Estate Sales
Going to estate sales is a fetish I have developed in the last several years, but not just any estate sale will do. I do not go to garage sales, but if it is a V and J estate sale, I must surely get there. They have everything arranged so neatly and in order, it is like going shopping in a store, but much more interesting.
First I take note of where the sale is being held. The place makes a difference, because the house makes a difference. I walk around the house imagining it is my house and decide where I would put my furniture! Also, it is interesting to see the types of things that are for sale. If it is a nice house, there'll be nice things for sale.
As I browse through the house, I see things I feel I could not live without. I may have 3 or 4 of the same items at home, but that doesn't seem to matter. I buy mainly dishes and other glassware items. I proudly bring them home, wash them up, and find strategic places for them in my house, -which is not always easy, and gets more difficult as I go to more sales! Some day I'll have a grand and glorious garage sale of my own, and sell them all again. But I will have had the fun of having them for a time.
V and J sales usually last for two days. Could it be possible that I often do not go until the second day, hoping that most of the things I like will be gone, so I won't be tempted to bring so much home? I try to limit my purchases to one or two items, so I can go to another sale with a clear conscience. Knowing me, I would be a pack rat and have my house filled if I didn't discipline myself. Has it gotten in my blood or what?
But there's always a certain amount of sadness connected to an estate sale, and this doesn't escape me altogether. Either someone has died, or they are moving to smaller quarters due to illness. I realize that at one time this too was a busy, bustling home, with the occupants going in and out in their daily routine. But since nothing is forever, we must accept this as a natural part of life. Some day my home will be listed in the paper too. FOR SALE! I hope someone will get as much pleasure out of my sale as I have gotten from others.