I'd buy that for a dollar

The third Saturday in August means one thing in Johnson City, that's right boys and girls, today was the annual tree streets yard sale! This was our third straight year of braving the humid blast furnace like temps that are common to our area in August in search of bargains. Here's what we saw this year:
Some homeowners took a minimalist approach to this years massive yard sale.

Others tried to sell their recyclables.

But most got into the spirit of the event and they brought their shit out on their front lawns so people like Sparky and I could peruse it.

Some also brought out modern art sculpture that highlighted man's attempts to traverse not only his immediate surroundings, but his metaphorical universe as well. Or perhaps I'm full of it, you decide.

One thing you always see at this event is harried parents of young children.

And other things you see are stuff that nobody wanted even when it was new. They only took it because they were too nice to turn the stuff down when it first got pawned off on to them.

Speaking of stuff nobody wanted, I thought this $5 TV was priced about $5 too high. It might make a nice book end or maybe one could make it into a modern art sculpture that highlights man's attempts to traverse not only his immediate surroundings, but his metaphorical universe as well. Or perhaps not. I see a landfill in that TV's future.


This box was calling my name:
But by the time I answered it people had already cleaned it out, the dirty bastards.

There was 'fine' furniture for sale at this years event as well as some haute couture:

And some kind soul reminded all the yammering, sweaty, kids in the crowd that Christmas isn't far off. I can only hope that they bray from now until December 24th to their folks about what they want for Christmas.

I'm sure you're asking, "What did you buy this year Mr. Smart Ass?" Well good question and I'm fully prepared to come clean and tell you I bought
a bunch of vintage pamphlets for a dollar, a cheesy cookbook for a buck, a stack of mysteries with really cool covers for a buck, and two baby monsters for a buck fifty. A little girl was selling the baby monsters, which she had sewn herself, and I wanted to support her art and commerce so I bought Slithers (that's the sock that's been sewn shut and had a star and a button sewn on for eyes) and she tossed in Teenie at no extra charge. She was the cutest thing in the world. When I asked if her dirty faced little brother who was hanging out next to her was included in the price she said no, but only after a few moments of deliberation.

And that's the way it was. Or the way I said it was anyway. Next year maybe you'll get off that duff of yours and come do the tree streets yard sale with us.