g-sales: as fun as a g-spot, and sometimes easier to find

I woke up my beloved this morning at 5:30am. For a soccer game, a camping trip, or because the house was on fire? Nope- way more fun than all of those combined: a neighborhood HOA garage sale! Woo hoo! I simply love garage sales and estate sales. I always have. When we lived in Dallas, I used to put Hudson in his little Baby Bjorn Borg (wasn’t that guy the cutest ever?) He was the pre pubescent crush to my current David Beckham obsession:

here's your baby, Bjorn

Sorry to veer off track. Anyway, I would but my little guy in his baby sling and go the Good Friends estate sales. If they still operate in Dallas, these are the sweetest people ever. I’ve moved to a more suburban area and I’ve found that things work a little differently out in this area. Oh yeah- and in a completely different state. However any way you cut it, there are three main principles that I find true in almost all garage sale instances:

1. Get up early. Things out here are in full swing at 7am. I can’t even believe this but it’s true.

2. Old people have all the good stuff. I don’t want a bunch of plastic crap that I can buy myself at Ikea. So if you are under 50, chances are, I am not all that interested. Unless you are clearing out your grandmother’s house. Then let’s talk.

3. Listening to older people’s stories are the best part of it all. Really and truly. Going into someone’s garage and seeing their tools all lined up under their Schlitz Malt Liquor neon sign, the comforting smell of a smoldering pipe, or seeing left over 50th anniversary napkins on a folding table- these are all indications that there are some good tales to be shared by some cute woman or even a smart ass older guy with a funny joke or two. Stop and listen. You won’t be sorry.

Laith and I grabbed some breakfast, and hit a neighborhood HOA sale that allows its residents to have garage sales once or twice a year on a designated weekend. It seems kinda stringent, but it works out really well. There is a lot of traffic and then garage salers have about 80 houses to walk around to. Win-win.

Here are some of the gems that we scored today:

highlights: a copper colander, a funky suitcase, twine, apple crate (free!) a Dremel hole poker (industry term) old scale

someday my kids will put this crap in a garage sale

I love milk glass. Love it. I’ve collected it since that bitch, Martha Stewart, drove up the price of jadeite and now I can only afford the white Fireking. Whatevs, I still love milkglass, and scored 4 pieces today. Also I got those awesome seltzer bottles and that gorgeous platter with the ubiquitous pattern.

possibly cool light fixture

My new house is lousy with can lights (blech.) So anytime I see a cool light fixture, I pick it up. These sweet people could not believe that I wanted their old apple crate that I spotted in their garage, and threw it in for free. Laith also bought some (unpictured) prints of Moulin Rouge from them for 50 cents. He apparently has fond memories of that boobie show when we were in Paris. Guys- so predictable.

Serious vinyl score- 39 total

My kids received a record player for Christmas and are looking to add to their collection. In today’s haul there are John Lennon, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, Echo & the Bunnymen, Pat Benetar, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and more.

Today we ran into a friend that I met 6 months ago at a previous garage sale. He and his wife were checking out instruments while I scored some venetian glass lamps. We visited a bit and he mentioned that he was a guitar teacher and now this guy, is Izzy’s guitar teacher:

super nice and talented teacher, Tim

So for under $100 I had a date and fun shopping with my guy. Yeah, we may have had some sleepy eyes, and not the freshest breath, but it was darn fun. We came home by 10 and the 2 youngsters had not even woken up enough to come to blows. So next weekend, get some small bills, hot coffee and hit the garage sales with your sweetie and see what you can find. Tip: look out for the old woman in her yard, hand watering her plants and smoking a menthol – she probably has the best stuff.