Garage sailing for Karma
Sep. 27th, 2008 11:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeanvieveSo spent Friday evening over at Carla's grandmother's house, hefting large furniture and moving it out to the carport in anticipation of the Saturday morning sale. Grandma is considered to be permanently moved to assisted living, and with the family having cleared out 'what they want' the rest was to go to the garage sale.
For all that, Carla's mom was very emotional about it all. Saturday morning dawns and mom and I were over there at 8am to move out, and C'sM was in tears. A lot. Patiently letting her put high prices on things that had sentimental value to her. Quietly accepting lesser bids when they came in to get stuff out the door. When Carla arrived, we sent her and her mom off to take Grandma to lunch in order to get some time away.
Lesson learned - it is very hard for some folks to part with things. Especially things of sentiment from their folks and family. One should really have friends over to run stuff, and you just point out what goes before sitting back with a good book and earphones playing soothing music.
I ran the cash register and directed Carla and folks to 'cluster' like items to encourage buyers. By the end of the day, we'd gotten rid of tons of the stuff in there, and her mom finally got into the spirit. "Yes you! That's a dollar. It's only fifty cents if you buy something else Christmassy too. The entire Easter and bunny collection, yours for five!" Gave a lot of the little vases away to anyone who bought things with little girls in tow.
Considering there were no high ticket items there, I think we did well to get about $300. Used tupperware, after all, is just not a pricy item. I also got someone to haul off the free couch and do all the work, so feeling mildly smug.
Also quietly happy that I come from a family not prone to constant emotional display. The dwama! The angst! The teary blue eyes! Okay, quick, find something else for C'sM to do. And I got a plug-in electric weed trimmer, John! No more batteries! And a branch lopper. What's the technical term? Cuttie-thingie-on a long-stick?
For all that, Carla's mom was very emotional about it all. Saturday morning dawns and mom and I were over there at 8am to move out, and C'sM was in tears. A lot. Patiently letting her put high prices on things that had sentimental value to her. Quietly accepting lesser bids when they came in to get stuff out the door. When Carla arrived, we sent her and her mom off to take Grandma to lunch in order to get some time away.
Lesson learned - it is very hard for some folks to part with things. Especially things of sentiment from their folks and family. One should really have friends over to run stuff, and you just point out what goes before sitting back with a good book and earphones playing soothing music.
I ran the cash register and directed Carla and folks to 'cluster' like items to encourage buyers. By the end of the day, we'd gotten rid of tons of the stuff in there, and her mom finally got into the spirit. "Yes you! That's a dollar. It's only fifty cents if you buy something else Christmassy too. The entire Easter and bunny collection, yours for five!" Gave a lot of the little vases away to anyone who bought things with little girls in tow.
Considering there were no high ticket items there, I think we did well to get about $300. Used tupperware, after all, is just not a pricy item. I also got someone to haul off the free couch and do all the work, so feeling mildly smug.
Also quietly happy that I come from a family not prone to constant emotional display. The dwama! The angst! The teary blue eyes! Okay, quick, find something else for C'sM to do. And I got a plug-in electric weed trimmer, John! No more batteries! And a branch lopper. What's the technical term? Cuttie-thingie-on a long-stick?
