Garage sailing

21 08, 2023

Garage Sailing

By |2023-08-19T17:48:16-05:00August 21st, 2023|A Writer's Life, Writer's Life|1 Comment

Unfamiliar with the term garage sailing? No surprise. I made the word up to describe the habit of perusing garage/estate sales.

A habit or addiction that I share with many others. I can’t resist a sale sign stuck by the side of the road. I’ve been known to make U-turns on busy streets to follow the arrows.

Do I need anything? Heavens no!

My house is overflowing with stuff and I should be downsizing not collecting.

Should I be writing my next book? Of course. But the thrill of the hunt is too hard to resist.

You just never know what you might discover while garage sailing. And, if the seller is motivated to get rid of stuff, the prices can be cut-rate.

Finds are hit or miss. One time I scored flowerpots for $1.00 that retail for $30 or more. I’ve replaced broken water glasses with matched sets or found the exact glass.

Another time I found nothing. No treasures or great buys, but I met interesting people, who shared fascinating stories. That was still a win for me. I store away lots of ideas for character traits and plot twists.

Outdoor sales where I live are held pretty much year-round. Spring and summer temperatures near broiling this year cut down on my garage sailing. Not too many sales and way too hot to be outside shopping.

I fed my habit from Facebook Marketplace and other online markets in the air-conditioned comfort of my home.

But it wasn’t nearly as much fun.

I’m looking forward to fall and cooler temperatures so I can garage sail again.

21 08, 2017

Garage Sailing

By |2017-08-20T19:33:08-05:00August 21st, 2017|A Writer's Life|1 Comment

In case you are unfamiliar with the term garage sailing, it’s my made up word for my habit of perusing garage/estate sales. I can’t resist a sale sign stuck by the side of the road.

Now that we’ve moved back near family, my sister and I have a standing date on Fridays to go garage sailing. She prepares a list and maps the routes. We alternate driving. Sometimes we stop for lunch.

We always have fun.

Do we need anything? Heavens no! We both have houses overflowing, but the thrill of the hunt is too hard to resist.

You just never know what you might discover. And, if the seller is really interested in getting rid of stuff, the prices can be cut-rate.

One week I found a like-new glass eight-cup measuring pitcher. I already have a well-used one that is showing signs of serious wear from my hand mixer. When it finally gives up the ghost, I’ll have a backup since Pyrex doesn’t make this particular style any more.

Another time the garage sale had lots of plants and yard art for sale. The prices were incredible.

I snagged this lovely fern for only two bucks. It makes a lovely addition to our entry. Since it’s outgrowing its pot, I’ll soon be splitting to another pot. I really found a good bargain!

Recently, my sister found wonderful new picture books for her granddaughters and selected several animal puppets from a twenty-five cent basket. I picked up a couple for Chicken Wrangler Sara to use in her music classes.

Another week we found nothing. No treasures or great buys, but we met the most interesting people, who shared fascinating stories. That was still a win for me. I stored away lots ideas for character traits and plot twists.

Sometimes we make wonderful finds when we go garage sailing. Other times zip. You just never know. That’s the lure of garage sailing. The real payoff comes from spending time together.

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