the original recycling concept

Long before it was hip and trendy to be "green", people held rummage sales (garage sales, yard sales, tag sales if you are Martha Stewart, whatever you want to call them). People had things they no longer needed or used, and would sell them at a dramatically reduced price to other people who had a need for them (or maybe not a need, but a strong desire). Although I have been to a few sales, where the people having them, don't get the concept of "dramatically reduced price from the original", and I am guessing they have a lot of stuff left at the end of the day. General rule of thumb for pricing is about 10% of the original price, and once you go to enough sales in your neighborhood, you figure out what you should pay for a book, or a tablecloth, or whatever.

I used to be really obsessed with rummaging, especially when Charlie was little. I got him so many great clothes, and toys, and nearly his entire library came from rummage sales. And I had my own rummage sales to sell his crib, and high chair, and all of those baby things that serve their usefulness, and then need a new home.

I found my two favorite slipper chairs that grace our living room at a rummage sale-the owner had just had them reupholstered, and just didn't have room for them anymore, and I got them for a song. Much less then I am sure it cost her to have them redone.

I bought our first credit card processing machine for our store at a rummage sale, a savings of about $450. And it was just like new.

I have found lots of great dishes, and antique tablecloths, and things I have repurposed into gifts, and fun cookbooks, and groovy pottery at rummage sales. Sometimes you will hit up several, and not find a thing. Other times you will hit the proverbial rummaging jackpot. That is part of the fun, the thrill of the hunt, the adventure of it all, the not knowing what will be around the corner.

My rummaging obsession has waned a bit in the last few years, as our tiny house fills up and Charlie has become more involved in his clothes selection process, and there is just less stuff that I "need" to buy.

But I am heading out this morning for a little rummaging, because this is the last Friday Charlie will be in school, and I have the freedom to do a little adventuring. And it just feels like a good day to see if there are any treasures out there that need a new home.