Monday, July 11, 2011

Reprise: Are We Having Fun Yet?


Okay, I did it. Got up at 5:30 Saturday morning, painted my face, did my hair and was out the door to the world’s cheesiest estate sale in an hour flat. It was held in a junky part of Akron, but it was a beautiful day and I don’t actually hold its location against it anyway because I once bought The Marshall Stillman Boxing Course from a falling-down house in Barberton. That is one truly rare item which taught me not to be a house snob. What was wrong with this house was that it was the size of a Cracker Jack box, only minus the prize inside. But the minute the door opened a gazillion people flew through and congregated in front of the “paper collection.”

Immediately the complaints rose as thick as the mist of Brigadoon.

“I wouldn’t mind that old Akron bike license, but no way am I paying THAT!”

“If you don’t want it I’ll take it. Oh -- I see what you mean!”

“Thirty dollars for THIS?”

And that wasn’t even me! I picked up a nice oversized booklet commemorating the 50th anniversary of Firestone Rubber with its original envelope, but it was priced right at retail. Finally I let the crowd have at it and went off to see the “Victorian children’s book collection.” This consisted of several ratty books printed on cheap paper and priced like the Crown Jewels. Also sharing the same lady-bug-sized room was the “toy collection” which had brought in a plethora of toy dealers (all male) whose conversation channeled what I’d already heard downstairs at the “paper collection”. Nonetheless, I dutifully crawled around on the floor, between the feet, and behind the boxes and boxes of newish evangelical Christian books, only to find one decent Ohio title – Cherry’s Ohio and the Western Reserve in excellent condition and nicely underpriced.

Somewhat cheered, I then headed back downstairs to find the paper collection deserted. Piece by piece I went through it but, again, everything I might have bought was grossly overpriced. I did find two Wadsworth High School commencement booklets from the 30’s (exceptionally nice) for $5 each, so I grabbed those and then ran headlong into a dilemma. Did I dare spend $20 for a 1940’s children’s book about the circus which opens up to form a big circus ring? The odds were good that by its very nature many of these didn’t survive.

But no.

Well, maybe.

No.

No.

Definitely no.

Oh, all riiiiiiight!

I snatched it up and had another look at the Firestone commemorative. I have a customer I could quote it to with a 75 per cent chance that he’d take it and I’d make a tiny—not TIDY, tiny -- profit. But in the end, I said no and meant it. The last thing I want to do is encourage these crazy pricers any more than I absolutely have to.

As it turned out, the cherry drop-front desk Eric dragged me over to see in the first place turned out to be a cheap knock-off, so even that was a bust. And to add to the pleasure, the dishwasher broke Saturday, sales online remained slow all weekend, and even the antiques mall emerged from its white-hot week like an overheated southern belle in need of a stiff mint julep.

About the only good thing I can report is that the Magical Makeover is right on track. Oh, and the dead dishwasher only cost $168 to fix.

2 comments:

sundaymornancy said...

I appreciate your honest appraisal whenever you hit a stinker estate sale.
If finding treasures at estate sales were easy, everybody would do it. But because they are so rare (as you so adeptly point out), only the most doggedly determined ever find the real treasures. Of course, the estate sale stories always turn out to be a treasure and at bargain prices!

tess said...

Glad you enjoy these stories. Sometimes I feel like I tell you guys too many of them. But they ARE part of the life and times of a bookseller! Makes you want to sign right up, doesn't it? :-(