Sunday, March 14, 2010

By Leslie Linsley Special to The Citizen

When does the stuff we own begin to own us?

This is a philosophical question that came up while discussing this week's line-up of yard sales.

My friend, Josine, does the Saturday yard sale thing with her husband, Walt. They are what I call "casual" yard salers. They arrive at whatever time the sale begins and treat this activity as a non-competitive sport.

Then there is my friend Patrick who is very serious about his yard-saling business. People approach a yard sale as they would boating. Some sailors are fastidious and have a routine that is not to be tampered with. Others hop in and enjoy the ride for what it is.

Josine and I both agreed that in another life we'd like to live in minimal surroundings. I love clean, empty rooms in photographs. Minimalist living suggests an organized, edited down life, one to which I aspire, but know in my heart of hearts I just love "stuff" too much.

We are responsible for all the accumulated things in our lives, and as much as it gives us pleasure to consume, in the end it can be a burden.

But hey, it's fun to get stuff, especially for a bargain. And this is why yard-saling is so popular.

"All the good stuff is gone!" I overheard someone tell a new arrival at a yard sale that specifically stated "no early birds" in the newspaper ad, and yet it is only one minute past the posted time. How can this be? I wonder. But I am a seasoned yard sale goer, and so I know enough to ignore this comment.

I have been a yard sale attendee for most of my adult life. For years it was part of my Saturday morning ritual. I ride by a house with a crude sign stuck onto a telephone pole announcing "Yard Sale" and come to a screeching halt. I can hardly pass up even the most meager display on a rickety card table. I have always been convinced that any household item I need will eventually turn up at such a sale and I may even find something valuable.

There are two sides to this activity: At different times you many find yourself as a yard sale goer or a yard sale giver, and there are rules for each role.

Yard sale giver:

1. The first reason for giving a yard sale is to get rid of things you no longer need or want, so price accordingly. If you really want to end the day with an empty yard, charge ridiculously low prices. The $2 you get for a kitchen chair is a token for the privilege of carting it away. Once it's gone, don't think you should have charged $5. Everyone wins when it's $2.

2. The reward for cleaning out your junk is that you get paid for the stuff rather than having to pay to have it hauled away. Your trash becomes someone else's treasure. Remember this when asked to lower a price. The objective is to be rid of it.

3. Make your yard sale look exciting by having lots of stuff. Never hold a yard sale to get rid of five pairs of shoes. This only antagonizes the people who came to hunt for bargains. Spread the stuff out on tables and put price stickers on everything.

4. Clothes and books are best sellers. Clean clothes and really cheap books sell even better. Books will get people hunting and pecking and create a crowd.

A good yard sale attendee:

1. Have an open mind, expect nothing and be overjoyed when you find a strainer for 10 cents that you didn't know you needed.

2. Don't look around and proclaim out loud "What a lot of junk!" as I have often been tempted to do. If you don't like what you see, quietly leave and mumble a polite thank you to the sale giver for taking the trouble to set it up at all.

3. If you see something you want for $50 and think it's worth $5, you can do one of two things: Follow the good etiquette rules of haggling and say, "Would you consider less?" The answer will usually be, "Make me an offer." Or you can do the cowardly thing -- mutter a thank you and leave.

4. And finally, do not under any circumstances arrive at 8 a.m. for a yard sale that was advertised to start at 9 a.m.

Leslie Linsley has written more than 50 books on crafts, decorating and home style. She resides on Nantucket with her husband, photographer Jon Aron, and has a store on the island that specializes in her one-of-a-kind creations. Her latest book is "Key West: A Tropical Lifestyle" (Monacelli Press), with photos by Terry Pommett.