So why were you two just standing there watching items being stolen? I know for a fact you've got plenty of gumption, way more than it would take to stop those thieving people!!

Yard Sales - they make people crazy. Why people go crazy about paying small amounts of money for stuff that soemone else deemed "not good enough to keep" is beyond me.

Did you get my package?

Also - go listen to this. Rob Thomas singing Madonna's Borderline - I LOVE it!

http://www.strippedmusic.com/

Congrats on the big purge. Leaves more room for the yarn stash. Wish I was there for your sale, looks like you had some cool stuff.

Isn't it amazing how people get when you are practically giving the stuff away anyway? They bargain for you to sell the the 50 cent paperback book for 25 cents. Like that extra quarter is going to make a difference. People are just, I don't know, stupid or something.

Still, you got rid of a bunch of stuff and made a little cash. It's all good.

What I would give to go to Crazy Aunt Purl's yard sale! So sad I missed it. I would have been The Enforcer and made those thieves PAY UP.

It really does look like suspicious goings-on next door. Some day I'll tell you about my neighbors and their brothel. It might make you feel better.

Stealing? From a garage sale? Holy Crap! I can imagine not bothering to argue with them. I mean really, at 7:20 with no sleep and probably little or no coffee. Who could be bothered?

Your cousin is quite the cutie! If he's interested in Canadian citizenship, I have a niece I can hook him up with. Just don't tell my sister I'm setting up an arranged marriage.

Stealing. From a yard sale?!?! Nope, not normal. I'm sure it happens, but I've never seen/caught anyone at it. If they waited until 7:20 to show up, they aren't true "early birds". The real ones get there at 6. And the best ones? They show up the evening before. For the best selection. And try to bargain you down.

BTW, a second cousing would be like this:
You and your sib each have kids. Those kids are first cousins to each other. They each grow up and have kids. Those kids are second cousins to each other. The removed thing works like this: Your first cousin's child is your first cousin once removed. Every successive generation is another removed from you. Each generation the same level down from the original siblings is another level of 1st, 2cnd, 3rd removed. That was clear, right?

I'm not sure about your nephew's cousin's relationship to you.

elizabeth... my older brother's ex-wife has some relations out here in California, and David is somehow Brett's cousin. That was as far as we got. We decided we were... relatedish. heh.

Barb... I was way too asleep to fend off the hordes. I was also like, whoa. That's weird. Is that really happening? Or am I hallucinating?

Crystal... not yet! I work too late to get to the postal place before they close, and last Saturday I had to do the yard sale. This Saturday I am sure it will be there!

Also, your b-day present is late.... I am sorry. But you know. It shall arrive. One day. I promise!

I had the same experience at my garage sale - crazed fiends drove up at dawn's first light and pilfered nasty plastic costume jewelry and old motheaten mittens. It was identical - they then marched off as if they had much better places to be than my stinky sale.

Yard sale? You are much braver than me.... (So.. kickass yard sale signs... where are the pics?)

You are not paranoid - meth lab. Nasty, nasty stuff. And, oddly enough, though very VERY toxic, not (at least here) something you have to disclose if you sell a former lab house. Fun, huh?

I know about being po when I was little too. But you're right... stealing?! But then, you have no idea that stuff my mother did in front of me. *shiver*

But I digress. Look at it this way... you had such nice stuff up for sale that more than one person instantly fell madly in love with your stuff and then felt the overwhelming need to just run away with it. ;)

Hee hee hee!!! Fab fotos of our sale! BTW - stealing at yard sales, happens all the time. Why? No one really know except people are stupid and amoral and we hate them.

Re: why have a yard sale? I will relate (briefly) what I told CAP - in college I actually sold a pet rock - for real money. That's why I have yard sales. It amuses me to no end to see what people will buy!!!

Good for you...purging, GOOD! Hoarding, BAD!

Yard Sales. Oh Lord. We just had the mother of all yard sales right before we moved. My favorite people are the sticker-movers. Now I know my old beat-up dressers may not look like much, but I certainly know I did not place a sticker on them for $1 each!

Yea for you and your yard sale! I am very afraid of the crazies that would show up at my house to pick over my things.

Also, those hazmat suits that the clean up guys are wearing are probably just for the soot and stuff. Meth lab hazmat suits have "real" face mask breathing things with the oxygen supplied. The toxins from Meth gone bad are deadly.

Sheesh. I'm going to be having nightmares now til my garage sale on Saturday!

I have an aunt who is very yard-sale savvy. She says the people who show up that early, like insane early are there "for the first picks" but they pick out all the good stuff, mark it up 3x over and then sell it at the flea market the next weekend.

We had a guy come up at 6:30 (we opened at 8) and say, "I'll pay you $200 if I can back my truck up the driveway and take everything off your hands." Being that it was a HUGE sale, we declined. No stealing stories yet, but thanks. I'll be on my guard.

who steals from yard sales? HEATHENS, that's who. you should have poked them with your knitting needles. not too hard, just enough to say, "oh, sorry. did i poke you?"

and then maybe poke them agin.

Wow! Sad sad people-stealing from Yard Sales! People get crazy at those things. I remember helping my father set one up on a return visit from college and this man in a BATHROBE drove up, walked around and left. We were laughing and snickering the entire time..Too funny!! But atleast HE didn't steal! Geez!

I love to throw away things. I used to be a saver, but no more. If you want a really good time, you can have a hot chocolate party (or, you know, a margarita party). You tackle the closet/room in question, take everything out of it and then enjoy a seasonal beverage. When you're done, only put a quarter of the stuff back in the closet/room and throw the rest away. It works really well if you're eight.

Stealing at yard sales is so not cool and so not normal as far as I know. I can’t buy things at yard sales because I have hoarding/clutter issues (I’m in 12 step for it). But if you want help with your next sale you should e-mail me because I’d love to help out. I’ll bring the Margaritas.

So, I'm showing my Yaknkee roots here, but I still just can't bring myself to call what you had a Yard Sale. Garage Sale maybe, but to me it will always be a Tag Sale!

Whatever it was, it looks like you had a good day overall. You needed it, with all that work you've been doing. Yay for extra cash and extra space in the house!

That's funny that kristin's post also involves margaritas because I posted my comment before I got to read hers. I think this means there need to be a party and/or sale that involves margaritas and the purging of stuff.

shananigans ... just so you know. DUDE. I need, like 14 Steps for my clutter issues. I am not even kidding.

p.s. margaritas always welcome in these parts

Next time Paddington can stand guard and scare away the thieves. He's very intimidating.

I always have a yard sale before I move. It ensures I will not have to unpack boxes and boxes of shyte! Congrats to you, I know how liberating, and happy cleaning your shyte up can make you feel. Go Purl!!

I'm a garage sale veterana. When you're bringing all your loot out on the lawn in the wee morning hours, you need to have someone posted on the front lawn just watching the stuff. This person does not have to lift, organize or move stuff. This person's sole purpose is to guard against those garage sale thieves!!!

damn...that's sad to steal from a tag sale. This afternoon I had this seriously messed up fam (mom, three teen daughters & early teen son) in front of my at the Stop n Shop Dunkin Donuts. First, the son is with the youngest (who's probably 11 or 12, actually) picking out cookies and their mom yells out at them from like 50 feet away "You're on a DIET...PUT THOSE DOWN"...the kid comes back and she's like, "hey, I said ONE cookie, not FIVE". But instead of making him put it back, she jokes about not giving her the "evidence" and says, "you hold onto it, they'll never ask you cause you're a kid". I'm pretty sure they walked out without paying for the cookies (the youngest girl also had a bag of cookies) cause you can't check cookies out at DD and I sure didn't see them at a register...not exactly a starving family, neither... *rolls eyes*.

Loved the yard sale shenanigans! I agree with the previous poster, who advised putting someone on guard duty. We always have to do this too. I've had people ask if they can go in my house to try on clothes. Um ... sorry ... I don't even trust you out in the garage with my rejects. You don't get inside with the good stuff! (And, please, people -- the clothes ranges from 25 cents to $2. Take a risk.)

Re thieves: A portly but agile little old man swiped a shovel at one of my yard sales. I saw him as he sprinted for his car. Who needs an untraceable not-so-gently-used shovel so badly they'll steal one? (Yeah, would make a good CSI episode.)

Hint for the next yard sale: Get some of those lunch-size brown bags and bag up "surprise bags" of stuff like fast-food meal toys (if you ever collect such ...), jewelry, nail polish, etc. Staple them shut and price them at a dollar. I had a lady come back and buy the whole tableful of them once.

Congrats on the big stuff-ectomy, by the way!

Oh Dear Gawd, Laurie, the STORIES!!! HA!

First, congrats on getting rid of your stuff!

People can be so freaking weird! Stealing from a yard sale--lowest of the low, like, freakishly low, like, underground low. Worthless pieces of crap are above people who steal from yard sales--so, so low. And weird. Weirdly low.

I donate everything to charity--saves the yard sale hassle...

psstt... here's an idea. have a blog-sale. NO, not selling your blog. But selling all your stuff you're trying to unload on those of us who read your blog. :D

bet you'd be surprised by what we'd take....

HAHAHAHA. *composes self* It's just that, Laurie, I don't mean to laugh, but did you SEE that the exact same thing happened to me about a month ago? Crazy people haggling in my yard over FIFTY CENT ITEMS? NUTTY LOONIES ARRIVING AT SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING?

Oh, and did I mention that I was completely trashed on Bloody Marys and cheered them on as they stole stuff?

"Y'all come back if you need anything else! Have a great weekend!!"

Totally didn't notice that they were all hunched over surreptitiously and had large bundles up their shirts. Christ alive.

... I'm just trying to figure out how to steal a few things from the blog sale...

Good for you for getting rid of your junk...even if people chose not to pay you for it. The nerve! Keep at it, and pretty soon you'll find that cluttered room free and empty and calm and I swear it will make you feel better than any amount of stuff ever could.

Brett is soooo your rello. Crikey. He could be a boy version of you! Like separated at birth - he's just got a longer, bigger version of your face! Freaky!

ok, there are ALL KINDS of reasons that it's inappropriate for me to be drooling over your hottie of a nephew, but... yum!

i'd never steal from a garage sale, but apparently i'll rob cradles...

I should call your boss and tell him that you need to be leaving earlier. It is a shame that you have presents waiting! Between me sending it late and you not having time to get it - it will be an Xmas present instead of a BDay present!

Getting rid of stuff is a *fantastic* feeling. I cleared out a TON of stuff after a bad breakup (hey, sound familiar?) and that was very liberating. Then, for house-fix-up reasons, I had to rent a dumpster. Much rampant tossing of useless crap ensued. It was glorious. The dumpster was full, my house felt emptier, and my heart felt a lot lighter.
I don't get people stealing from garage sales. I mean, everyone needs a hobby, fine. Great. Wonderful. Stealing from a garage sale? No. Poor choice.

Ha ha ha. Your story reminds me of why I've never thrown a yard sale. 6am is way too early to be lucid on a weekend morning (let alone M-F!).

I'll bet if you asked any second hand store employee they probably have similar stories (and probably have regulars). And that's when the proceeds benefit charity!! (Beyond the "Feed my four poor kitties" fund)

What's the haps on the garbage can action??

I hate yard sales. Too much work for the hassle and the little amount of money. Hubby likes them. I've actually turned people away that come before we've officially "opened."

And don't steal, please. Heck, if you're desparate enough, I'll give you the stuff. Ever heard of Freecycle?

Yard sales attract Barbarians. Last yard sale I held at my house w/ a group of friends?
-people showing up a full hour before we "opened" and strolling up the driveway casual as can be. I chased them away saying w/ firm voice, "We open at EIGHT!"
-people sticker switching. Hey, I know what I priced s**t at, if you want to haggle, haggle. Don't switch the stickers thinking I won't notice (sheesh!).
-people who dicker w/ you over the tiniest amounts of money. C'mon! It's $ .25!! Cripes.
-people stealing stuff. My favorite? The folks who buy an item that's in a box then try to *hide* other things in the box. Yeah...right. Though there were also folks who just walked off w/ things right before our eyes. Someone here asked, "Why not confront them?" Why? Because you are in such a state of shock at the sheer audacity all you can do is shake your head and hope that fate gives them what they deserve. You can also throw a curse at them for good measure.

I won't do a yard sale again. Too much stress. I'd rather bag my stuff up and give it to one of the local charities for re-sale of free distribution. Ain't worth the crazies.

I want to see the photo of the yard signs, since they were apparently so wonderful.

A roommate and I put on a yard sale before I moved from ritzy Atherton to beachy Santa Barbara. It just so happened to coincide with a horse auction down the street. Nothing like hearing "Do I hear $200" while at a yard sale....

I had one guy try to barter me down on my VCR by saying it didn't have some special feature on it. Took all the will power I had not to suggest he go buy a VCR with that feature instead of arguing about mine. But at least there was no stealing - that's just sad! Bad karma.

I don't understand why more people didn't comment on how HOT Brett is! Dang, he's a cutie.

Along with everyone else, we had the same experience at our last yard sale - two grown men, not only haggling for $0.50 items, but purchasing a few, then tucking one or two underneath the ones they'd purchased! I'm also pretty agressive, but I was so shocked I just let it go. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Hey - I read your blog nearly every day. How did I miss your notice that you were having a yard sale?!

-D.

God, I hate to admit this, but I've been the person who shows up early at yard sales. Not 6 AM early, but before the posted time. Now, let me explain - I wake up really early on the weekends. Let's say I wake up at 6. I get dressed, give the cats affection, do a little cleaning, then leave the house by 7 to go to the earliest-opening cafe in the neighborhood. I sit and read and drink coffee for an hour. Then I walk to the grocery store and pick up a few things, then start to walk home. Often, on that walk home, I will see people who seem to be having a yard sale, or I will see a "Yard Sale Ahead" sign, with no time mentioned. I've been up for hours. It doesn't feel early to me. So I mosey on up to the sale, just to take a look, and then someone screams that the sale doesn't start until 9:30/10:00/10:30!!!! And I'm always terribly embarrassed. So take pity on at least a few of the early birds; some of them may just be, like me, a bit flakey. Of course, I think this holds true in walkable cities, where people tend to just happen upon sales, rather than in places where people are getting up and driving to sales.

Now stealing from a garage sale is just a whole other matter. I can't get my head around that idea at all...

Yard sales (having them and going to them) make me shudder. Yes, there was a time that we could only afford to shop yard sales and the thrill of a deal is too much fun but I think my yard sale days are way over. They seem to bring the craziest people out of the wood work.

And how funny is the haz mat team next door to complete the craziness effect?

Tanya

I, too, thought Brett was hott! Then I saw a close-up of him, without the hat, and I felt very, very dirty. A dirty old woman checking out Sweet Laurie's little nephew. I think that's why alot of people aren't talking about it...

I have garage sales all the time, but don't sell clothes. I just give them to Goodwill. That seems to keep a lot of crazies away, although I have no idea why. But I have *never* had someone steal something! Well, that I know of.

Lol! I'm glad I'm not the only...uh...dirty old woman! You're nephew is such a cutie!

On the yard sale front...I cannot believe the nut jobs that stole your stuff. What kind of crazy is that?

Where are the thieves after the yard sale? That's when you need the little beggars! You can leave that unsold s**t on the curb and it won't disappear, EVER!

Merlin's comment reminded me of a story I heard once..i think it was in Reader's Digest...someone was trying to get rid of a chair, so they put it on the curb with a sign saying it was 'free to a good home', they tried several variations on the sign, but no one took the chair. Then they put a sign on it that said 'chair, $10' and the next day someone stole it!

Did you wash the jammies before I stole them??? I hope so........

how goes the no smoking? hope you're doing ok!

Stealing from a yard sale is nothing. In my town, if you have ANYTHING in your front yard that's not nailed down (sprinkler, hose, cutout-of-fat-lady-bending-over), chances are someone will steal it. And sell it at their own yard sale. There are roving packs of families who use their kids as the finger-men, so if the kids get grabbed, they just get juvie, instead of the parents getting hard time (which I frankly think they should, for being such a lousy example)

my Youth Group has annual yard sales to raise funds. (it was NOT MY IDEA). I dread it every year - the agonies over pricing, the getting up at the buttcrack of dawn to beat the early-earlies and have stuff set up, the people who haggle over a 25 cent item (um, you realize this is money essentially going to a church group, don't you?), the stealers, the tag-switchers, the people who want to do things like buy ONE drawer out of a dresser (the heck, people?) and leave the rest in an unsaleable state.

(I will say, for the people who steal stuff: if they're THAT po', then God bless them. But if they're doing it just because they can - well, there's such a thing as karma, and she can be a real witch.)

after the whole thing, I arrive home (usually after 12+ hours of working on it) so keyed up and so freaked out by the sheer randomness of humanity that I don't sleep AFTER the sale, either.

I can always tell what stuff we underpriced, too, because it's the stuff that people snap up (without haggling) within five minutes of opening, and you KNOW they are taking it straight to their booth at the antiques mall, to be marked up 5 to 10 times what we had on it.

All I can say is, if I had crap I wanted to get rid of, the usable crap would go to Goodwill and the questionable crap would be recycled or trashed. It's not worth the effort and the psychic wounds to hold a yard sale.