Garage Sale

The other day I was walking Oreo and saw that someone in my neighborhood was advertising for a garage sale to occur this past Saturday.  I made a mental note that I wanted to stop by and check it out and then promptly forgot about.

 

Then Saturday I was walking Oreo again and we had taken a path that took us right by that house.  As I walked by, aside from a pair of gorgeous high heel shoes, nothing jumped out at me.  I don't wear heels anymore so I didn't even slow down my walk.  

 

But someone called out to me and asked me to stop by, so I did.  They were talking fast and really trying to sell me some stuff.  

 

They got my attention when they said they had a bike.  I've been considering buying a bike to ride around the neighborhood.  I can't remember if I asked or if she just told me what they were asking but it was higher than I thought a garage sale bike should sell for.  (It's worth noting that a look online after I got home proved that I could buy a new bike for only slightly more than they were asking for a used one.)

Then she said she had a stationary bike.  Again, something I've considered buying myself.  They were only asking $10 less than the bike but wanted to be sure I knew, the part of the stationary bike that times you, clocks how far and how fast you're pedaling was broken.  Hard pass on that one!

She showed me some "cabinets" that were basically painted boxes with drawers.  Not what I was looking for.

Next, she offered me a flat screen TV.  It doesn't work but she suggested I could sell it for parts.  Seriously?  Why would I buy something from her just so I could sell it? And for parts, no less.  She pointed out what she said were laptops (by this point I was just trying to get away so I didn't really look to confirm what they were).  She said they all worked - except for the monitors.  Really?

But the thing that took the cake for me was when she offered to sell me a used dog bone for Oreo.  A used dog bone!  Not a toy.  One of those chew bones.

Wow.  Just wow!

I left without being interested in anything but the shoes I wouldn't wear and annoyed that they were doing such a hard sales pitch on items that were broken or would only be good if I could sell them for parts.  Oh, and she actually had shoes out that only had one of the shoes available.  I thought I was only seeing one shoe on a few pairs but I hadn't looked that hard but she told me some were missing the pair - if I were interested, they'd try to find its match!

But after I thought about it, the fact that they were selling things that were literally of no value to anyone on the planet (not even them) and doing so so "enthusiastically", I have to wonder if they are experiencing financial hardships.  Times are tough right now for everyone and sometimes you just have to do things you wouldn't normally otherwise do.  It made me want to go back and make some sort of donation to their cause.  

No, I didn't go back but they said things that suggested they may be holding the sale for an extended period of time so it's possible I could still buy something.  I could always get those gorgeous shoes and keep them with other pairs I have, that I also never wear.  They were that pretty.