We do this every year
We start pricing things during the year so when the time comes, we are almost ready
Two people come every year, we send a reminder..
. Our neighbor Sharye who collects cookbooks.
This year she wants all of them, a check for $62 upon delivery.
Ofra loves vintage items and she always brings us a gift
( She came in 2015 and has come every year since except Covid)
On Monday I make my lists and pull the boxes into
our "organizing station" ( guest bedroom)
Tuesday I collect small bills, from the bank, to be ready for making
change for our customers ( $100 ) Cash fits into my pink fanny pack Done
By Wednesday & Thursday the tables are up and
we cover all items that are not for sale ( tools, goods, etc )
Friday we need to take pictures for the Craigs list ad Done
All set. Final items for the cash table
Note pad
Calculator
Fanny pack ( Cash )
Wait...where is the fanny pack ?
I had gathered the note pad and fanny pack and
set them aside. Now, where is the fanny pack ?
I looked for over an hour. in every room, every closet, every space up and down.
Hard to go to sleep, because having cash for customer's is so important. I know the $$ will show up.
Doors to open, sign out at 9:00
Up by 6:00.
Turns out hubby has $50 in change. I feel better all ready.
8:15 we open the door, set up the coffee top, pulling stuff here and there
Soon a gentleman parks and asks if it is ok to look around.
Chatted ( you can do that when the customer is not in a hurry)
He lives hereby, his wife is French, they own a bakery in Seattle, his son is practicing soccer every Saturday up at Cherry Crest. They speak Italian at home.
He was our first customer, a buying customer !
It might have been 10:00 before the next face came down our driveway.
Ofra, She brought a sweet Mother's Day treat. She chatted for about a half hour, mostly about her relatives in Israel and how life has changed.
She found a few things to send to family and we said our goodbyes.
Another neighbor passed through and then
Janet N, our neighbor came, looking so cute. She is modeling vintage clothes at a retirement home this afternoon. She has a second cup of coffee. Though I have known her for a long time, I did not know that she never makes coffee at home. Her husband likes instant, and she does not. She got tired of local hair cuts that are not worth the $$, so she makes an appointment with an "artist" that flies into town and gives her a beautiful styling ( the things you learn when you are not in a hurry ) She looks around carefully, but does not find anything that she needs.
A father and son look very carefully, up and own both isles. The jacket that folds right into it's own pocket and is waterproof, two shirts and a little tech gizmo. Very kind, polite and friendly. Dad is from Florida. Son does not like that humidity. They work together here training new drivers. They are not in a hurry ( hubby had a little story to tell, but I will not repeat it )
Neighbor Pie lady came down the driveway with her little boy. She did not need anything, but she was very cheerful. She always is.
At one point, neighbor Shannan comes down and tells me.... West Seattle is having their annual garage sale event. 300 garage sales...Today !
That could be one reason why it looks like only neighbors seeing the signs have showed up.
Two young men are excited to find a cast iron Skillet. One is hungry for some breakfast cakes that are not part of his "culture" but he wants to make them. They have been to an estate sale and the lady in charge was Kathy. Also, his sister's name is Kathy. She was still in bed. So that makes 3 of us Kathy's. They are not in a hurry. Getting ready to leave and it was about 80°, so one fellow decided to buy a soda pop. He did not have change. I said, just take one. Then his friend slipped $.50 on the tray. We liked chatting with them
For at least 1 1/2 maybe two hours no one came. I decided to be productive and started writing letters on my ipad. I also noticed how beautiful, and colorful the trees are right now. The things you notice when you are not in a hurry.
The signs said closes at 4:00 About 3:30 I unplugged the coffee and move a few things back into the garage. The door is closed.
I needed a little rest, Darrell went out to take the signs down. Here comes one more customer. He wanted a $1.50 tool, but all he had was $1.10
Done.
But wait.... the doorbell rings. There is a young lady who tells me she has come back to buy something. We go into the garage and she picks out this and that and her total is $60.
Now this a big sale... Just like the first one $62. for cookbooks.
Might just call this garage sale
" Not in a hurry"
usually we say
" Garage sale of the century"
Since the tables look just about the same as they did in the morning, we decide to try again next Saturday.
I told myself that if the report on Wednesday said no rain on Saturday, I would go for it.
The $100 showed up !
Week Two..
The report said..yes a little rain.
I said oh well, let's do it
They were wrong. It rained and rained.
So this time I decided to keep track of our "visitors"
Friday I called the gentleman who owns a bakery, if he would be willing to bring a selection of his goods on his way again.
He said yes.
So again, he was almost the first face to arrive.
( the first face smiled and said hello and goodbye and off he went )
The bakery was so good. I am glad I saved room in my tummy because it was worth every calorie.
So that was MY first purchase.
oh wait.... at 7:55 our newspaper man stopped to deliver the "news". The front end of his car was smashed pretty bad. His news was " I was a little distracted and ran into a house, glad it was not yours" We are glad too.
9:00 gentleman saw signs. smiled, no purchases
9:20 Baker
10:01 Neighbor Benjamin, needs some help with their furnace , no purchases
10:45 couple saw ad, no purchase
10:58 Robin arrived. She was going to come at 9:00 to keep me company. She slept in. Forgot. Ate breakfast and came with treats.
10:59 Darrell returned from a delivery
the drizzle became a little heavier
11:05 lady just passing through
11:55 A real customer, saw the ad
12:00 two came through, saw the sign
12:15 Customer number two. $8.00
12:20 gentleman , no sale
12:21 family of four, $3. purchase
1:00 customer number 5, $8 purchase
The sun was shining
2:00 Lady who needs nothing
2:10 gentleman saw the sign $2.
3:00 friendly couple saw the sign, no sale
3:15 Father and son, no sale ( neighbors?)
3:30 unplugged the coffee, pulled in a little of this and that...
Might just call this garage sale
" When it rains, it pours"
I live an exciting life
.
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