garage sale mania!

'Tis the season. I began Saturday with a resolution to get rid of stuff. By noon, I had added 5 new items of clothing to the collective apartment wardrobe. (If Jon didn't like the shirts I bought him, I was going to stick them on my side of the closet). Later- after my originally planned trip to my fave Salvation Army, I ended the day stuff neutral. Saturday was one of those rare days when all secondhand stars aligned. First of all- it's simply that time of year. The unbearable heat makes us all aware of all the superfluous stuff around us. Mainly because it is sticking to us, or absorbing the negative energy of the AC, or reflecting sun from the window directly into our eyes. Excess stuff is a lot more irritating when it is over ninety degrees outside. Sort of like people. Just try to make new friends in a heat wave. Virtually impossible. Secondly, the Uptown Art Fair took place on Hennepin Avenue all weekend. Anyone inclined towards selling their junk within a month of this weekend is well-advised to hold out for the Uptown Art Fair. People swarm the ten-block radius of the fair looking for free parking. Then walk to the art fair with wallets poised. Sitting ducks, basically.

I was completely prepared to be disappointed by my first stop of the day. The sign boasted big name designers, handbags, shoes, etc. This kind of sale is usually pure hype. Or, best case scenario- way overpriced. But if you see a sign like this two blocks from your apartment and are poor and have no hope in the world of owning anything from Elie Tahari, save for this sale, and you took care of your parents' dog all last week and your parents insisted on placing $50 in your hand upon picking them up from the airport, and when you half-heartedly refused, your mother placed the tempting bill right on the sidewalk- meaning you had no choice but to take it (which would have been your choice, anyway, all fanfare aside), then you must stop at a sale boasting such things. Even if the odds are ten to one that you will be disappointed. Long story short. I was not disappointed. I spent $30 on a dress, a long-sleeved shirt and a short-sleeved turtleneck- all which promise to go the distance.

Second and final stop of the day. The sale with the most impressive signage. This is not a surefire way in which to judge sales, but if you get the artsy designer vibe from the signage- I recommend stopping. It was one of those awkward garage sale experiences where three friends were bantering about being wasted while naming all the shirts the night before (all shirt tags bore names attesting to this experience). I was totally eavesdropping. Eventually I just joined in the conversation. Garage sales aren't governed by the same social codes as regular life. Another reason I cannot resist them. The deviance. Here are my two inspired purchases. Aptly named.