Don't Believe What You Read

Hello, My Friends!~~

Please allow me to interject a strong reality check into an estate ad I found on Craigslist.

I will put the exact wording of the ad in quotes and then add my own words as to what the true reality of the sale was. OK? Here we go...

"I am helping an old friend get ready to move out of his parents home."

The person helping the old friend showed up an hour before the sale was to start, bitching and moaning about how much there was to do. Her friend was a very elderly man who had done the lion's share of bringing the stuff out onto the lawn before she got there (I and others offered to help, but he declined)--and did I mention the estate sale was brought out onto the front yard? OK, let's continue...

"60 years plus boxes of stuff inherited by an aunt. Lots of vintage stuff."

Really? All I saw was a card table and larger table with very few items on them as well as a few boxes in the driveway.

"Old toys from 30s and 50s."

There was one block puzzle.

"Old greeting cards, catalogues, scrapbooks, all kinds of old paper items."

One box. Meh.

"Lots and lots of vintage kitchen items - dishes, bowls, 2 sets of vintage silver-plate flatware, vases, 1950s refrigerator, 1950s tv cabinet, old tools, handmade ceramic dishes and decorations from the 50s."

I saw one box of kitchen stuff and 2 bowls. There wasn't a refridgerator or TV cabinet in sight.

"vintage craft supplies,"

This is why I went. I found one baggie of vintage crepe paper. Nice paper but I expected more craft supplies if they had a special mention in the ad.

"children's books from the 30s, 40s 50s, some nice costume jewelry, a few pieces of old mexican sterling jewelry, remains of a cup and saucer collection all from Europe and England, some old china dishes, old purses, a few old doll dishes from the 30s,"

Hardly any of these items were in the sale.

"lots and lots of vintage Xmas"

Three boxes of ornaments do not count, again IMHO, as lots and lots of vintage Xmas.

"some Easter"

NO Easter.

"no Halloween"

There was one Halloween costume. And why would you mention "no Halloween" in the first place?

"figurines, old linens -s one very nice, old barware including a nice teak ice bucket, cocktail shaker with matching glasses, pottery, clothes and lots more. We are still digging out and pricing."

OK, so you probably get the point that this sale was a dud. It was and it wasn't. I found some nice things but the prices were OK. However, since they had the sale in the front yard, the woman running it told all of us standing there that they were not ready and we couldn't shop until she said so. When she "said so" it was like a feeding frenzy. One buyer I saw there likes everything I like so we had to agree to share. I saw the one cool piece of vintage fabric there being snatched up just as I turned to look at it. I really hated that the sale was in the front yard. The ad drew people there but it was just too mis-leading.

The worst thing was the woman placed a second ad touting the fact that they had been cleaning out and pricing for a year! Really? I mean...REALLY? A few boxes and last minute pricing, that we watched her do, does not in my estimation warrant a year's worth of work. What was this angry harrassed woman trying to prove in her ad?

Here is how the ad ended...

"We are pricing and putting stuff in boxes. On Saturday morning we will haul out the boxes and bags and unpack. As soon as we've done that we will open for business. House is at the end of the street with a dumpster in front of it. PLEASE DON'T CALL or email. We are too busy getting ready to answer."

Clearly she felt put upon by her friend, but since I have seen this woman waiting to get into other estate sales in the area, I feel she got anything really worth getting for herself and her "penance" was having to help her friend sell what was left. That's my opinion, of course.

I do know one thing though, I will NEVER go to another estate sale that is on someone's front yard. It's far easier, believe me, to go on the hunt from room to room.~~~XXOO, Beth