Tag (or Yard, Estate, White and Any Other Colored Elephant Sale) Mania

Okay, okay, here comes the guilt.  I am addicted to yard (tag) (estate) (white or any other color elephant) sales.

Recently, I determined to refrain from  looking in the classified section of the daily paper.  If I did not see the sale ads, how would I know what I was missing?  Enough was enough. There was no more storage in this house for more  "things."   I had not opened an Ebay account where I could sell things. There were no indoor flea markets around here where I could set up a stall for all the newly found treasures.

While reading a different section of the newspaper, I spotted a church festival taking place on Sunday. They advertised all kinds of food, musical entertainment, and, oh NOOOOOO, a white elephant sale. I've gone to this event several years in a row but had forgotten all about the fact it was taking place last weekend.

Right after church, I gently told my husband I had to run out for a very short time and would be back momentarily. Slinking away like a thief in then night, I hit the gas pedal of my car and zoomed right into the parking lot of the church.

Perusing the white elephant tables was pure heaven. Most items had 25 cent labels on them but a couple were 50 cents and a few, stragglers were $1 or more. 

First item that made it into my left elbow crease?  A long Christmas tablecloth in perfect condition (no spots). I found it in a cardboard box on the ground. A good washing and ironing and it'll be good to go in December.  It's the perfect size for the dining room table. The cost was $1. It's going to be so pretty during the holidays with my Christmas tree dishes on it, don't you think?

Then came the green bottle (shown above) with the unique pointed top. Come on, for 50 cents, who could resist? If anything, it'll make a great gift for someone who loves green glass. (Like me?)

Then there was the little amber vase that was perfect to join cousins on the kitchen windowsills this fall. Another 50-center, it wouldn't break the bank.

Best of all were two boxes of tapers in holiday red and green for $1 each. The boxes contained a total of 12  candles. The original prices were intact on each box, namely, $14.99.

                                                                                

 A cardinal tray and decorative plate, intended for someone who loves those red birds , caught my eye and the prices were very, very affordable. Uhhh, make that dirt dog cheap!

Last but not least came some brass drawer pulls, perfect for missing ones on a dresser in one of our bedrooms. Cost? $2.00.

With all the new purchases stuffed safely in a shopping bag, I beat it to the car. Only $8 was missing from my purse. Not bad. Not bad at all for a Sunday afternoon white elephant sale. As for my broken no sale promise, "culpa, culpa, mea culpa."

DO YOU EVER SWEAR OFF GOING TO SALES?

A Passion, Love, (and Mania) for Collecting

A community center in a town within driving distance  held a tag sale this past weekend dubbed in advance as "humongous."  Now what bargain-hunter could pass-up such an event?  Not me! 

Plus, it was a  great fundraiser for all kinds of programs that the center  offers so every bargain-inspired penny would be well-spent.

The sale was the "bomb," as a young person today might say.  Housed in a huge auditorium,  dozens upon dozens of tables could be seen upon entering, all  filled with everything imaginable from Victorian ceiling lights (oh, stop my beating heart), and crock pots, to tea sets, linens, and just about anything else you ever needed or even knew you wanted for your house.

One of the volunteers on duty shockingly said  the stuff on view was only half of what the sale originally offered. Doors opened early in the morning and a crowd entered and wiped the other half of the merchandise out in a short time. People had lined-up outside the front doors waiting for them to open.

     "Next year, you'd better get here early," she advised.

      At sales such as these, it's tempting to pick up items that are not needed but just liked, because the prices are soooooo right.  Some of the items selected may be given as gifts to others and some will be gifts to "moi." ha!

Take, for instance, the sleeping blue and white ceramic kitty cats.  Aren't they absolutely adorable? 

Because I have several colored glass collections, the green vase was a great addition for the whopping price of 25 cents!

The transparent glass, filled with little "bubble" designs, also made it into my "buy" pile as well as a very pretty light turquoise colored fancy shancy bottle. They each cost 25 cents!

On the way out of the sale, buyers passed by tables filled with books that were, unbelievably marked, "FREE."  One 600-plus page book by inspirational author and speaker Robert Schuller, with gold page edges,  came home with me. It's a wonderful book.

Why can't more organizations have sales like that one?  It's a win-win kind of sale since people get rid of items they no longer want, others go home with items they love, and the organization makes a wad! 

Probably this sale was successful because a tremendous amount of planning and organization went into it.

Where there are volunteers who are willing, there's a way!