time the rest of this week blogging about personal stuff related to 2012 and 2013--recaps and goals and such. I usually don't seem to get to these posts until about the end of January every year, but I seem to have some free time on my hands right now.
I've written before about January as a time for looking forward and looking back. I think I've also explained the way I feel about New Year's Resolutions, which are kind of like cultural cliches, and goals for the year, which to me implies targets that are reachable, but which require work throughout the year to make them.
When I used to keep a paper journal, I would leave a bookmark on the page where I wrote my year's goals, so I could look back on them from time to time and remind myself about the things I wanted to accomplish. One thing I learned was to write every goal so that I would know for sure that I had met it. There's no point in saying "I will be a better person in 2013." because you have no standard or way to measure it by. If you can instead focus on actions that you want to take or habits that you want to eliminate, you'll know for sure that you made your goal.
I used to be absolutely horrible with my bank account--constantly overdrawn, bouncing checks, losing tons of money to fees. Setting the goal of "being financially responsible" didn't seem to help. What does that even mean for me? It wasn't until I set the goal of not bouncing any checks for a year that I was able to get a handle on the issue. In order to not bounce checks, I had to identify the things I needed to be doing to prevent that from happening. It took a couple of years, but I did get that under control.
That's the way I approach it anyway. I'm not a lifestyle expert and I've never been on Oprah or written a book, so take that as you will. I'm just a babbly junker with a blog.
As for me and 2013, I've got several goals that I'd like to meet this year. Several of them are a bit too personal for me to put up in a public forum like this. Some of them are so boring that I cannot think that anyone would have any interest in them at all. There are, however, a couple that I can share here. If I remember, we'll look back on these and see how I did at the end of the year.
No pun intended, but my biggest issue right now is my weight. I weighed in at the hospital at 264 pounds, which is the largest I have ever been. I know it's the largest I have ever been, because every time I hit that number, I start working like nuts to get a few pounds off. It's been probably more than five years since I've had any kind of regular fitness and diet thing going on--one designed to take weight out and help keep it off.
It will be a little while yet before I can really start doing anything about this, obviously, but once I've bounced back from the surgery, I'd like to really work on my weight. My goal for this year is to drop 40 pounds by the end of the year. We'll definitely drop back in on this one and see how it's going.
Meeting my blog goal for 2012 was a big deal for me. I've not blogged that regularly for that long since I started this blog back in 2003. (Is this my tenth anniversary year? Oooooo!) While I'm not sure that I've really added that much to the overall signal to noise ratio of the wider internet, I'm kind of happy with myself for applying the necessary organization, planning, and discipline into practice to make 200 posts happen. I definitely want to do that again. Once again, I'm shooting for 200 posts this year, which will also propel me past two other goals. I'm on the verge of 900 total posts now, so I should hit 1000 before the end of the year, if I can add 200 to that total. 1000 posts in my first ten years! Insert sarcastic "woo hoo!" here.
Finally, a business goal. Like a lot of junkers, I have succumbed to the temptation of buying too much stuff. I've got way more in backlog than I absolutely need. You simply don't make money on it when it sits and waits. This is an extreme goal, but a necessary one. By the end of the year, I will have all of my backlog stashes (there are three) cleared out and in the booths.
Okay, that's enough about me. If you've read this far, you deserve a cookie or something. What about you? Did you set any goals for 2013?
I've written before about January as a time for looking forward and looking back. I think I've also explained the way I feel about New Year's Resolutions, which are kind of like cultural cliches, and goals for the year, which to me implies targets that are reachable, but which require work throughout the year to make them.
When I used to keep a paper journal, I would leave a bookmark on the page where I wrote my year's goals, so I could look back on them from time to time and remind myself about the things I wanted to accomplish. One thing I learned was to write every goal so that I would know for sure that I had met it. There's no point in saying "I will be a better person in 2013." because you have no standard or way to measure it by. If you can instead focus on actions that you want to take or habits that you want to eliminate, you'll know for sure that you made your goal.
I used to be absolutely horrible with my bank account--constantly overdrawn, bouncing checks, losing tons of money to fees. Setting the goal of "being financially responsible" didn't seem to help. What does that even mean for me? It wasn't until I set the goal of not bouncing any checks for a year that I was able to get a handle on the issue. In order to not bounce checks, I had to identify the things I needed to be doing to prevent that from happening. It took a couple of years, but I did get that under control.
That's the way I approach it anyway. I'm not a lifestyle expert and I've never been on Oprah or written a book, so take that as you will. I'm just a babbly junker with a blog.
As for me and 2013, I've got several goals that I'd like to meet this year. Several of them are a bit too personal for me to put up in a public forum like this. Some of them are so boring that I cannot think that anyone would have any interest in them at all. There are, however, a couple that I can share here. If I remember, we'll look back on these and see how I did at the end of the year.
No pun intended, but my biggest issue right now is my weight. I weighed in at the hospital at 264 pounds, which is the largest I have ever been. I know it's the largest I have ever been, because every time I hit that number, I start working like nuts to get a few pounds off. It's been probably more than five years since I've had any kind of regular fitness and diet thing going on--one designed to take weight out and help keep it off.
It will be a little while yet before I can really start doing anything about this, obviously, but once I've bounced back from the surgery, I'd like to really work on my weight. My goal for this year is to drop 40 pounds by the end of the year. We'll definitely drop back in on this one and see how it's going.
Meeting my blog goal for 2012 was a big deal for me. I've not blogged that regularly for that long since I started this blog back in 2003. (Is this my tenth anniversary year? Oooooo!) While I'm not sure that I've really added that much to the overall signal to noise ratio of the wider internet, I'm kind of happy with myself for applying the necessary organization, planning, and discipline into practice to make 200 posts happen. I definitely want to do that again. Once again, I'm shooting for 200 posts this year, which will also propel me past two other goals. I'm on the verge of 900 total posts now, so I should hit 1000 before the end of the year, if I can add 200 to that total. 1000 posts in my first ten years! Insert sarcastic "woo hoo!" here.
Finally, a business goal. Like a lot of junkers, I have succumbed to the temptation of buying too much stuff. I've got way more in backlog than I absolutely need. You simply don't make money on it when it sits and waits. This is an extreme goal, but a necessary one. By the end of the year, I will have all of my backlog stashes (there are three) cleared out and in the booths.
Okay, that's enough about me. If you've read this far, you deserve a cookie or something. What about you? Did you set any goals for 2013?
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thoughts on Black Friday
That title is a bit of a double entendre, actually. These are both thoughts about Black Friday and thoughts that I am having/writing during the morning of Black Friday. It works for me.
My relationship to Black Friday has changed a bit over the years, due to a couple of reasons. One is the change in my income/status caused by the loss of my last full-time employment a couple of years ago. Even now, when I'm in better economic shape thanks to a good part-time job, I'm not nearly as up on BF as I used to be. There's also my realization that I simply have way too much stuff. I really don't need any more. Really. That's one of the reasons that I started re-selling.
On the other hand, as a re-seller, I have a bit of a vested interest in any day where people go out and buy stuff. I just want them to buy it from me.
We used to be dedicated BF folks. We'd plan our day, get up early, wait in line, etc. I do need to make it clear, however, that we never lined up the night before, never shopped on Thanksgiving, and never, ever got into the madness at Wal-Mart. We may have been dedicated, but we weren't fanatic.
The past couple of years, I've gotten up early for the Half-Price Books gift card giveaway, shopped there, and then gone home and gone to bed. This year, I'm going to go for their sale, but I've kind of given up the idea of getting that 100 dollar gift card. It just ain't gonna happen. We will be heading over there later, as it's kind of my one-stop shopping for holiday gifts these days, but not until a more reasonable hour.
There's a lot to Black Friday that can be seen as unsavory, or at the very least should give one pause for thought:
Given all this, is there another way to "do" Black Friday? One alternative is an outgrowth of the Occupy Movement called Buy Nothing Day. It's an extremist kind of reaction, and, like all such reactions, it's got a few problems.
For one thing, it's indiscriminate. The organizers make no distinction between corporate big boxes and small, locally-owned businesses. The smaller you are, the less able you are to take the hit of no one buying anything from you. I fully admit to the inherent self-interest in this comment.
It's also overly simplistic and idealistic. A couple of pages about BND postulate that it will lead to the decline of the capitalist system. Really? While I do think we all should approach our interactions with the system carefully and thoughtfully, I think we do so in order to make those interactions as ethical and decent as possible. It might in the end lead to societal change, but that's more of a happy, unintentional result, rather than a goal.
It's limited in scope. I know that BF is an easy, bloated target of consumerist madness, but there are 364 other days of the year where we exist as economic beings. If you're actually going for societal change, then your efforts need to be made on more than just one day a year.
Finally, it's not always practical. Food. Medicine. Gas to get to work. There are things that have to be purchased on any given day, including this one.
I've kind of been thinking about this ever since I heard a news story about BND last year. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to writing anything at that time, so now is that chance to get it off my chest. What I'd like to see is a spectrum of "days" developed to counter not only the frenzy of BF, but the whole holiday season. This is an approach that can also be carried on throughout the year, if someone chooses. Here are some ideas:
Buy as Little as Possible Day: A retooling of BND that takes into account necessary shopping. It could also be called Necessities Only Day.
Buy Local Day: Make a point of doing the bulk of your shopping at locally-owned businesses. Keep more of your money in your hometown.
Shop Small Day: This one already exists.
Shop Secondhand Day: Yard sales, thrifts, flea markets, etc. would be the focus on this day. Extending the life of items, putting them back into use, and keeping them out of the landfills are concrete ways to counter the "must have more" consumerist mentality that pervades BF.
Make it Yourself Day. Use What You Have Day. Give Back to the Community Day. Shed Your Excess Stuff Day. Buy American Made Day. There are all kinds of ways to extend this model throughout the year. You could sit down with your 2013 calendar and identify several of these deliberate days throughout the year, maybe even several a month. This is a way to make conscious economic decision-making a regular part of your life.
Once again, I acknowledge that there is a lot of economic self-interest in several of these suggestions. What do you think?
My relationship to Black Friday has changed a bit over the years, due to a couple of reasons. One is the change in my income/status caused by the loss of my last full-time employment a couple of years ago. Even now, when I'm in better economic shape thanks to a good part-time job, I'm not nearly as up on BF as I used to be. There's also my realization that I simply have way too much stuff. I really don't need any more. Really. That's one of the reasons that I started re-selling.
On the other hand, as a re-seller, I have a bit of a vested interest in any day where people go out and buy stuff. I just want them to buy it from me.
We used to be dedicated BF folks. We'd plan our day, get up early, wait in line, etc. I do need to make it clear, however, that we never lined up the night before, never shopped on Thanksgiving, and never, ever got into the madness at Wal-Mart. We may have been dedicated, but we weren't fanatic.
The past couple of years, I've gotten up early for the Half-Price Books gift card giveaway, shopped there, and then gone home and gone to bed. This year, I'm going to go for their sale, but I've kind of given up the idea of getting that 100 dollar gift card. It just ain't gonna happen. We will be heading over there later, as it's kind of my one-stop shopping for holiday gifts these days, but not until a more reasonable hour.
There's a lot to Black Friday that can be seen as unsavory, or at the very least should give one pause for thought:
- It's out of control. It's not just the insanity at Wal-Mart, either. Wednesday evening, we stopped at the grocery to pick up a couple of things for Thanksgiving dinner. There were folks already lined up at the K-Mart next door. That's out of control.
- It encourages excess, whether it's greed, consumerism, or bad behavior.
- Where does the money go? Who truly benefits from this frenzy?
- What about the workers?
Given all this, is there another way to "do" Black Friday? One alternative is an outgrowth of the Occupy Movement called Buy Nothing Day. It's an extremist kind of reaction, and, like all such reactions, it's got a few problems.
For one thing, it's indiscriminate. The organizers make no distinction between corporate big boxes and small, locally-owned businesses. The smaller you are, the less able you are to take the hit of no one buying anything from you. I fully admit to the inherent self-interest in this comment.
It's also overly simplistic and idealistic. A couple of pages about BND postulate that it will lead to the decline of the capitalist system. Really? While I do think we all should approach our interactions with the system carefully and thoughtfully, I think we do so in order to make those interactions as ethical and decent as possible. It might in the end lead to societal change, but that's more of a happy, unintentional result, rather than a goal.
It's limited in scope. I know that BF is an easy, bloated target of consumerist madness, but there are 364 other days of the year where we exist as economic beings. If you're actually going for societal change, then your efforts need to be made on more than just one day a year.
Finally, it's not always practical. Food. Medicine. Gas to get to work. There are things that have to be purchased on any given day, including this one.
I've kind of been thinking about this ever since I heard a news story about BND last year. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to writing anything at that time, so now is that chance to get it off my chest. What I'd like to see is a spectrum of "days" developed to counter not only the frenzy of BF, but the whole holiday season. This is an approach that can also be carried on throughout the year, if someone chooses. Here are some ideas:
Buy as Little as Possible Day: A retooling of BND that takes into account necessary shopping. It could also be called Necessities Only Day.
Buy Local Day: Make a point of doing the bulk of your shopping at locally-owned businesses. Keep more of your money in your hometown.
Shop Small Day: This one already exists.
Shop Secondhand Day: Yard sales, thrifts, flea markets, etc. would be the focus on this day. Extending the life of items, putting them back into use, and keeping them out of the landfills are concrete ways to counter the "must have more" consumerist mentality that pervades BF.
Make it Yourself Day. Use What You Have Day. Give Back to the Community Day. Shed Your Excess Stuff Day. Buy American Made Day. There are all kinds of ways to extend this model throughout the year. You could sit down with your 2013 calendar and identify several of these deliberate days throughout the year, maybe even several a month. This is a way to make conscious economic decision-making a regular part of your life.
Once again, I acknowledge that there is a lot of economic self-interest in several of these suggestions. What do you think?
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
DFTVA!
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| Image courtesy of the vlogbrothers |
I'm off today, due to the election. I've been working on some things online most of the day, but I'm getting ready to stroll over to my polling place and vote. I'm hoping I won't be alone over there. Sometimes, the place is practically empty. I'm also hoping that many of you have either already voted or will do so this afternoon. This one is important, folks.
Honestly, I fear for my country. Not because of who might win the election, although I do have a pretty definite preference there, and I do think that the other guy will do some pretty crappy things if he's elected. I also know that my guy will not be able to do everything that he would like to do should he win. He'll even up doing some things that I do not approve of. But none of that is what I am afraid of.
No, I am afraid because of the nature and tone of political discourse over the last two decades. You don't have to be up on current events to realize how nasty and polarized things have gotten. It used to be that the rhetoric would ratchet down after the election as officeholders had to turn to try and work together. Now, however, it continues 24-7 through the entire year. As a result, we see how little is being done.
Never would I have imagined that one party would simply declare itself the "party of no" to everything a President proposed, even if it were beneficial or even if the idea started from them. No President has had to suffer as many indignities over stupid issues as this one has. And you know it will be worse in the future, no matter which one is chosen.
I fear because we are losing the ability to be civil over differences, to agree to disagree when needed, to find ways to compromise and work together. Compromise means creating a solution that neither side is completely happy with, because both sides have had to make concessions. It means moving forward with solutions that may not be totally ideal, but that will make improvements. Compromise used to be what made politics function and prevented gridlock. Now we've got too many players who refuse make any concessions whatsoever and demand that those around them do the same.
Never before have we had a climate of such increasing ferocity, rigid definitions, and litmus tests. it seems that to identify yourself one way or another means that you have to totally embrace a list of positions or be called a traitor to the cause. Thinking for oneself is not allowed, nor is asking questions. Worse yet, this climate has allowed us to start defining people on the other side, without listening to individuals, by lumping them in huge categories and insisting that this is what they are like. Further, since they are like that we should not have to listen to them, work with them, associate with them, or even be related to them. Polarization creates stereotypes. Stereotypes create further division.
Perhaps saddest of all, so many of these shrill polarizing voices come from outside the political arena itself. Personalities and commentators have so much influence over the public discourse. Outside interest groups can pour so much money into campaign ads that do nothing but further their own interests, not the common good.
Please, vote today as you see fit. Vote your own reasons. Vote your conscience. But then remember, after the polls have closed and the votes have been tallied, no matter who wins or who loses, we are all Americans. We all want what is best for our country. To get there, we have to work together. We have to listen to each other. We don't have to totally agree, but we can recognize good arguments from the other side. We can be open to each other.
If we can't, I fear for my country.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The De-Graying of Suburbia
Yard sales by their nature are an unpredictable lot. You never know what you'll find. You can't really trust the ads and listings, so you just kind of throw yourself out there and hope for the best. The thrill of the hunt is part of the game, after all.
One of the ways that you try to offset the uncertainty is careful planning, especially if you have a lot of experience saling. Steering yourself towards sales that have been particularly worthwhile in the past can often pay off. At least for a while.
One thing I have noticed about going to the same neighborhood or small citywide sales is how quickly the character of those areas can change. One of the great things about suburban area sales is the potential to find cooler, vintage stuff. In some of the original 'burbs, the population is getting older, many are retiring, and quite a few are downsizing. That means getting rid of stuff that they have been holding onto, often times for years. And they usually just want it gone, which means fab prices. At a recent city sale, I was picking up vintage Fisher-Price and Playskool stuff for a buck or less.
However, those sales can be precursors to moving on--to a smaller house, to Florida, to a retirement community. And when older residents leave, newer residents come in. And, typically, they're young families, either just married or with a couple of small children. And slowly, the character of the sales starts to change. Fewer cool old pieces. More baby clothes. More dated decor trend leftovers. More action figures without legs.
Eventually, that neighborhood that was a treasure chest and always worth the stop becomes, well, not worth the effort. I'm starting to see that switchover in some of the neighborhood sales we go to every year. Most are still pretty worthwhile. You never want to discount the thrill of finding an expensive item new in the box for a steal, after all. But, within a year or two, the things that originally attracted us to those areas will be pretty much gone and it will be time to reassess the value of spending an afternoon circling those particular streets.
Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. I think it's a good idea to take a look at those things you've "always done" ad seeing if they're still worthwhile or if you can improve them. I'm not a big fan of change just for the sake of change, but change, in and of itself, is nothing to be afraid of.
Still, I'm going to miss some of those older families and their wonderful treasures. They've given me several really good years of hunting and more than a few really good buys that then turned into really good re-sells. I hope that wherever those folks ended up, that they're happy and contentedly downsized.
One of the ways that you try to offset the uncertainty is careful planning, especially if you have a lot of experience saling. Steering yourself towards sales that have been particularly worthwhile in the past can often pay off. At least for a while.
One thing I have noticed about going to the same neighborhood or small citywide sales is how quickly the character of those areas can change. One of the great things about suburban area sales is the potential to find cooler, vintage stuff. In some of the original 'burbs, the population is getting older, many are retiring, and quite a few are downsizing. That means getting rid of stuff that they have been holding onto, often times for years. And they usually just want it gone, which means fab prices. At a recent city sale, I was picking up vintage Fisher-Price and Playskool stuff for a buck or less.
However, those sales can be precursors to moving on--to a smaller house, to Florida, to a retirement community. And when older residents leave, newer residents come in. And, typically, they're young families, either just married or with a couple of small children. And slowly, the character of the sales starts to change. Fewer cool old pieces. More baby clothes. More dated decor trend leftovers. More action figures without legs.
Eventually, that neighborhood that was a treasure chest and always worth the stop becomes, well, not worth the effort. I'm starting to see that switchover in some of the neighborhood sales we go to every year. Most are still pretty worthwhile. You never want to discount the thrill of finding an expensive item new in the box for a steal, after all. But, within a year or two, the things that originally attracted us to those areas will be pretty much gone and it will be time to reassess the value of spending an afternoon circling those particular streets.
Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. I think it's a good idea to take a look at those things you've "always done" ad seeing if they're still worthwhile or if you can improve them. I'm not a big fan of change just for the sake of change, but change, in and of itself, is nothing to be afraid of.
Still, I'm going to miss some of those older families and their wonderful treasures. They've given me several really good years of hunting and more than a few really good buys that then turned into really good re-sells. I hope that wherever those folks ended up, that they're happy and contentedly downsized.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Practical Advice for Folks Planning to Hold a Yard Sale (Part II)
This is the second part of the yard saling post I started last week! Enjoy!
11. Everyone who comes into your yard is your customer.
Customer service is one of those areas where many yard sales fail. Sometimes this is due to poor planning. It's hard for one person to manage a yard full of stuff and people alone. I saw a seller at an estate sale fussing at a buyer to "make up her mind" because she "was taking too much time" once. That's a dealer whose sales I avoid now.
Say "Hi!" Acknowledge their presence. Offer help if needed, including helping to carry stuff to the car. Stay friendly. Have bags and paper to wrap ready. Have change ready. Treat folks the way you would want to be treated at a yard sale. Answer questions. Offer to hold stuff or make piles. It's really pretty simple.
If your plan is to stay seated in the shade, talking to your friends, and only look at the customers when they come to pay, then you don't get it. You'll have some sales that way, but not as many as if you'd actually gotten involved in the selling.
One of the sales we pulled into just last weekend was being held by three guys who were more interested in swapping ghost stories than selling their (unpriced) stuff. I left without buying anything. Don't make the customer work to give you money.
12. Have a sense of humor about things.
It's going to be a long, hot day. The more you laugh, the better you'll feel. Mistakes are going to happen. You may have periods of an hour or more where no one comes. Play music to keep yourself entertained. Make sure you have people to talk to. Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll be doing enough sweating as it is.
13. Plan to eat, drink and use the potty.
Arrange with someone to bring breakfast and coffee at the beginning and lunch around midday. Keep a supply of drinks on hand. Spell each other for shade and bathroom breaks. Plan to take care of yourself and you'll have a lot more staying power.
14. Have clearly identified people to take money.
Having lots of workers is a good thing, but it can create confusion when it comes to the money. It's better to have only two or three people taking care of that. Get some cheap carpenter's aprons from the hardware store and give the money handlers each one. This will make them easier to identify. They can also circulate and take money on the spot, decreasing waits and lines. Make sure they do cash drops to a secure location in the house from time to time as well.
15. Take care setting up.
Organization is the key to a good sale. Grouping like items makes things easier to find. Keep the valuables together and near someone who will be responsible for watching them. Spread out, so that it looks like you have more stuff and it looks less cluttered. Use as much of the yard/driveway as you can.
Your goal should be to get as much of your stuff spread out as possible. Items left in boxes or piles may be missed by buyers. Not everyone likes to dig.
16. Set up doesn’t stop. It goes on all day long.
When something sells, put something else in its spot. Keep rearranging your tables throughout the day so that they look full and fresh. Condense as the day goes on. A sale that looks like it's still overflowing with goodies attracts more shoppers than one that looks picked over.
If you didn't have room for everything in the morning, then put the extra stuff out as space opens up. Condensing and tidying is also a great way to show yourself how much you are selling. Every little bit of self-encouragement helps on a long, hot day.
If you keep working it, you can have sales and shoppers late into the day. I love pulling up to sales at 3 or 4 in the afternoon!
17. If it didn’t sell in your antique booth at that price, it’s not going to sell in your front yard for that price.
Do I really need to say any more? With the rise in popularity of vendor malls, it's becoming more and more common to see failed vendors unloading their stuff at yard sales. This may be you. That's okay. If you've closed the business down, there's no need to keep looking at all the leftover stuff. Just remember one simple rule:
Your yard sale is not the place to recoup your losses. Seriously. It's not.
18. After you’ve assembled your stuff, but before you have your sale, take a good look at everything.
If all you can see after you’ve put everything together is baby/kids stuff, holiday decorations, craft and scrapbooking stuff or clothes. Take a step back and rethink. You might be better off waiting a while or trying some other route to get rid of your stuff.
Everybody sells these items. I mean everybody. And while some folks do go out to sales looking for these things, there are a lot more that don’t. My time and money are limited, even on weekends. Why would I want to stop at your sale if it looks like everyone else’s or seems like it doesn’t have anything I want/need?
For a lot of buyers (me included), these are the items that over power everything else and make it look like there’s nothing of interest at a sale. You want to avoid this at all costs. I don’t have kids or babies, so why am I going to stop at the yard that seems like it’s overflowing with baby stuff? Your goal is to attract as many people as possible into your sale.
If you can see that you have a ton of the above items, plus a lot of other, more interesting stuff, you need to plan. You don’t want the rest of your stuff to be overshadowed and miss sales. Go through the piles of kids stuff, clothes, etc and edit. Pull out only the very best items for your sale. Donate the rest somewhere. You should reduce your mound by at least a third, if not by half.
When you set up, take care that the baby stuff, holiday decorations, etc aren’t spread all over the yard and aren’t front and center dominating everything else. Put them in the back or off to the side. Folks who want them will look for them. Those of us who roll our eyes at them and pass by will be more likely to notice the other stuff.
Consider not putting all of your craft stuff, etc. out at once. Put out some of it and replenish it as it sells. This reduces the impact on the rest of your sale. And many times, people who are interested in this kind of stuff will ask if you have more, at which point you can bring more out.
Also, consider pricing in bulk, which will clear items out more quickly.
19. At the end of the day, if you’ve not sold much or anything, the primary person responsible is you.
I've heard sellers bitching about buyers not buying lots of times. Usually, it's the sellers who are disorganized, unpriced, with very little to sell. And whose fault is it that people aren't buying things again?
Seriously, I cannot repeat this enough. This is a lot of work. All day long. If all you want to do it sit in the shade and drink beer, go fishing. You get out of your sale what you put into it.
20. I don’t care what your little book, or anyone else says, your item is “worth” what I’m willing to pay for it.
If you really, really want book value for your little dimmy-doodle, put it in an auction and pray. Your front yard is not the place to try and get it. Seriously.
21. Stick it out!
Too many sales these days only go for two or three hours. Most only advertise until noon or so. To me, that's hardly worth the effort of hauling out of bed at the butt-crack of dawn and hauling all that stuff outside. You've put a lot of work into this thing. Don't give up until you've wrung every last drop out of it. The longer you stay open, the more you can sell, especially if you keep cleaning up as the day goes on.
We've never ended a sale before 4:00 pm. There are always at least two good waves of customers in the afternoon. At least, that's what we've found. Start having your half-price between 2:30 and 3:00. Make outrageous bulk deals at 3:30. You'll get your stuff gone. And have fun.
22. BE CAREFUL!!!
Sadly, you can find thieves, grifters, and con artists everywhere these days, including yard sales. Be careful and keep your guard up. This is one reason why having help is so vital. One person simply cannot keep watch on everything.
Don't let people in your house. Keep the front door shut so they can't see in. Cover items in the garage that are not for sale. Better yet, close off the garage entirely.
Don't keep all the money on you or outside. Do a large bill drop to a safe spot in the house every so often. Don't give out a lot of personal info to buyers. Check through clothes and books for cash and receipts before putting them out for sale.
Every so often, you read about someone that got ripped off during a sale or shortly after by one of the "shoppers." Use your common sense and keep your guard up. Don't let the assholes out there spoil a good day.
That's it for my words of wisdom, folks! I make no guarantees about success, of course. But, I do think that putting some thought and planning into what you are doing will make you a lot more likely to succeed than just throwing some crap out in your yard and calling it a sale. Give it a try and see what you think. Maybe I'll meet you on your lawn some Saturday morning!
11. Everyone who comes into your yard is your customer.
Customer service is one of those areas where many yard sales fail. Sometimes this is due to poor planning. It's hard for one person to manage a yard full of stuff and people alone. I saw a seller at an estate sale fussing at a buyer to "make up her mind" because she "was taking too much time" once. That's a dealer whose sales I avoid now.
Say "Hi!" Acknowledge their presence. Offer help if needed, including helping to carry stuff to the car. Stay friendly. Have bags and paper to wrap ready. Have change ready. Treat folks the way you would want to be treated at a yard sale. Answer questions. Offer to hold stuff or make piles. It's really pretty simple.
If your plan is to stay seated in the shade, talking to your friends, and only look at the customers when they come to pay, then you don't get it. You'll have some sales that way, but not as many as if you'd actually gotten involved in the selling.
One of the sales we pulled into just last weekend was being held by three guys who were more interested in swapping ghost stories than selling their (unpriced) stuff. I left without buying anything. Don't make the customer work to give you money.
12. Have a sense of humor about things.
It's going to be a long, hot day. The more you laugh, the better you'll feel. Mistakes are going to happen. You may have periods of an hour or more where no one comes. Play music to keep yourself entertained. Make sure you have people to talk to. Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll be doing enough sweating as it is.
13. Plan to eat, drink and use the potty.
Arrange with someone to bring breakfast and coffee at the beginning and lunch around midday. Keep a supply of drinks on hand. Spell each other for shade and bathroom breaks. Plan to take care of yourself and you'll have a lot more staying power.
14. Have clearly identified people to take money.
Having lots of workers is a good thing, but it can create confusion when it comes to the money. It's better to have only two or three people taking care of that. Get some cheap carpenter's aprons from the hardware store and give the money handlers each one. This will make them easier to identify. They can also circulate and take money on the spot, decreasing waits and lines. Make sure they do cash drops to a secure location in the house from time to time as well.
15. Take care setting up.
Organization is the key to a good sale. Grouping like items makes things easier to find. Keep the valuables together and near someone who will be responsible for watching them. Spread out, so that it looks like you have more stuff and it looks less cluttered. Use as much of the yard/driveway as you can.
Your goal should be to get as much of your stuff spread out as possible. Items left in boxes or piles may be missed by buyers. Not everyone likes to dig.
16. Set up doesn’t stop. It goes on all day long.
When something sells, put something else in its spot. Keep rearranging your tables throughout the day so that they look full and fresh. Condense as the day goes on. A sale that looks like it's still overflowing with goodies attracts more shoppers than one that looks picked over.
If you didn't have room for everything in the morning, then put the extra stuff out as space opens up. Condensing and tidying is also a great way to show yourself how much you are selling. Every little bit of self-encouragement helps on a long, hot day.
If you keep working it, you can have sales and shoppers late into the day. I love pulling up to sales at 3 or 4 in the afternoon!
17. If it didn’t sell in your antique booth at that price, it’s not going to sell in your front yard for that price.
Do I really need to say any more? With the rise in popularity of vendor malls, it's becoming more and more common to see failed vendors unloading their stuff at yard sales. This may be you. That's okay. If you've closed the business down, there's no need to keep looking at all the leftover stuff. Just remember one simple rule:
Your yard sale is not the place to recoup your losses. Seriously. It's not.
18. After you’ve assembled your stuff, but before you have your sale, take a good look at everything.
If all you can see after you’ve put everything together is baby/kids stuff, holiday decorations, craft and scrapbooking stuff or clothes. Take a step back and rethink. You might be better off waiting a while or trying some other route to get rid of your stuff.
Everybody sells these items. I mean everybody. And while some folks do go out to sales looking for these things, there are a lot more that don’t. My time and money are limited, even on weekends. Why would I want to stop at your sale if it looks like everyone else’s or seems like it doesn’t have anything I want/need?
For a lot of buyers (me included), these are the items that over power everything else and make it look like there’s nothing of interest at a sale. You want to avoid this at all costs. I don’t have kids or babies, so why am I going to stop at the yard that seems like it’s overflowing with baby stuff? Your goal is to attract as many people as possible into your sale.
If you can see that you have a ton of the above items, plus a lot of other, more interesting stuff, you need to plan. You don’t want the rest of your stuff to be overshadowed and miss sales. Go through the piles of kids stuff, clothes, etc and edit. Pull out only the very best items for your sale. Donate the rest somewhere. You should reduce your mound by at least a third, if not by half.
When you set up, take care that the baby stuff, holiday decorations, etc aren’t spread all over the yard and aren’t front and center dominating everything else. Put them in the back or off to the side. Folks who want them will look for them. Those of us who roll our eyes at them and pass by will be more likely to notice the other stuff.
Consider not putting all of your craft stuff, etc. out at once. Put out some of it and replenish it as it sells. This reduces the impact on the rest of your sale. And many times, people who are interested in this kind of stuff will ask if you have more, at which point you can bring more out.
Also, consider pricing in bulk, which will clear items out more quickly.
19. At the end of the day, if you’ve not sold much or anything, the primary person responsible is you.
I've heard sellers bitching about buyers not buying lots of times. Usually, it's the sellers who are disorganized, unpriced, with very little to sell. And whose fault is it that people aren't buying things again?
Seriously, I cannot repeat this enough. This is a lot of work. All day long. If all you want to do it sit in the shade and drink beer, go fishing. You get out of your sale what you put into it.
20. I don’t care what your little book, or anyone else says, your item is “worth” what I’m willing to pay for it.
If you really, really want book value for your little dimmy-doodle, put it in an auction and pray. Your front yard is not the place to try and get it. Seriously.
21. Stick it out!
Too many sales these days only go for two or three hours. Most only advertise until noon or so. To me, that's hardly worth the effort of hauling out of bed at the butt-crack of dawn and hauling all that stuff outside. You've put a lot of work into this thing. Don't give up until you've wrung every last drop out of it. The longer you stay open, the more you can sell, especially if you keep cleaning up as the day goes on.
We've never ended a sale before 4:00 pm. There are always at least two good waves of customers in the afternoon. At least, that's what we've found. Start having your half-price between 2:30 and 3:00. Make outrageous bulk deals at 3:30. You'll get your stuff gone. And have fun.
22. BE CAREFUL!!!
Sadly, you can find thieves, grifters, and con artists everywhere these days, including yard sales. Be careful and keep your guard up. This is one reason why having help is so vital. One person simply cannot keep watch on everything.
Don't let people in your house. Keep the front door shut so they can't see in. Cover items in the garage that are not for sale. Better yet, close off the garage entirely.
Don't keep all the money on you or outside. Do a large bill drop to a safe spot in the house every so often. Don't give out a lot of personal info to buyers. Check through clothes and books for cash and receipts before putting them out for sale.
Every so often, you read about someone that got ripped off during a sale or shortly after by one of the "shoppers." Use your common sense and keep your guard up. Don't let the assholes out there spoil a good day.
That's it for my words of wisdom, folks! I make no guarantees about success, of course. But, I do think that putting some thought and planning into what you are doing will make you a lot more likely to succeed than just throwing some crap out in your yard and calling it a sale. Give it a try and see what you think. Maybe I'll meet you on your lawn some Saturday morning!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Some Practical Advice for People Planning to Hold Yard Sales
There are a lot of sites online with advice and tips for folks planning to have a yard sale, and my intent is not to duplicate them. At least not entirely. What I have here is my take on some standard advice, as an experienced seller and buyer at yard sales, plus some tips that I’ve not seen anyone else give, but always wished they would. If you’d also like to see some other takes on holding yard sales, I’d recommend starting with the ever-amazing Yard Sale Queen, and following links from there.
This is going to be a two-parter. Look for part two sometime next week. I got a little wordy on this one I think, in part, because I spend a lot of time going to a lot of yard sales an d I see a lot of mistakes being made. I would love for everyone who has a yard sale to be successful so that more people will hold yard sales so that there will be more yard sales for me to attend.Take both of these posts with that in mind.
And, of course, I'd love to see your comments on the issue, as well!
1. Having a yard sale is a lot of work!
Be prepared for that going in. It’s not just a matter of grabbing some stuff and throwing it on the front yard. Doing a yard sale right takes planning and advance work. If you’re not willing to put the effort in, don’t bother. It’s a real annoyance to show up at someone’s sale and have to dig through unsorted boxes of stuff that’s not priced and then try to deal with people who obviously don’t know what they’re doing.
2. Price your stuff!
I’m much more inclined to spend money when I can keep tell how much I’m spending. Also, when I see stuff that’s not priced, I tend to think that the person is going to be asking too much for it. That makes me think twice about everything I see that I am interested in. I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way. (Even though there are others who see it differently.)
This doesn’t mean you have to tag every single item, you can make signs for groups of similar things, or even be more creative. I stopped at a sale one time where two of the boys in the family were selling some of their action figures. They had a bunch of small paper sacks, and the deal was everything you could get into a sack for 2 bucks. It was cute and much easier than pricing each toy. Plus, it got the kids involved. (See below.)
Don’t tell yourself you’ll just decide on your prices that day because you don’t know how much people will pay or how much you might really want. A guy lost a sale from Keith a couple of years ago from not having things priced and being too strange and indecisive when Keith tried to bargain with him. No one wants to come into your yard and be confronted with that kind of weirdness. Make up your mind beforehand and put it in writing where everyone can see it.
Besides, once the chaos of the sale gets started, you really don't need five people yelling at you for prices on every jot and tidbit. Trust me.
3. If you say "Make me an offer," then be prepared for the offer.
Please don't play the "Make me an Offer" game. It goes like this:
If you're going to play the MMAO game, then remember why people come to sales--they're looking for bargains. If you put the impetus back on them, they're going go right for the lowest possible price. Getting upset with them for doing it is a little tacky at this point. They are only doing what you asked them to do.
I had a woman at a sale last year make faces at me every time I made the offer she was asking me to make. She'd screw her lips up, curl her nose, arch her eyebrows and say "Ewwwwwww!" really loudly.
After the third time, I said: "Look. I'm doing what you asked me to do. If you don't like it, then don't accept the offer, but stop being rude to me." I left without buying anything.
If you do ask for an offer and get one you don't like, then politely counter-offer. You don't have to accept the offer just because they made it, but use it as a starting point to work towards a price you can live with. Yard sales are about bargaining and bartering.
Then, after that person leaves, get busy and price the rest of your stuff, like you should have done in the first place! Keep playing MMAO all day and you're going to sell less stuff, become increasingly frustrated, and generally waste your time. Not to mention pissing off everyone who comes in your yard.
3. Start on time!
That means “have the yard all set up and everything out ready to sell at the time you advertised.” It doesn’t mean “start hauling boxes out of the house at the time you advertised.” If you’re not willing to do what it takes to be ready when the first customer arrives, then don’t bother.
Yard sales start early. That means you need to start even earlier. How much earlier depends on how much stuff you have to set up. One year, I spent the night at the house where we hold our sales so that it would be easier for more than one person to be there when we needed to start setting up. We had a TON of stuff that year, but we were ready to go at 8 AM.
Yes, getting up before dawn on a Saturday to set crap up is hard. No one said this was easy. See point one.
4. Early birds are a fact of life.
It doesn’t matter how largely and clearly you post your hours. It doesn’t matter how many times you say “No Early Birds!” in your ad. There are going to be people showing up early, especially if you have lots of unique or specialty items for sale (see below). Just expect them and decide in advance how you want to deal with them.
There’s no hard and fast rule that I know of for doing this. Some factors to consider:
You might consider appointing one person on your set up crew to be on "Early Bird Patrol." Their job would be to deal with the EB's, herd them away, watch them to make sure they don't swipe anything, etc.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure everyone at the sale knows about it and that everyone acts consistently.
4. Be honest!
Your best friend bringing over two items to sell doesn’t turn your sale into a “multi-family” sale. Ten books is not a “huge amount.” Four boxes on your front lawn is not a “big” sale.
Sure, you want to have lots of people come to your sale. But if you have to resort to blatantly overstating the truth to get them to come, you’re better off donating the stuff somewhere for the tax deduction.
Honestly, when we pull up to a place that’s advertised with all kinds of adjectives implying that the sale is going to be quite large and quite spectacular only to find that it’s nothing but piddly, we don’t even stop.
5. Point out your specialties
Comic books. CD’s. Books. Religious items. Eclectic. Unique. Words like this get my attention and will just about guarantee I’ll stop by your sale. If you have interesting or different things, play them up in your advertising. If you have things you know others collect, mention them.
I made $300 one year selling comics one year because I mentioned them in the ad. I tend to sell out of all my comics and graphic novels every year because I mention them. Selling with our friend Sharron was a great experience because she always put out fun stuff from her eBay and flea market business. She sold interesting items, so we had interesting items to advertise.
There's an annual multi-family sale near us that I never miss. Two of the participants are antique dealers and they always have good stuff from their businesses that they need to clear out, so it's cheap.
But again, be honest. A listing that said “tons of Sailor Moon stuff” caught my eye once and turned a sale into our first stop, only to find a handful of figurines (not even a complete set) and a lunch box.
4. Have plenty of start up change.
People are going to come to your sale right off the bat and need change. You need to have it. It’s just common sense. Stop by the bank and get plenty of quarters and ones and you’ll be good to go. If you’re not ready for your first three people to hand you twenties for five dollars or less in merchandise, then you’re not ready. And I can almost guarantee you that your first customer, fresh from the ATM, will have a twenty.
I stopped at a house in a neighborhood sale once and found a Bybee pitcher and a book I wanted. Total was $3.50. I was down to twenties at that point, since my small bill reserve had run out. The seller looked at the bill and said "I couldn't possibly change that." And this was the middle of the morning! I convinced her to hold the items while I shopped at a neighbor's house to get change. If I hadn't really wanted the pitcher, I wouldn't have done it and just left the sale.
It's your responsibility to be prepared.
5. You’re not in this to make money.
I’ll repeat: You’re not in this to make money. If you think you are, stop now. You’re more than likely going to be disappointed with your sale and miserable all day long.
The only reason to have a yard sale is to get rid of stuff that you don’t need or use anymore. Your goal is a clean closet or a clutter-free house, not tons and tons of cash.
That said, you can make money having a yard sale, but that should be your secondary goal, not your primary. When making money is your guiding reason, you’re more likely to price things too high, be insulted when people try to bargain, and get hung up on what stuff is “worth” to actually make any! These are the kinds of things that turn yard sale buyers off faster than anything.
We always have decent return on our yard sales, but we do it by acting in the exact opposite way. We love to bargain! We won’t accept every price, but we’ll entertain offers and make reasonable counter-offers. We also give people price breaks on stuff when they buy a lot.
We also concentrate really hard on having interesting stuff that’s priced well, organized well, ready to go on time, nicely set up and staffed by friendly people who are obviously having fun. In other words, we follow the advice outlined here. And we have several regular customers as a result.
6. Allow folks to browse in peace.
I’m not one for small talk, and I’m easily irritated by sellers who wander around and tell me the story of every item I touch. Honestly, if I need to know something, I’ll ask. But it’s early in the morning on a weekend, and I’m standing in your yard looking at your junk, waiting for my coffee to kick in. I need some space. Seriously, it’s not you, it’s me.
Later in the day, I'll be more friendly, but I still like my space. Acknowledge my presence and then let me do my thing. I might just spend lots of money with you if you do.
7. I don’t care if it’s never been out of the box, it’s still used!
Your front yard is not a store. You are not “retailing” when you have your yard sale, but “re-selling.” People don’t drag themselves out before the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning to pay the same price for something they would pay at Target. Never used? Never worn? Never out of the box? Your yard sale is not the place to recoup your losses. It’s the place you get rid of stuff you shouldn’t have bought in the first place.
8. People are going to offer you lower prices. Get used to it.
It doesn’t matter if you saw one sell on eBay for three times what you’ve got it marked for. It doesn’t matter if it was an heirloom from your great aunt Tilly. It doesn’t matter if Ghandi used it. Or if it’s hardly been used by anyone. If I think it’s priced too high (meaning more than I want to pay for it), I’m going to make a lower offer. Don’t take it personally.
I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve seen sellers react like someone just insulted their mother, their children, their dog, the flag and the Bible when offered a few dollars less than the price on an item.
And for god’s sake, don’t automatically assume someone is trying to rip you off if they do offer you a lower price. There are a good many reasons why I as a buyer might want to bargain with you. For starters, I know exactly how much money I have budgeted for this little adventure and you don’t. I’m not going to break the bank all at one stop. I know how much I have and how many other stops I’m planning on making. That as much as anything else determines how much I’m willing to pay for stuff.
Everyone has their own limits and standards about what they’ll pay. I’ll rarely pay more than a buck for a CD or a hardcover book, unless it’s something I consider very special. It’s just one of my little quirks.
And sometimes, I’ll try to bargain just for the hell of it. There’s a place for general principle in all of this too. It’s a yard sale. There’s supposed to be some bargaining going on.
But, get this, I’m never rude when I make my offers and I don’t appreciate being snapped at because I had the temerity to try and barter. And there have been plenty of times that my offer has been rejected, but I’ve accepted a reasonable counter offer or gone ahead and paid full price.
And for god’s sake, if you spend all your time bellowing loudly that you’re willing to bargain and are very glad to accept and/or consider offers, don’t snap at me if I decide to take you at your word. A woman did that with me during the Highway 60 sale a couple of years ago, and we were back in the car and on the road before she even got finished with her little tirade about how she “knew” how much that CD I offered her a dollar for was worth.
And, yes, I'm also thinking about what price I might be able to re-sell something for when I make an offer. So?
9. Don’t do it alone!
I cannot repeat enough that this is a lot of work. For one of our sales, we’d have me, Keith, Sharron, her daughter, her mother, her son, a couple of her friends, and her neighbor involved. Everyone doesn’t show up at once, but it’s good to have fresh blood popping in during the day. It gives everyone a chance to rest a bit. Plus many hands make light work. And it never hurts to have extra eyes watching the merchandise.
10. Involve the whole family.
Let the kids play a part by selling canned drinks or cookies. If you let them keep the money they make, they'll have good incentive to stay involved. It's hard to resist a can of Coke from a cute little kid on a burning hot day. And I've seen some of the kids really get into the selling.
Older kids can get involved by selling their old stuff. I've seen lots of little wheeler dealers working hard and raking in the cash getting rid of old toys. It's never too early to start learning good work habits or good money habits.
Unfortunately, it's usually not the best idea for the dog to be one of the family members involved, unless you know absolutely for sure that there's no chance of biting or barking. Fluffy may be the sweetest, kindest thing on four, but there's always going to be someone who is afraid of her. Remember, it's also kind of hard for Fluffy to understand why all of these strange people are coming into her yard.
Look for the rest of my tips in the middle of next week! Thanks for reading!
This is going to be a two-parter. Look for part two sometime next week. I got a little wordy on this one I think, in part, because I spend a lot of time going to a lot of yard sales an d I see a lot of mistakes being made. I would love for everyone who has a yard sale to be successful so that more people will hold yard sales so that there will be more yard sales for me to attend.Take both of these posts with that in mind.
And, of course, I'd love to see your comments on the issue, as well!
Besides, once the chaos of the sale gets started, you really don't need five people yelling at you for prices on every jot and tidbit. Trust me.
3. If you say "Make me an offer," then be prepared for the offer.
Please don't play the "Make me an Offer" game. It goes like this:
- You have a sale and don't price your stuff.
- Someone comes to your sale and wants to buy something.
- They ask you how much it is.
- You don't know and you haven't thought about it, so you try to pass the buck to the seller and say "Make me an offer."
- They do.
- You don't like the offer, so you get offended. You either snap at them or otherwise get bent out of shape.
- They put the item down and leave.
If you're going to play the MMAO game, then remember why people come to sales--they're looking for bargains. If you put the impetus back on them, they're going go right for the lowest possible price. Getting upset with them for doing it is a little tacky at this point. They are only doing what you asked them to do.
I had a woman at a sale last year make faces at me every time I made the offer she was asking me to make. She'd screw her lips up, curl her nose, arch her eyebrows and say "Ewwwwwww!" really loudly.
After the third time, I said: "Look. I'm doing what you asked me to do. If you don't like it, then don't accept the offer, but stop being rude to me." I left without buying anything.
If you do ask for an offer and get one you don't like, then politely counter-offer. You don't have to accept the offer just because they made it, but use it as a starting point to work towards a price you can live with. Yard sales are about bargaining and bartering.
Then, after that person leaves, get busy and price the rest of your stuff, like you should have done in the first place! Keep playing MMAO all day and you're going to sell less stuff, become increasingly frustrated, and generally waste your time. Not to mention pissing off everyone who comes in your yard.
- Early birds do have money, which you want
- They’re also annoying and time-consuming, which you don’t want.
- It’s not fair to those who stick to the posted times to sell all the good stuff early.
- Who said yard sales have to be fair?
- Early birds are often dealers looking to beat out the competition.
- It is illegal to shoot them, no matter how much you may want to.
- How early are they? There’s a big difference between someone showing up two hours early and fifteen minutes early.
- How much set up do you still have to do? If you’ve still got tons to do, you really don’t have the time to deal with someone getting in your way to look at things.
You might consider appointing one person on your set up crew to be on "Early Bird Patrol." Their job would be to deal with the EB's, herd them away, watch them to make sure they don't swipe anything, etc.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure everyone at the sale knows about it and that everyone acts consistently.
4. Be honest!
There's an annual multi-family sale near us that I never miss. Two of the participants are antique dealers and they always have good stuff from their businesses that they need to clear out, so it's cheap.
I stopped at a house in a neighborhood sale once and found a Bybee pitcher and a book I wanted. Total was $3.50. I was down to twenties at that point, since my small bill reserve had run out. The seller looked at the bill and said "I couldn't possibly change that." And this was the middle of the morning! I convinced her to hold the items while I shopped at a neighbor's house to get change. If I hadn't really wanted the pitcher, I wouldn't have done it and just left the sale.
It's your responsibility to be prepared.
Later in the day, I'll be more friendly, but I still like my space. Acknowledge my presence and then let me do my thing. I might just spend lots of money with you if you do.
And, yes, I'm also thinking about what price I might be able to re-sell something for when I make an offer. So?
Let the kids play a part by selling canned drinks or cookies. If you let them keep the money they make, they'll have good incentive to stay involved. It's hard to resist a can of Coke from a cute little kid on a burning hot day. And I've seen some of the kids really get into the selling.
Older kids can get involved by selling their old stuff. I've seen lots of little wheeler dealers working hard and raking in the cash getting rid of old toys. It's never too early to start learning good work habits or good money habits.
Unfortunately, it's usually not the best idea for the dog to be one of the family members involved, unless you know absolutely for sure that there's no chance of biting or barking. Fluffy may be the sweetest, kindest thing on four, but there's always going to be someone who is afraid of her. Remember, it's also kind of hard for Fluffy to understand why all of these strange people are coming into her yard.
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