Garage Sale Success…and then there was Borat

The inaugural Lindquist garage sale was a S-U-C-C-E-S-S, that’s the way we spell Success! (just for you mom) We made bank, or about $400. The profits were thanks in large part to Grandma Jan who contributed her jun – I mean treasures, to the cause. I decided not to place an ad in the paper after finding out it would cost $25 to do so and realizing that it would take a lot of 25 cents items sold to add up to 25 bones. Glad I didn’t. My neighbor, who held her garage sale at the same time, put an ad on Craigslist and Rob and I posted some signs along 23rd ave. (Ask rob about his arts and craft skills or lack thereof. Better yet, just take a look at the comforter with a purple marker streak). We opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday and had a steady stream of customers throughout the day. Here are some highlights:

-the futon selling for $100 bucks and rob telling the guy who bought it that the cover had never been used…whoops, it’s been used and abused since 2002.

-some lady asking me if the weed whacker worked, me telling her “sure” and asking rob to demonstrate how to start it, it not starting, her buying it anyway.
later that afternoon we were joking that she’d be returning it soon. a woman in a blue car pulled up and rob goes, “that’s her.” we all fell for it.

-free candle w/ every purchase…need i say more?

-a woman who didn’t speak English buying all my mom’s Christmas items 5 minutes before we closed. i added the cost up in English as she went and her husband translated it in Spanish rolling his eyes each time she put a new item in her box. some things translate across all cultures.

-random man: this ice cream machine has a broken plastic piece.
mom: it’s free.
random man: does it even work?
mom: it’s free!

-a lady had just purchased a wooden tv stand for all of $1.50
mom: rob, that lady seems to like wood items. go ask her if she wants the quilt rack.
rob: no.

-carrie and jeremy’s kids buying all of our piggy banks for sale the night before and trying to bargain with us by offering more than the sticker price.

-some kid after we started charging half price for everything: what’s half of $.25?
at the same time…
mom: 10 cents
me: free

All in all, I can’t believe some of the stuff that was purchased. While some of it could definitely be considered junk, it was neat to see some sentimental stuff that we just don’t want or have room for anymore go on to make somebody else happy.

Last but not least, I should probably explain the title of this post. Rob didn’t want me to sell his DVDs even though we never watch them, but after seeing which ones I wanted to sell, he was OK w/ it. All of them sold for $1, except for Borat. (seriously, people even bought my VHS tapes for $.10, but not Borat). I’m not sure if it’s because the disc looks like it’s a burned copy the way it’s designed or the fact that that movie truly sucked. Either way, of all the “stuff” we had for sale and sold, if that’s one of the few things that didn’t, I’m happy. And so is baby Lindquist, since all the proceeds go to her.