Speed Dating

Like speed dating, the Rosies piled into one vehicle and set out for a two hour mega drive -by to check out most of the sales posted for 6/11/11. And a happy carload we were with Hank and his grandma Pat riding in the backseat, Rosie W. riding shotgun and Rosie P. navigating hairpin turns and elusive parking.

We converged upon the “Four roommates selling everything to teach overseas” as our ground zero meeting point (we’d both voted it our favorite ad with the most possibility). Since the sellers had not posted “No Early Birds” we took the chance and arrived a half hour early at 7:30. Not good. Only two of the four roommates were on site, and those two were totally frazzled as we watched them hustle items to the front lawn. Rosie P. immediately scored a few big items (a vintage dresser mirror for $4 and a 1991 Kenwood Stereo System in the glass cabinet with working speakers for $40)On the other hand, I muddled through what was there with a still packaged pulley gizmo catching my eye (me, thinking pulleys and ropes….help with kayak?), only to find out that it was for hanging a deer. Nope!

After having broken my beloved Pyrex measuring cup the night before I took the chance and asked if they had one. Bingo! Not one, but two; a two cup and a four cup both for $3. Ahhh….the karma finally rolling…..

No roses for the sales at Mike’s Seafood. Lots of items, but nothing to brag about, so the four of us trekked onward following circled ads in the Mountain Times as well the “breadcrumbs” of big, colorful, and abundant signs that were like a magic carpet ride to some of the sales.

A dozen “Good Sign” roses go to the sales at University Hills, Green Street, and Bear Trail (but “boo” to parking at Bear Trail). However, the grand prize must go to Nancy Nathan for an excellent print ad as well as the eye catching sign posted on a billboard across from Wendy’s on Hwy. 321.

One basement sale netted a few items for each of us, but the seller remained steadfast about not bargaining for anything. It was strange.

A quick drive by the Doctors Lot found it empty, so we ended the day on Hwy 105 Extension with a group “Naaaaaaaah” at the first sale, only to have Rosie P. do a remarkable “wheelie” to get us into the second sale where we’d eyed furniture, art and clothing. “I see Art, you jump out”, Rosie P. commands me, and I dive into the crowd to take a closer peek.

The clothing was too small, and the art too “Rooms to Go” looking, but Hank’s grandma Pat scored a lovely blue and brown full set of dishes from Pier I . Me, nothing, but I did notice that one of the books for sale was “How To Tell a Naked Man What To Do”….and I have to wonder if anyone purchased that book?

Bye to Hank, Grandma Pat and Rosie P. as they were off to a birthday party, and on my own.

The “lots of Oil of Olay” sale DID have an abundant supply, along with Vidalia Onions, one deer head, and mountains of baby clothes. I leave empty handed and ready to call it quits and head to Goodwill for the day’s finale.

Right there, front and center, like a blue light special, sits a rose colored hookah pipe which sets me back a spell, and I’d just finished asking Logan (we ALL know Logan who works at GW), “who do you think will buy this”? And he shrugs his shoulders and says smiling and shaking his head, you never can tell….” Then, poof, like something out of “I dream of Jeannie”, and sounding like Aunty Mame, a lovely lady slides over to the counter and scoops up the hookah pipe. “I just LOVE this….I love anything artistic….now I don’t USE it….I just love having unusual things in my house….no, no, no, I don’t USE it……”. We chatted for a few minutes, and I left with a smile on my face, nothing in a bag, but the memory of this Grande Dame and her rose colored hookah pipe will remain one of the “keeper” stories when it comes to shopping at Goodwill.

2490 Hwy. 105

2490 Highway 105, Boone NC. Our house is right on 105, directly across from the used car dealership next to the Ingles shopping center. We are moving and have a lot of stuff to sell so come early!

This craigslist did not do them justice. These recent App State grads and scavengers had a fabulous sale this morning. French coffee presses, vintage dinnerware,skateboards, a stuffed dead cat (he is holding it in the picture if you look close enough), salon chairs, antique mirrors,a Taco Bell table and chairs booth, a collection of guitars, a large Shell oil sign and some sweet 60's plastic molded chairs----this sale touched my hunter gatherer heart. This was our first stop , just because it was close. We were hoping for a chest of drawers or a futon couch, but what we found was much better. Four young men moving on past Boone, who have gathered 4 years of local treasures and were ready to part with them at garage sale prices. My husband and I watched as they brought out more and more items. We began to ask if they had a dresser or a futon couch or vinyl albums, record players, etc.... they brought out this 1950's wooden dresser then the chaise lounge couch
(featured picture), then an old record player built into a cabinet---they had it all! We bought a few items and I just sat and smiled. I liked their style, their free spirit and I admired their collection of things--a bit reminiscent of my own college days. At the end of our garage sale day, we swung back by to see if they still had any guitars. They told me tales of a couple that came by (FLIPPERS) and laid down $125 in cash and took away a car load including the Shell oil sign (that would have needed a pick up to transport--it was that big!). They said it with pride and money in their pockets--why not? The collection of guitars had found another home already. Oh well--maybe next time. Thanks for hosting a fabulous and funky sale this morning guys. I give you a dozen roses for originality, good pricing, and a real sense of enthusiasm for your sale. I also appreciate your ability to purge and collect more on your next journey. You have the right idea! Happy travels gentlemen and happy hunting everyone else! Rosie P.

Damascus City Wide 2011

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (paperback), and a VHS tape, “Yard Sales”, a skit by Phyllis Diller, were two of the handful of items I found at this year’s trek to Damascus, VA for the Citywide Yard Sale. My rickety rolling cart was only half full by day’s end.

This year found me “off my game”, having been robbed of all my cash the day before after leaving my purse in the car during a hike on Whitetop Mountain. You avid thrifters know what I mean when you’re having an “off” day…the treasures seem to stay hidden, you feel overwhelmed, and you miss some good scores due to procrastination. Riding in the backseat down VA Hwy 58 was not a plus for mental acuity either.

My first stop was the B&B on Main Street where Rosie P. found the infamous velvet chartreuse sofa last year. Still the warm and welcoming sellers, but this year’s couch was a tattered sofa bed, with zippo appeal. These folks always have great stuff, but the pickings were slim this year, although I did score a lovely dress that will serve me well for a Fall wedding.

For old time’s sake, we did hang out on the beige sofa bed for a photo, just like last year, with the blooming rhododendron backdrop, but it was nothing like the photo shoot on the charming chartreuse divan. Well, I DID hold up my copy of The Tibetan Book of The Dead for color….

My companions, husband and our pal Jim from Durham, wanted to lollygag and walk at a slower pace so it didn’t take me long to ditch those two guys and begin a frantic scan of the town hauling my noisy rolling cart up and down the side streets. Biggest disappointment was finding that my favorite seller last year was not set up this year. It was her house where I’d found the Paul Klee print and scores of funky clothing, jewelry, and music….SO, “wushhhhhhh” goes the wind from my sails.

I’d been procrastinating about a green boiled wool purse, made in Ireland, tags still attached for $5 that’d I’d left a few streets back. Off I gallop, rolling cart screeching over the pavement, and, “Wushhhhhhh…..” again, SOLD.

See what I mean about being off my game?

At least I can report that I did find a few things for Rosie P., a plastic bagful of silverware and a retro plate, both of which were purchased after I posed the question, “would you take…..” which worked for those items, but not for the hugely funky Bakelite clip on earrings. Seller was firm with $4. There are some things I can live without.

My finale was getting back to my car and finding the doors locking and unlocking, lights going off and on….Me standing on Main Street looking all around in puzzlement, and my two companions (both men in their 60’s) hiding behind the bushes having a great time watching my confusion. Alas, Damascus, 2011.

"You take a dallah!"

“You take a dallah? I give you a dallah? You pay me twenty dallah cleaning fee for this…”

This from our recent Facebook post about a Boone yard sale “regular” who arrives at every sale loud and demanding, and wears down the seller until they will do anything to get her off their property.

Not good form. And we can’t help but speculate that this person is a “flipper”, that is someone who buys cheap and sells the goods somewhere else (flea market, Ebay?).

And this is certainly NOT in the spirit of what Secondhand Rosies embrace as joyful, creative hunting with opportunities to forge new friendships along the way.

But can you bargain? Oh, YES! And here are some tips:

*Don’t expect to get the best bargains during the first hour of the sale. That Felix the Cat clock you eye at 8:01 a.m.? You just may have to pay full price.

*Sometimes the seller is parting with an item of sentimental value, and if you show a real love and appreciation for that item the seller may let it go for less. It’s happened to me, and I’ve always promised the seller that it will be well loved in its new home.

*It never hurts to say “Will you take…..” All they can say is “no”, or make you a counter offer. Know when to stop if the seller seems reluctant. If you want it that badly pay the price.

*If the sale is raising funds for a worthy cause wait until the organization lowers the prices. Our “karmic” rule of giving back.

*Best time to bargain would be the last hour of a sale. It is then that you can often offer a ridiculous amount and have it accepted. Most sellers do not want to pack up the merchandise.

*Clothing is often the easiest item that you can barter. And if you find a little tear or stain it should be expected that the seller will reduce the price.

*Never, ever, ever, use the phrase “Jew down”. Bad form, culturally insensitive, and bully like. “Will you take……or what will you take” a much softer forms of approaching a deal.

*Know when to walk away. Last year, close to noon on a hot summer day, I offered a group of young women 50 cents for the paperbacks they were selling for $1 each. No deal they say. I leave, shaking my head. Our public library sells used paperbacks for 50 cents. Rosie W.

28 hours in Jasper, Indiana

It is 11:30 on Tuesday morning when anti-freeze sprays across the front of our Toyota truck while driving down I-64 in southern Indiana. My husband begins a tirade of choice words as he hits the hazards and pulls over and off of the next exit ramp. Staring at the Ferdinand/Jasper sign, we gather our thoughts and call for a tow. Too far away from our homeland of Illinois and 7 hours from our home in NC, we are taken to the local Toyota dealership in hopes that maybe it was just a hose that blew. After the initial diagnosis of a cracked radiator (exhale), we are told it would take a day to get one in, we begin to make plans to spend the night. Luckily, the dealership gave us a loaner van. We move the dogs, the baby, and some choice luggage and begin to make our way around town. Jasper,Indiana is a deeply German Catholic community boasting a low unemployment rate and a Top 10 Small Towns in America Award. It is time to make a margarita out of our bowl of lemons. We decide to go on the thrift store hunt----a common fallback strategy that seems to cut our stress levels immensely in times of near crisis. Three thrift stores serve the Jasper, Indiana community. The Salvation Army was our first stop. JACKPOT! I love these small town thrifts that seem to be virtually unpicked. Thirty minutes uncovers tons of finds--.30 here, .50 there, $1.99 for a University of Indiana t-shirt(Go Hoosiers!), you could not beat it. With a large box of goodies tucked away in the mini-van, we decide to call it a day (it is nearing 4pm by now and it has been a LONG day) and go check in at the local Days Inn. On our way there, we pass a St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store---megastore--similar to the one in downtown St.Louis. I had to catch my breath and asked my husband pull over to check the hours. 12-5 Tues-Saturday. They had a free bin out front ( this made my wheels turn)-- I knew this was a thrifters paradise inside those doors. We promised to return at noon Wednesday. The parking lot was packed this late in the afternoon, which affirmed my intuition. We settled into the Days Inn for a storm filled night in Jasper, featuring dinner at the local German restaurant, Schnitzelbank, as well as some local microbrew tastings. My husband enjoyed the Wurst Platter, which featured a bratwurst,bockwrust, and knackwurst(he wanted me to write this). I had the Gruner Spinat casserole, potato pancakes, and the spatzle. We felt the German blood run deep through our veins with this meal.
We checked out the Goodwill on Wednesday morning and it was nothing to write about, surprisingly. At 11:45 we passed the St. Vincent De Paul store and noticed that there was already a long line waiting to get in. This blew my mind, I thought, is everything in there free? what is going on? is it half price Wednesday? I could not wrap my brain around the idea that folks would line up to get into a thrift store that was open 5 days a week. Searching my memory, I could not pull out another example of this behavior--maybe a handful of folks lined up, but not a dozen or two-sheesh! A few minutes after noon, we got into the "Lord's Store"--reference picture. We were elbow to elbow with folks and then a huge load of Amish women showed up and the place was packed. At first, I thought those women were nuns dressed in semi-traditional habits until I saw the children dressed like that as well. Trying to navigate the aisles with a cart was virtually impossible and impassable. I was getting frustrated. It was hard to pick and sort and move through piles of stuff with all of those people in there. Luckily, after you got through the first aisle or two, the crowd started to thin out. I found an entire aisle of used mason jars--- we must have been in the canning capital of southern Indiana. The households section was full of mismatched plates:) The clothes were very functional and practical without a lot of form or flair--who needs form and flair? Think of Garrison Keilor's description of the good Lutherans in Lake Wobegon, I think that same could be said of the good Catholics in Jasper,IN. We did find a pack of swimmers diapers for $1, a set of Hoosier glasses, a ton of mismatched vintage plates, an innertube swimsuit for the baby Hank, and a bunch of stuffed animals for a project at work all for a grand total of $9.98. Wow! As I stood in the checkout lane, staring at the picture of the thorned crown head of Jesus and his mother Virgin Mary, I was filled with a tinge of homesickness for my midwest roots. You don't find places like this in the South, I thought silently to myself. Let's get real, you don't find homegrown Catholics in the South--they are all transplants. The cashier told us to "have a safe trip home and take care", in an odd,midwestern, with hints of German, accent that had been crafted over generations. This was not your typical town and we were blessed to have broken down there. Thanks for the great adventure Jasper, IN--I would give you two thumbs up on the thrift store scale.
Happy Hunting folks!

2011 Yard Sale Calendar

With the new addition of Baby Hank to our family, I have had to become much more organized than usual. This is actually a good thing and for those of you who know me, you are all shaking your heads “yes” with large smiles on your faces. Needless to say, this has led me to create a yard sale calendar for the Summer of 2011 season. I have researched as many dates as possible and have placed educated guesses on other dates according to last year’s sales date. I hope that my hard work pays off for you and that you take this info and transfer it to your own personal calendars so that you can plan accordingly. If you know of any local, regional, or national sales that I have missed and would like to add, please let me know.


May 7, 2011 Damascus City Wide Yard Sale confirmed
Damascus, VA
This is the beginning of the Trail Days Celebration!
http://www.traildays.us

May 20-21, 2011 Boone United Methodist Spring Fling Sale confirmed
Don’t confuse this with the Fall Bazaar. This one is in the gymnasium only.
Boone, NC

June 4, 2011 The Dawn Fund Garage Sale confirmed rain date June 11
New in name to the local community. Held annually in the parking lot next to the Super 8 on 105—benefits children with disabilities in the community.
Boone,NC

June 11, 2011 Marine Corps Garage Sale
National Guard Armory
Boone,NC

June 17-18 Watauga Humane Society Garage Sale confirmed
Held at the National Guard Armory
Boone, NC

August 4-7 Route 127 Sale confirmed
The longest yard sale in the country. Route 127 crosses the I-40 outside of Knoxville, TN. Check out the website for more details.
http://www.127sale.com/


August 17th National Thriftshop Day confirmed
(the Rosies will be celebrating this the week before due a wedding in the family ---look forward to hearing more about the planned party for our local thrift store employees)


Aug 20, 2011 St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Sale educated guess
They usually have theirs the week before students move back in.
Boone,NC



August 27, 2011 ASU “Big Sale” educated guess
Held at Legends on the ASU campus. The only “run and get it” sale in town—for those that are there when it opens.
Boone,NC


September 2-5 Hillsville Flea Market confirmed
Hillsville,VA
Follow the link for more information. This is Labor Day weekend.
http://www.hillsville.com/fmarket.htm

September 16-17 Boone United Methodist Fall Bazaar confirmed
This is the big Kahuna folks!
Boone,NC


We are hoping that Mountain Alliance will join the ranks this year for hosting a large sale. We know that they postponed last year’s sale and hope that they can become part of the calendar for next season. We would also like to acknowledge the Mountain City Humane Society sale in November, but have no dates on that.

Let’s get ready folks! Find your small bills, your shoulder bags, and your pull along carts, garage sale season is right around the corner. As always Happy Hunting Everyone! We will see you out there.

Rosie P.

Label Whores II

“I was meant to be rich”, my chic and bored daughter mumbles as I drag her to yet another thrift shop in a seedy strip mall in Florida. This one a true bust with rack upon rack of faded chinos, beaded cocktail dresses with huge shoulder pads, and a hefty selection of cheap romance novels. It was run by Hospice, and evidently the place one donates grandma’s worn out apparel after she passes. We leave with nothing but my promise that we WILL go shopping on the drive home so she can find a special outfit for an upcoming wedding.

Fast forward two days and I find myself in the hushed and rarefied air of Saks Fifth Avenue. Yikes! Fish out of water I am, looking at the price tags and feeling woozy.

This is when I decide to update our “Label Whores” blog with some fresh suggestions for those who love to thrift for real treasures, and what a delight it will be to discover any of these labels on a “stuff a bag” table at one of the big sales:

DKNY
Elie Tahari
Michael Kors
VINCE
Lavia
Free People
Adrienne Vittandi
Ellen Tracy
Threads

Our list is ever changing, and we invite you to share additional high end labels to this collection. By the way, I spotted a Michael Kors little black dress, size 6 at the Boone Goodwill this week, $5. Shout out to my “little” friends!
We are “Label Whores”. When “thrifting”, we dive to grab clothing made by our favorite companies.


Our top picks are FLAX, April Cornell, Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, Kavu, Royal Robbins, Gramicci, J. Jill, Cut Loose, Russ Berens, Nomadic Traders, Aly Wear, Ex Officio, Chicos, and Banana Republic. We will be posting “Dozen Roses” moments when we find these.


We won’t pass up a good J. Crew, Polo, Saks, Bloomingdales, Liz, Lands End, or Talbots. The aforementioned don’t reflect our more bohemian tastes, but these finds can be passed on to friends and family (great gifts). We WILL buy Gap, especially the children’s line, although quality and concern about the company’s labor practices are reason for pause.


Madison Studio, Sag Harbor, and Rafella are Belk brands. Usually made in China, and “okay” if unique or in top shape. Dress Barn, Alolfo, White Stag, Bill Blass, The Limited, Old Navy, Worthington, and Cato are in this category as well. We will rarely post about finding any of these brands.


Faded Glory, George, and Jaclyn Smith are Big Box brands. We don’t consider these to be “finds”. So “caution” to those having a sale and expecting big returns on these brands. Let ‘em go cheap!


It’s a sure bet that we will grab any Hannah Andersen or Boden children’s clothing.


Shoes have to be in excellent condition. If we ever find Earth, Dansko, Birkenstock or Keens in good condition it’s a “dozen roses moment”.


We post this with the intent that “Rosebuds” will add their favorite brands to the list. We would love to learn about special boutique brands from our followers. You ask, we find!