Sunday, March 28, 2010

"One woman's trash, another woman's treasure"


Rosie Wells' comments on Thrifting Philosophy


Thrifting ought to be a verb. It's not, at least according to my well worn ( from a school sale) blue, cloth -covered , Merriam-Webster dictionary. Verb, "an action performed by or suffered by the subject, or a state experienced by the subject..." (Merriam-Webster 1938, p.911). Heck, it's an action I perform almost every Saturday, and not once have I "suffered". A grand experience, bar none, and I invite my reader friends to share in its joys.


Someone once told me that what drives the passion for thrifting comes from the hunter gatherer instinct within us all . Having not followed the moose hunting path like some women (Sarah Palin) , my hunter gatherer evolved sans camouflage,deadly weapons, and night goggles. Rather, in a somewhat Darwinian twist I evolved into a "thifter". This being one who is found salivating at 6am with newspaper carefully folded and sales circled in red, and ready to dash up the first driveway. Weapon of choice being a fanny pack securely fixed to the waist and holding my budget for the day. ( You must keep your arms unencumbered).


This way of "doing life" seems better suited to my commitment to reuse, recycle, and live simply. for years my car sported the bumper sticker "Live Simply so others may Simply Live." Now this doesn't mean that I don't have "stuff", Nooooo. I am constantly bringing home new "old" things, but then it's easier too resell or donate to keep a balance. If something new comes in, the something old must go. I know it's important to remain mindful about how clutter impacts our psyche, so I suggest practicing breath work before every purchase. ( Just a few deep breaths from the tummy.) I have been able to resist a few stupid purchases by just giving myself time to breathe.

I love being able to have a variety of cloth napkins for my home. One less paper product for the landfill. And well made, classic clothes, like the vintage navy wool pants I found for my husband. They were made in Vermont. What a history they must have!



Rosie Peters' comments on Thrifting Philosophy


I would like to assert that a garage sale can be a soulful event. At least, it is for me. I want to illustrate my idea by using our annual work garage sale . Every year for the past 5 years, my co-workers and I have hosted an organization wide garage sale to benefit our in-house charity. To me,this garage sale marks a season of cleansing, a ritual of taking unwanted and unneeded objects and removing them from our houses, our offices, and other personal spaces in order to allow a "cleaning of the house." This can be emotional, spiritual, and physical in nature. Maintaining the balance with one's possessions, having an in-flow and an out-flow are important components to one's overall sense of well being. Have you ever just felt weighed down by the amount of shoes in your closet, the unused appliances in your kitchen, the unpacked boxes hidden in your closet? Those dark places that you know one day you will have to face the monster of your clutter. The event of hosting a garage sale with the intention to sell it all or send it all to the thrift store allows an individual to feel the freedom of moving their items to a new home. A wise woman once said to me," There is no room in your life for new things ( people, experiences, relationships) because they have no place to enter." The energy to purge and clear can then be transformed into a new energy for other life adventures. I encourage everyone to host a garage sale or donate to one of the large benefit garage sales in town and "clean their closets." Open yourselves to something new!
The Secondhand Rosies will be providing information on how to have a successful garage sale in future blogs. Please send us any questions that you may have about this topic. Thanks.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

The First Day of Spring


To celebrate the first day of spring, my husband and I set the alarm clock early in hopes of finding unannounced garage sales. With the weather forecast being in the mid-60's today and the snow being mostly melted, we had dreams of locating those first-of-the-season yard sales. We determined a possible route at which brave souls might have set up shop for the day. The "Doctor's Lot", "Mike's Inland Seafood Lot", and the "Closed Gas Station Lot" were our three main drive bys. We figured that if anyone was out there, they would be at one of these places. To our surprise, we found our first sale at the "Doctor's Lot." A man and his 10 year old daughter had set up a few tables and a clothing rack for us to peruse. The little girl was wheeling and dealing in an attempt to make a sale. I was impressed with her ability to barter at such a young age. She knew the nuances of selling, keeping in the mind the goal of making a few dollars and moving her merchandise. We bought a pair of sunglasses, a handmade pottery container, a concert t-shirt and a recycled Keen purse for the grand total of $7. With smiles on our faces, we felt a sense of accomplishment. Spring was truly upon us. It was like seeing the first daffodil or finding the first morrel mushroom. We had made an educated guess that had paid off. With one behind us, we decided to drive around to the other hot spots. On our way through downtown, we found another impromptu sale set up across from Ram's Rack in the lawyer's parking lot. We used the drive-by technique and decided it was worth a look. My husband turned the car around and we parked and got out. They were friendly and told us that they were selling a few things to make a little pocket cash. I knew that they were ready to make some deals. We found a framed piece of embroidery, 2 sets of vintage saucers and matching tea cups, a pair of Columbia pants, and a pair of wood clippers-- total $9. With our cash flow running low ( because we were not as prepared as we should have been), we decided to drive by our final possibility at the closed gas station on the 105 bypass. To our relief as well as our disappointment, there were no sales in that lot. We were satisfied with our finds this morning and glad that spring had finally arrived! For all of you in this area, it is safe to say this has been a hell of a winter. I am glad to say farewell to the dark days of winter. Now, the crocuses are showing their blooms and the daffodils are about to bud. Yard sale season has started for those hardy sellers who do no fear cold dark mornings in which to set up shop by their car headlights. Thank you folks for being the committed beginners of the new season. I was glad to give you some business this early March morning and I can't wait to see more of you as the weather continues to warm.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Our Stories

The story of Rosie Wells
My mama didn't raise me to be a "Second Hand Rose." Practicality reigned in our household, a spartan, "no funkiness", "good quality" existence and very 50's. Catholic School uniforms left my wardrobe even more bare bones, so my creative spirit lay dormant until early adulthood. Once finding my passion/addiction for thrifting, it became clear that mom would never be on board. She "cluck clucked", rolled her eyes, and grumbled about my "wasted" Saturdays until the day she died.
Around the age of 22, I met Helena (soon to be my sister-in-law). She was raising a brood of six children and caring for her disabled husband in Queens, NY. Money was tight, but that household was full of creativity, "funky stuff", and a family passion for thrifting. I was transported to another dimension of living. My spartan upbringing never prepared me for the possibility that one could find anything needed for a fraction of the cost and that the process could be fun and addicting. Helena, who just turned eighty and now lives in Hickory, remains a passionate thrifter and a lifelong mentor.
In 1978 we bought a little old farmhouse with "good bones", but little "soul" and my journey thrifting in the High Country began. This house is now a show of yard sale treasures. Almost every piece of furniture,all of the dishes, and artwork come with a story. I write this seated in a chair from Blowing Rock, next to an exercise bike from the Salvation Army, looking at a Buddha that was traded for DVDs. I am especially drawn to art and I harbor a fantasy of someday having a gallery show of "Found Treasures" (especially the "Dogs Playing Poker" on velvet that hangs in the back of the closet.)
My children always had stories related to their clothes and toys and even though there was often a lot of eye rolling, I do believe that they were tickled to get mom's finds. When I gave my son's soon-to-be wife her first yard sale gift, he commented (while rolling his eyes) "Welcome to the family!"
Now there is three grandchildren, all of whom have been treated to special "finds" since birth. The older two have spent many an hour with granny in the thrift stores. We now have a family tradition of "Yard Sale Santa." Each year, along with some new gifts, my family doubles the excitement of opening presents by exchanging gifts from yard sales. My daughter-in-law's gift to me last year of an Eileen Fisher dress was divine!
This Christmas, my 10 year old granddaughter got a beautiful felted hat from Rams Rack and a funky dress from Threads of Hope. Yard Sale Santa had books for the grandsons and a designer belt for my daughter (new, price tag said $85). And I will dedicate another bountiful year of being a Second Hand Rosie to Helena.

The story of Rosie Peters
Before I knew how to spell my name, I was watching my Grandma barter at garage sales. Her name is Viola and she lived through the Great Depression. The daughter of German immigrants, she came from a family with 7 children. She learned how to make something from nothing very early on in life. Grandma has 6 children, 18 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren. She is a weaver and uses discarded clothes to create beautiful rugs. She has done this for over 50 years.
When I was 5 years old, I was indoctrinated into the garage sale culture. I was privileged to learn from the best! On summer Saturday mornings, my Grandma and Aunt would arrive shortly after dawn at our house to pick me up. I would get into Gram's forest green Chevy Nova, which had jacked up tires and an a.m. radio. I had the whole back seat to myself, which was unusual because I always had to share with my brother, Mark. Grandma would have the newspaper, with the ads circled and numbered, the phone book, opened to the pages with the town maps, a couple packs of Wrigley Spearmint gum, and a purse full of $1's and change. She taught me early to never let anyone know how much money I really had and always give them small bills. This is one of the nuggets of bartering wisdom that I truly believe made her successful. She would agree to a discounted price and pull out exactly that amount from her purse, feigning that she only had that much money on her. Give that woman an Oscar! She seemed to have an almost supernatural sense that let her know when to walk away and when to ask for a better price. As a small child with little understanding of the ways of the world, I thought my Grandma was a masterful woman who could get what she wanted when she asked for it. I would just stand next to her and watch in awe. Grandma would buy for the ever growing family clan, clothes, shoes, winter coats, snow suits, Easter dresses, etc. Needless to say, Grandma, Aunt Jan, and I were a trio of garage sale trouble. We would fill up the car with clothes and then go back to Grandma's house to wash, dry, and sort them. They would end up in big piles on the kitchen floor and I would help to put them in trash bags so they were ready for pick up by designated family members. My mother had no interest in these adventures and would often scoff at my "finds."Most of the family would make fun of us, but I knew that she was on to something, whether it be an obsession, a mental illness, or just a different way of life. I tend to embrace garage saling as a way of life. Since those early days, I have shopped at garage sales whenever possible. I need one of those bumper stickers that says" STOPS for GARAGE SALES". I continue to use my Grandmother's "techniques" in order to be a successful bargain hunter. Grandma turned 97 years old in January. I would like to dedicate this to her and thank her for all that she has taught me about life through simple garage sale lessons. Love you Old Lady!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Hunter Gatherer Babes of the High Country... The Introduction


Greetings from Boone,NC!
Rosie Wells and I, Rosie Peters, would like to thank you for stopping by and checking out our blog. We are two self confessed thrift store/garage sale junkies who have been acquaintances for 7 years and have over 60 years of thrifting experience between the two of us. Recently, circumstances have allowed us to enjoy one another's company on a reasonably frequent basis. We share not only our love of a bargain , but also a profession and a connection to Illinois. After many afternoon conversations, we decided that it would be fun to share our tall tales, wisdom, and observations of the thrift store/rummage sale/ yard sale circuit here in Boone. We will draw on our many years of "shopping" adventures not only here, but across the country. Using our combined degrees in sociology, education, social work, and cultural anthropology, we hope to add insight into the illness of thrifting and learn something about ourselves while we are at it. Please join us on our journey of discussing the subculture in which we are self declared queens. We plan to explore various aspects of thrifting and yard saling as well as providing commentary on our experiences as we go along. Garage sale season begins in a few weeks and we wanted to get a jump on it by revealing our histories and letting you get to know us a little bit better. For better or for worse...depending on how well you knew us to begin with! Once again, thank you for being a part of our small revolution. Stay tuned..there will be much more coming your way soon!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Testing 1....2....3 Just trying to see if we can figure this out. Seems like it should work and we should be able to get our first thoughts out to the world. We are about to give birth to our long awaited blog......cross your fingers! All 10 fingers and toes.....here we go!
Andi, I got this going, but don't know how it really worked!