I gave “Garage Sale America
But the most fun I had was going to the sales with my dad simply to see what was there. As Garage Sale America
And my dad and I found plenty of things that we “needed.” In fact, my living room is decorated with garage sale finds. My dad re-upholstered and refinished nifty old furniture, even creating a couch out of an antique baby crib.
My children have benefited from my dad’s garage-sale-phrenia, too. When I was pregnant with the Cat, my dad went out and bought a canoe from a yard sale, as he envisioned lazy summers on the lake with his grandson. He scored a pack-and-play and other baby gear for a fraction of the band-new price. (Of course do not buy car-seats used, but other baby items can be found barely used at garage sales.) Both boys have some clothes bought at various yard sales, some by local moms’ clubs or churches.
Garage sales have been a big part of my life. And so, when the Parent Bloggers Network gave me a free-for-review copy of “Garage Sale America,” I jumped at the chance to relive some of my memories.
Author Bruce Littlefield has been all over the country to garage sales of varying types and sizes. He shares his adventures, lessons, “Garage Sale Glossary” and pictures with us, the interested readers. He includes photographs of his home, which he decorated with yard-sale finds. After all, we like to peer into other people’s business just as the author does! This experience provides “free tours of pop culture and American lives.”
“Garage Sale” definitely means something to us Californians, since we seldom use our garage to store the car; rather, the garage is the junk-area. Frequently I’ll hear people saying, “I am having a garage sale so I can actually park my car in there!”
Our old neighborhood has an annual garage sale that doubles as advertisement for a specific realtor. It isn’t uncommon for people getting ready to move to have a sale, to get rid of that “junk” that is someone else’s treasure: “I want what you don’t want, but how much don’t you want it for?”
Some years ago, the Onion ran a story about a junk-car collector. My dad was a little offended when people laughed that it was something that could be written about him. He isn’t about low-class junk. He is about diamond in the rough. His ability to see quality within the value is something I cannot (yet) do.
Littlefield can do this well: he can take something seemingly abandoned, unpopular, or old, and turn it into something exciting.
The photographs in the book are spectacular. Rows of items look trendy and desirable rather than junky or old. In this age of wanting to be unique, what better way than to locate a vintage piece that resonates with your style sensibility?
I remember laughing at the part of the book "Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There"
Mr. Littlefield’s writing makes the adventure come alive. My favorite description in the book reads: “Room 217 stunk like an ashtray dipped in vanilla and sprinkled with baby powder.” Even a skanky hotel room can seem almost desirable, which is essentially the theme of the book.
Husband and I used to go to thrift shops when we lived on the Upper East Side. Folks there tend to wear clothes for a half-season or less, and heaven-forbid they are seen in the same garment twice! Littlefield writes something similar when talking about the benefits to shopping in retiree-heavy Florida and their “lifetimes of accumulated junk:” “The best places to shop are in the ritzy neighborhoods along the coasts.” Littlefield has plenty of little tips for how to find and snag the best deals.
Mr. Littlefield’s narrative is entertaining and his tips are useful. But I would buy the book just for the fantastic photographs, and for the memories of my own garage-sale-hunting days with my dad. Memories are priceless!
Humorous, practical, and fun, Garage Sale America
