Extreme Early Birding

I wanted to make this a Talk Back Tuesday,

but I was too tuckered to talk.

Remember back in June when I vowed and affirmed I would never have another garage sale? Remember how I yakked abroad my reasons why?  

Yeah, well, I'm kinda standing firm on that. I mean, a thrift sale isn't exactly the same thing as a garage sale, right?   A garage sale, you see, is a KooKoo Fest one brings upon herself. A thrift sale is a KooKoo Fest some organization brings upon her.

In this case, it's my chapter of the DAR.

This weekend, we're having a thrift sale to raise funds for our historical house.  Since I'm a trustee for that old house, I'm involved up to my thrifty armpits.  I have spent all day, every day this week in preparation.

We're collecting.

And cleaning.

And displaying.

And pricing...

And some people are shopping.

Which sort of set off my irkometer.

Which in turn set off my yakabout.

We've secured a vacant store in the downtown area, you see, and we've left the doors wide open for donations and deliveries. Of course, when you open up the thrifting doors, well... you know what follows.

I was elbow deep in brass candlesticks yesterday when I was interrupted by a male voice in my ear. A local shop owner had ventured into Thrift Land.   

What will you take for those garlands?

He gestured to a corner of the room piled with unpriced Christmas merchandise. Since I apparently had nothing better to do than state the obvious, I told him that we hadn't yet priced our Christmas items.

So he made me an offer on an entire box.

Do I look like Monty Hall?

I made him a counter offer somewhere in the four thousand dollar range, but apparently he thought I was kidding. He tried his best to drag me on a trip down Haggle Lane until I gave him such a firm No Deal that I felt like I was the rude person.

Which I wasn't.
He was.

Way back in June, I mentioned that I had a few thoughts about my least likable characters in a garage sale adventure, one of whom was the early bird. I said then that it would have to be a post for another day.

Today's the day.

Now folks, I realize that I might step on a toe or two out there, but please hear me out and consider.  First, I think it's annoying. It's annoying to be frantically setting out wares whilst navigating gate crashing American pickers who are hoarding them faster than you can get them out.

It's annoying to have to be blunt to the point of rudeness to a person who is bound and determined to create an early bird special where none was advertised. I don't know how they behave in your neck of the woods, but around here, they have unmitigated gall to ignore signs and keep right on shopping even when asked nicely to wait.

They look you dead in the eye and either feign ignorance or plead their case, all the while filling their hands full of goodies.

I think that's rude.  It's not just rude to the seller, either. It's inconsiderate to the would- be bargain hunters who actually follow the rules out there.  That's the reason I hardly ever  shop garage sales any more. By the time the rule followers get there, the gate crashers have picked it clean.

You can't let the rule breakers control the game and then wonder where the fun went.

So anyway, that's all I've got this morning. Today is my only day all week with a pass out of  Thrift Land. Isn't it just like me to waste it in a whiney wokkabout?

So how about you? Early birds, yay or nay?


*****

By the way, I did read the questions about the Deco Ware from my previous post. I'll do a little follow up when I have an extra pair of minutes.