Monday 1 June 2015

Anatomy of a Yard Sale

  June 2,2015


Along with earlier sunrises and warmer temperatures in Atlantic Canada, Saturdays are special to a breed of natives known as "Yard Salers" Although generally a quiet and docile animal, they have been known to exhibit unusually contentious behavior if  sale signs are not to their liking or if challenged in any way by others of their species.

There are certain traits that distinguish  them from the run of the mill people who just wander into a yard sale out of curiosity. Most notably, they arrive, park where they stop, and begin a ritualistic assessment of the wares on display.  They can be seen with a coffee cup in  hand as they purposefully mingle with others of their ilk. Most will nod or smile in the direction of the "Seller".This is also known as Posturing. It gives the impression of kinship and increases their chances of getting a better deal when, and if, haggling occurs. These finely tuned ceremonies are part and parcel of what makes a Saturday morning Yard Sale so much fun, whether you are selling, or one of the "Salers"(not to be confused with the east coast "Sailors"). I have been an active participant in both categories and also enjoy being part of the rarer breed known as the "Casual Observer"!



On this particular day I played the role of all three characters, with the emphasis on selling. The goal was to raise funds for JDRF- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation- with the goal of improving the lives of everyone with Type 1 Diabetes.



1.The two puppies don't appear the least intimidated by their 7 month old larger friend. After some initial playing they settled down and pretty  much saw eye to eye on most topics!

2.No self-respecting yard sale would be replete without it's share of LPs and what better  represents this than this classic  Bee Gees album. ( A definite draw for real "Salers")

3.Last minute preparations before the crowds of "Salers" arrive! Fog and cool temps did not deter these enthusiastic individuals.

4.This sweet little Sorceress was happy to greet arrivals. Something for everyone!

5.Who would have thought that hot dogs and sausages would be such a great hit at 9:00 am? The efficient and energetic  cook did very well to keep up with the huge demand.

6 & 7. Home made goodies always draw a crowd and these delights were no exception. I know they were still warm from the oven and my super sisters will not disagree with me. They were cooking at 4:00 am to make sure the muffins, cookies and squares were as fresh as could be!!

8.All good things must come to an end but as we cleaned up we were pleased that a sizable donation was made to JDRF and the Canadian Diabetes Association.


Enjoy yourself and have a great week! ;-)






41 comments:

  1. The photo of the kids and the dogs is just too precious. Please come link up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/06/nesting.html

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    1. Thanks, Sue, I just happened to be int ehr right place at the right time. Have already linked with you.

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  2. Looks like a really good yard sale. I need to go to one.

    http://csuhpat1.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-walk-around-lake-elizabeth.html

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    1. Yard sales are great, Patrick, and I always have fun. Tks for dropping by.

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  3. It must be fun to organise a yard sale. Hope that you manage to clear a lot of items that way.

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    1. I did not actually organize it, Dominique, but it was a group effort. We did make a sizable donation to the JDRF and Diabetes Foundation. It was a lot of fun.

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  4. Oh! I'm in my element at these sales heheh! love the photos the cute one with the kids and dog, I remember buying that Bee Gees album ha!

    Have a saletatsic week & thanks for sniffing by :-)

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    1. Me,too, Steve. My sisters and I often go to yard sales or Farmers Markets in the summer months. Although I did not own that album I did enjoy it. LOL. Have a great week!

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  5. I love to go to yard sales, its amazing things people collect. I cant remember anything special I have ever found though.

    Have a great week!

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    1. I love yard sales as well, Karren, but only occasionally do I find a "treasure" but do enjoy the hunt. Have a great week.

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  6. Love your photos, especially of the three puppies and the little ones! The JDRF is such a great cause, hopefully they will soon discover a cure for this disease!

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    1. I agree, Monica, I hope in at least my children's life time a cure is found. Who can resist kids and animals, they inspire the "aaawww" factor every time!! LOL

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  7. So glad to hear you were able to raise funds for a worthy cause. Thanks for linking up over at Toronto Teacher Mom!

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    1. It's my pleasure, Diana, always enjoy your posts. Yes, it made the effort worth while when a charity like JDRF is involved.

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  8. I love the shot with the dogs and little ones. Yard sales are very popular in our area. I used to love listening to the Bee Gees. The home baked goodies is a definite draw, yummy. I hope the fund raiser was a success. Have a happy day!

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    1. Yes, Eileen, it was a success and a win-win day for all. Trust me the baked goods were delishious....my sisters are great cooks!Enjoy the week.

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  9. It is definitely a great way to spend your weekend!

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    1. It was a family deal, Carolina, so we had fun together and helped a charity too. Enjoy the week.

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  10. we dont really have yard sales in the UK. We do have something called a boot sale which is normally a field and you park your car and sell you stuff from your boot (trunk). We used to love a good walk and the kids loved coming home with all the stuff we were trying to sell lol

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    1. Haha, that often happens in these cases too, but at least it was a fun day. That's interesting about the boot sales, thanks for letting me know that.

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  11. Lovely pictures, I would love to go to this yard sale :)

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    1. If you are ever in this part of Eastern Canada, just drop me a line and I'd love to take you with us to yard sales.Farmer's Markets are also on our list... very similar. Have a great week, Clairjustine.

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  12. haven't been to a yard sale in ages. looks like a fantastic day!

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka
    Join in: Wordless Wed Linky

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    1. I don't go often, but when I do, Ai Sakura, I always have fun. It's more about meeting the people than the deals we may get. Have a great week.

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  13. Great post. I totally understand this, I've been to many garage sales in my time, and people can be ruthless! I've had elderly ladies yank things out from under me and follow me around. You can almost feel them breathing down your neck to see if your going to change your mind about an item and put it back lol

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    1. Haha, that's funny,Laura Lee, but I totally can relate. People have a whole different personality at yard sales.

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  14. Oh I love that picture of the two puppies with the big dog. It's lovely!

    Momfever

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    1. Thanks, Nicole, I was fortunate to have my camera hand when they were playing.

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  15. Wow. This is such a great cause. It appears the dogs are loving each others company.

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    1. Yes, Jessica, they are, but have to admit to worrying a bit when they first met. As they are all puppies, sometimes not aware of their strength. Have a great week.

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  16. We love going to garage sales. Although we had a weird garage sale shopping week last week. Hope you made a lot of money for your cause. Have a great end of the week!

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    1. I admit there are times that it is a bit crazy going to some garage sales, but we did make a nice donation to JDRF this week. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful week.

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    2. I admit there are times that it is a bit crazy going to some garage sales, but we did make a nice donation to JDRF this week. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful week.

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  17. I'm kind of partial to the puppies and the little ones. It was a lot of fun and glad money was raised for a great cause, too.

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    1. I like the little puppies as well. It was fun and the weather could have been a lot worse... like the last few days have been. Glad you stopped by, Kathy.

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  18. i would definitely label my grandma as a yard saler! she'll still stop whenever she sees one, no matter where she's headed. when i was little, i'd help her with her sale and i remember it very fondly!

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    1. I don't go that often, Grace, but these sales are bountiful in this area. I must admit,though, when my sisters and I get together on a Saturday, this is one of the draw.LOL!

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  19. Great read and so glad it was a big success. Yard sales are not that prevelant in Pictou County or even here in Antigonish County. There is a huge flea market in New Glasgow that our sister Chrissy works at. I know NB has a lot more yard sales then we do here and I love them. The photos are great and those baked good - yummy.

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    1. We had a lot of fun, Betty, and it was all for a good cause. There is a certain draw to yard sales and Farmer's Markets, as it is usually local product and a chance of getting a good buy is hard to resist.Glad you stopped by.

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