<p>ellen ^ good one!</p>
<p>I don’t go to garage sales, but I know someone who does and then he brings the items to consignment shops for resale. He claims to make a few extra dollars doing this.</p>
<p>Bought solid oak headboards and walnut nightstands for the kids’ rooms, as well as a 50s era kids’ formica table with matching chairs. Got them from an older couple who was retiring elsewhere and had bought them for their kids in the late 50s.</p>
<p>With the Mad Men-era craze, it’s nice to know I have SOMETHING chic in this house!</p>
<p>I found a signed piece of American art pottery in our church basement in a box amongst the $1 glass vases that pile up from floral offerings at funerals and the like. After asking around amongst long time members, I ascertained that no one remembered where it came from. It had apparently been there for decades.</p>
<p>I consigned it to a David Rago auction–he’s one of the experts on Antiques Roadshow–where it went for about $1300.</p>
<p>Concerning the book donation with money in it. We had one of those come through at the annual school book sale. I put a sign on the desk that said “Did you donate this book? You are a winner!!!” The person who donated that book also came to the sale, so we were able to return the several hundred dollars. </p>
<p>My Dad once bought a bookcase at a garage sale that had a hidden drawer. When he figured out how to open it, he found a gold brooch inside. I’m embarrassed to say that we thought he was nuts to drive around until he recognized the garage sale house-- so he could return it. Now, I know how much that meant to the owner who remembered her mother wearing it, but hadn’t seen it in years. Now that I’m grown up, I know that I would do the same.</p>
<p>^What a wonderful example of doing the right thing!</p>
<p>I very rarely stop at garage sales, but last weekend stopped at an estate sale in my neighborhood. I ended up filling a shopping bag with gorgeous white linen napkins and tablecloths–for $30. One of the tablecloths has appliqued flowers and a hand-done lace edging… for $7.</p>
<p>One of my oddest finds was a new surcingle, it’s a padded belt that goes around a horse behind the front legs, used in training from the ground. It was found in a thrift store with belts for humans, here in the verdant fields of Chicago’s northwest side. A sixty or seventy dollar item for a buck. I gave it to one of my trainer friends at the Kentucky Training Center and she was thrilled, and astounded that it was from a thrift store.</p>
<p>Ages ago at a lovely farm/ house sale I bought a metal colander. It was like one my grandmother had, nothing special, metal and slightly beat up. It was a handy size and cheap($2.00). BUT it was part of a beautiful, special sunny fall day spent with my husband. 20 years later I still use that colander and when I do I remember him and that day, so its the best sale item I ever bought…</p>
<p>Yes, it is the ordinary things we pick up by chance and use forever that come to mind.</p>
<p>sistersunnie --what a very lovely memory.</p>