A Smile - Coulee Region Women Magazine

HUmOR
“WILL YOU TAKE
LESS FOR THAT?”
The rummage sale: It’s the thrill of the chase.
by ClaIRE RISTOw-SEIB
G
arage sales can be fascinating places to study people,
as evidenced by this encounter at an upscale home
in Minneapolis: A woman and her sisters had been
scouring the area for good deals, most likely a timehonored
tradition among family females. This particular sale was run
by an obvious shopaholic who was trying to recover some cash, bury
the evidence of her addiction or simply downsize her cluttered abode.
As I perused the merchandise nearby, the following exchange ensued:
“Will you take less for that?” the customer asked,
innocently enough.
“Are you kidding?” replied the woman. “Do you have any idea
what the full retail cost of that would be?” She berated the customer
and her sisters for being cheap and not knowing excellence when
they saw it. They left the sale in shock over her response, but as they
approached their vehicle, giddiness took over and left them in a
giggling heap at the end of the driveway.
Humored by the incident and a little shocked at the tonguelashing
the owner expelled, I plundered on. Each time I glanced at
an item for longer than a nanosecond, she would descend on me.
“That came from my cousin in France!” she’d exclaim. “That was
hand-blown by an original Neanderthal!” I picked up a lovely leather
handbag: “That’s a Dooney & Burke! I paid full price for that when I
was in New York, visiting the ambassador of blah, blah, blah ...”
Happily, most garage sales are not a showing of all things trendy
with a sophisticated hard-sell approach. The majority are designed to
declutter closets, cull outgrown apparel, downsize living quarters or
make room for new garage sale purchases.
48 APRIL/MAY 2009 www.crwmagazine.com
RUMMAGE
SALE
1234 My Street
La Crosse, WI
Recent studies have shown that “many women like to shop.” They
are afflicted by a “desire to acquire.” But we bargain hunters operate
on a different level, one that saves lots of money over otherwise
discounted prices. As the saying goes, “One man’s junk is another
man’s treasure,” or, as I like to say, “One girl’s stuff is another girl’s
fluff!” In the garage sale scene, serendipity—the faculty of finding
things we did not know we were looking for—is key.
I liken rummage sale shopping to my husband’s deer hunting,
which involves arising from slumber in the middle of the night,
dressing in layers, packing gun and ammo and heading to the woods,
where he walks for miles, then sits for hours. After a day anticipating
the big buck, he trudges back, carrying his reward: nothing. What,
you ask, is the reward in that? Well, today, it was the fresh air, exercise,
quiet and solitude. Next time, it might be the catch of a lifetime!
Garage sale shopping is similar, except that one seldom mounts
a great find above the fireplace. The experience of hunting down
bargains could be deemed a wasted morning, or it might yield several
good purchases at a fraction of their original price.
No matter the reason, whether to study shopping behaviors,
locate a specific costume, spend a morning with friends or just get
out of the house, garage sales are an entertaining weekend option.
And don’t be afraid to ask, “Will you take less for that?” The answer
is part of the thrill of the chase. D
Claire Ristow-Seib is a longtime hunter-gatherer of hot deals with or
without the encouragement of family and friends.