Yard Sale

Yep.  I finally decided to have a yard sale.  I'm going to part with the items that I do not want, do not love, do not desire in any way.  If I'm not sure, I'm going to keep it a while longer.

I have spoken to friends who have had yard sales.  It is hard to part with things.  What is the hold these material objects have on us?  Why do we have more than we need?  Why haven't we passed the unused and unneeded objects on to others who can use them?  One answer is, "I may need it some day."

I gingerly brought some bags of subjectively useless things to the local Goodwill collection site hoping someone could use them.  The workers accepting the big black plastic bags were cheerful and thankful.  They made me feel good about donating.  They did not look inside the bags.  They did not judge.  They offered me a receipt.  This good feeling made me want to donate again.  Every time I return with more goods for the Goodwill, I get the same good feeling.  Apparently it feels good to give.

I asked several of my friends and a neighbor if they want to sell any of their possessions at my yard sale.  People are not sure whether they have objects they are ready to part with, even if they can get money in exchange for the object.  I noticed that I did not miss the things I donated to Goodwill.  The reason for a yard sale is that some objects are too big for my vehicle; i.e., I cannot haul them to the Goodwill, so I hope folks will pay me money and haul the objects for me.  I am peppering the offerings with some smaller items to lure folks in -- the bait. 

I read that people think their possessions are worth more when they are selling, and the same items are worth less when people are buying.  Interesting.  With that in mind, I do not want to price things too high.  Pricing is a challenge.  One could advertise, "Free stuff.  Just haul it away."  Does selling it make it more valuable to the purchaser?

Some folks expect to barter at a yard sale.  If you price a $100 item at $1, they will offer you 50 cents.  They cannot help themselves.  They have to do it.  Other folks just look at the price tags.  If the price is too high, they leave.  You have to read people.  Do they really want that object?  Do they want to wheel and deal?  Dance the dance.  Play the game.  Sometimes yard sale goods are not marked with prices at all.  This leaves room for maximum gamesmanship or maximum discomfort. Depends upon the person.

I think looking at your possessions and deciding what you want to keep, what you want to part with, and why, is practice for death.  When you die, you leave it all behind.  You can't take it with you.  Would you regret not having given away more?  Would you be glad you are the one who died with the most toys?  Would you look down at your possessions and think, "What a pile of crap" or "Cool stuff."  Or would you think, "Why did this earth life result in a collection of material objects?"

I will report back to you on the results of the sale after the weekend.  Do you folks in Russia have yard sales?  Do you Germans like to barter or just pay the tag price?  I know you read this blog along with the folks in the good old USA.  I suppose you city slickers in your Manhattan high rise Trump-like towers can't have yard sales because you do not have yards.  Maybe you can have your yard sale at your country home in the Hamptons.  When you do, think of me.  I will be sitting out there in the 100, 101, or 102 degree heat, having my yard sale. 
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