Some things to consider when searching for that special “something”
For many buyers, these garage sales can be a great thing for their budgets. This is a time of rising expenses and higher prices for almost everything.
May and June are primary garage-sale months in Whitehorse. These events do occur at other times but are many fewer. For potential buyers, out hunting for bargains, it often looks like a race. Vehicles speed from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, looking for the best stuff at the lowest price. For many buyers, these sales can be a great thing for their budgets. This is a time of rising expenses and higher prices for almost everything.
I sometimes ride my bike around the neighbourhood on a Saturday morning. It is easy to spot the popular sales owing to the number of vehicles parked haphazardly, often blocking the sidewalk and even the road. Many of these (not all) are large and expensive SUVs, which makes me wonder about the financial motivation for garage sale-ing.
I understand that there are those folks who just do it for the fun of it. They love the hunt for that “something special.” Maybe they enjoy the social aspect of chatting with new people. Or perhaps folks just like seeing all the stuff that others have and are trying to get rid of. I enjoy that as well. And as for things such as clothing for growing children, it makes a lot of sense.
I recently participated in a garage sale for a non-profit organization. I was struck by the number of people who came by but stated, “I’m just looking, not buying. I want to get rid of stuff, not accumulate more.”
I understand that sentiment. It seems to be especially a concern of seniors. My husband and I are in that category. We join others in their later years who realize that they have too much stuff. Obviously, this is mainly a First World, middle-class problem.
I have dealt with the estates of older friends who have died and left a mountain of things to be disposed of. I have seen that it is usually the children or friends of the deceased who are left to deal with the problem. Many of us live far from our children, and that adds to the difficulty of the task. Relatives come from far away and do not even have the local contacts to deal with the stuff. Still-useful and once-treasured objects end up in the landfill. We just want all that stuff to go away so we can get on with our lives. But there is no “away!” I am made aware of that again and again.
I’d really like a new “something.” The something I have still works, fits, is in reasonable condition, looks okay, does what it is supposed to, but the newer “something” looks nicer and, besides that, I deserve it.
But wait … What will I do with the “something” that is being replaced? I find myself asking this question increasingly often. Posing that question often results in me not purchasing the “new” item. Or at least delaying a purchase until I have thought it through more thoroughly.
There are some options for having too much stuff. One could have a garage sale. And then, if things don’t sell, there are free stores or the Luv2Thrift store. Both do a great job in our community. One can also advertise online or in the newspaper.
And as for needing something, some folks check first at second-hand places before heading to a shop for something new. Some of them even drive out of town to the free stores near rural communities.
But I am still concerned with the fact that I have too much stuff.
My husband and I moved to Whitehorse 13 years ago. We paid $10 per pound to have our possessions moved from Manitoba. That acted as an incentive to downsize significantly. But here we are, 13 years later, still needing to reduce our possessions.
I grew up in the ’50s and ’60s. At that time, the scarcity and frugality of the ’30s and ’40s was being replaced by the desire to get ahead. That meant consume and accumulate. Scarcity has been replaced by excess, with garages stuffed (no room for cars) and the proliferation of storage containers.
So, when it comes time to reduce and get rid of some of the excess, how about a garage sale? That reminds me, the weekend is coming. Perhaps I’ll check out the neighbourhood garage sales … but, I’m firmly committed to buy nothing—unless … Well, maybe just …
