Now there have been a few, very few, you'd see them driving around the city, signs posted 4 or 5 miles apart, but really, garage sale season began this weekend.
Friday there was a teaser - a senior's sale at the 50+ center in Killarney. Nothing really, a few passes around the work before I settled on a couple of blood pressure test kits for one of the customers at work who seems a little preoccupied with his health lately. When I get to work they prove to be the highlight, as all the staff line up to check their blood pressure.
Saturday, though, Saturday is where it's at.
It's the Good Samaritan Rummage Sale at the Hillhurst community center.
And I'm there, faithful as an old dog, about 7:30. There are the usual suspects, perhaps 30 people in line ahead of me, dealers, the usual suspects, I know them all. I've picked myself up a coffee and a spare, just in case, and I offer up a random act of kindness and give it to the book fairy. I could use the connection and stand beside him, pretend I was joining him in line, but that's just tacky.
I feel I should have dressed up for this, and the line slowly builds up behind me. I've brought a book and a plastic chair to sit in and while away the time, chat to my neighbors, the atmosphere is convivial, jovial, but I don't kid myself, it will be competitive as hell once I get through the doors.
I do my stretches.
The lady in front of me, she comments on how the line fills, when we arrived there were perhaps 30 people ahead of us, now there are almost a hundred, and she's spoken too soon. She's joined by her grand daughter, her husband, her friends, ..... I'd be annoyed, but I'm focused on the sale.
At 9:00 we finally enter. And it's a mad dash to the collectables cabinet, nothing of interest today, then the jewelry in the main gym, again nothing of interest. I expand my search, in the end pick up some neckties, baubles for people at work, nothing, really, of merit. Nothing to justify the wait.
From here I'm off to the Knights of Columbus, which started at 8:00 but I couldn't, still can't be in 2 places at the same time. And this looks OK, a Crucifix that opens to reveal candles & holy water, for giving the last rites (perfect, again, for one of the older Italian ladies at work), a vintage alarm clock that some moron over wound and then decided he didn't want (and so they marked it down for me...), other trifles that I have to talk myself out of buying.
I look for the St. Lukes garage sale on Northmount drive, miss my turn, turn back but can't seem to find it, a couple of passes and that's it, time is passing and I'll have to search further.
I go to St. Michael's - a school in the South West, meet a dealer I know carting out an antique pine chest, otherwise there's nothing.
We chat. I've played it wrong, this Saturday, there were 22 church sales on this morning but I put all my eggs in the Samaritan basket, and while it's been good in the past, was good this year, there was nothing exceptional. I should have traded my first on the scene there for first on the scene at any number of other sales, the finds would have, could only have been better.
***
When I get home there's a call from someone replying to a Kijiji ad I had posted, originally contacted me in October, now in town to pick up his piece, while here he picks up a few other bits and bobs and overall, by the end I've covered the morning's excesses.
Out with the old, in with the new.
***
Sunday, coffee with a friend, on the way home a garage sale sign, pop in, some used electronics, a better mini stereo for a song, some questionable electronics and computer stuff that needs to be tested, all in all not a bad weekend, not exceptional, but it's only week one...