Yard Sale Season: More Stories of the Hunt

Many of CQ’s followers have read my blogs about the ‘thrill of the hunt’ and the many adventures along the way. I have found more than my share of treasures. Many have been kept for our home while others have been sold. Some have made wonderful gifts for family and friends. I’ve also mentioned my “nemesis”, fondly labeled “Neumann” after the postal guy who sparred with Jerry on the Seinfeld show.

Most of the time it is well worth it to get up early and head off to yard sales, auctions or estate sales. But we all have tales of the unique individuals that make you want to scream. My “Neumann” is just that person. We began crossing paths about 10 years ago. She has long red hair and a pasted-on smile, and we must not live too far from each other because I see her at least once a month, more during the heavy rummage season. I’ll see her coming into the sale or exiting with arms full and a wide, toothy grin. “Oh, HI!” She’ll say, “you should have been here earlier, absolutely fantastic items. Maybe you can find something left; but it’s pretty picked over.” I smile back and state “well, you never know what has been left behind. I’ve found some pretty amazing things late in the day.” (Actually, this is true. Sometimes the early birds get there and are elbow-to-elbow, not allowing you to look under tables, in boxes and take the time to really dig deep.)

This past weekend I went to a yard sale that boasted of having “great items for ebayers”, and “lots of advertising pieces.” Well, that’s right up my alley so I headed over there. The sale was advertised in a local paper and stated “no early sales.” I try to respect that and got there about 5 minutes before the sale was supposed to start. I was a bit dismayed because out of the garage came Neumann! She was all smiles and even had the gall to say “Hi sleepyhead – you missed some real goodies.” Well, I had been to 4 other sales prior to this one, but did not want to be bitchy, just smiled back and asked if she had some luck. She had a bagful and said she wanted to show me one item. I said “That’s OK”, I did not need to see it. But she insisted and reached in to show me a piece of Hull pottery, a basket that was quite lovely. Quite lovely, that is, until she dropped it on the sidewalk! We both stared at it, watching it drop, almost as if in slow-motion, but neither of us could react quickly enough. It shattered on the concrete right before our eyes. Although she often made me angry, I felt my nails retract, and actually felt badly for her. I told her that I was so sorry that it happened, but she remained silent.

By this time, there were people coming and going and I asked her if she planned to clean up the mess so no one would be hurt. She just shrugged, then got in her car and drove off. I hated to leave it there, so I scurried up the drive-way and asked the lady at the check-out table for a broom and dust pan. She complied and I cleaned it up. She then asked what happened and I told her. The lady had quite a mix of emotions cross her face. “Oh, that lady deserved it”, she said. I was surprised and asked what she meant. The lady told me that “Neumann” had arrived well before the advertised time. She told them she had hurt her leg and hoped she could get in early to avoid any crowds. They felt badly for her and let her in. But once in the garage, she walked just fine and they saw no signs of an injury. She also was very aggressive in her negotiating and mentioned flaws on items that they could not even see. They felt like they were taken in by her and while we all love to find bargains, she was just too pushy.

The lady at the sale thanked me for cleaning up the mess and said I was welcome to come in the house since they had some items that had not yet been priced. The words “mother lode” come to mind. The kitchen table had about 30 pieces, some figurines, more pottery pieces and some glassware. She asked about a Roseville vase and wondered what it was worth. I put on my ‘dealer cap’ and tried to explain that if it is ‘book valued’ at $200, a dealer is only going to offer you $40-50, if you are lucky. That’s because they have to (often) clean it, store it, research it, pay taxes on it and then wait for a sale, which could take months or even longer. And if it is a sale through ebay, it would also have to be packed up and shipped. That means their money could be tied up for a long period of time. She said that made good sense, but she had not really thought about it that way. The Roseville vase was one I did not have and really, really liked it, but the ‘angel on my shoulder’ told me to be generous and fair. I offered her more than she had originally wanted for it and both sides were pleased. I bought a few more items, then made some recommendations on those that remained. One was a Cambridge compote that was quite rare. She thanked me for my honesty and carefully wrapped up my purchases.

At the next sale, I spotted “Neumann” and she waved me over. “What did you get?” she asked. I told her I was reluctant to show her because I did not want anything to break.

Competition can be fun and invigorating. I always believe that honesty pays and in this case, it is definitely true.