Garage Sailin' Once Again

This was a last-minute adventure, rest assured.


We didn't catch wind of that there was going to be a community garage sale in Hunter's Creek until Thursday morning, when Kris randomly drove past one of the signs on her way to work. Fortunately, we had some disposable income to mess around with, and, for the Houghs, there's no better way to burn a hole in one's pocket than treasure-hunting.

Despite the typical chaos that is our morning routine, we managed to drag both girls out the door, withdraw cash, and prep our internal workings with Dunkin' Donuts by 7:50am, meaning we were in prime shape for the 8am kick-off. At first, things were slow and we didn't really see all that much, and the few items that did catch our eye from the road were snatched up by the time we navigated our way to the respective driveway (I had a miniature guitar I wanted to pick up for the Cannonball, as well as a humidor filled with cigars, slip through my fingers). This led to a brief moment of low morale, but we were able to bounce back after a few, extremely rewarding stops.

Behold this year's haul:


100 vinyl albums: $10. That's right. $10. That's an insane bargain for over a hundred records. I haven't gotten a chance to clean them up yet - some of them are in pretty bad shape, and there are definitely some junkers that will have to be tossed out - but for ten cents a piece, who gives a shit. There's definitely a lot of doubloons in there - lots of classic rock from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, along with just about everything else you can imagine from that era. A couple albums are even personally signed by Ted Nugent and (blegh) Sammy Haggar. I can thank the seller's wife for my incredible fortune - she wanted them gone and out of her house, so, with a gut-wrenching sigh, the poor guy dumped them on me. Women don't seem to care for boxes and boxes of vinyl cluttering up their nest. Oh well... one man's crushing loss is another man's spoils.

A LeapFrog LeapPad a few cartridge/book combos: $5. A little advanced for the Cannonball, but definitely a steal and something she'll eventually get into down the road.

10 Teacher Resource Books and 14 classroom bulletin board decorations: $2. As any educator will tell you, resource books are worth their weight in gold, and we were lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time. She had tons of stuff for elementary and middle grades, so Kris and I both managed to snatch up lots of great material for our classrooms.

A Dual Camping Chair Set w/Carrying Bag: $3. Two, toddler-sized camping chairs that are connected by a double-cup holder and snack/toy bin. I didn't know they made things like this, but I'm glad we found it for so cheap... this will be awesome for the backyard, parades, and anywhere else where you want to randomly set up your tax deductions.

5 Photo Albums and Scrapbooking Supplies: $6. Kris picked up a set of small photo albums and a craft set for Alayna at the same sale we scored the chair system, and just about everything there was a buck apiece (which was surprising, seeing how in May, when we last frequented the same neighborhood, everything was marked up beyond all rational thought).

A Super Nintendo, two controllers, hookups, and 14 games: $10. Like last May, when I scored a similar Sega Genesis bundle for $10, I nearly shat myself when the seller offered the whole lot to me for such a low price. If he had individually sold the system and games on ebay, he could've easily scored over $200. It was our last Alexander Hamilton of the morning quest, but worth every, last penny. After cleaning up the system and games with some rubbing alcohol, everything is in nearly new condition and just as awesome as I remember.

An Umbrella Stroller: $5. This is our third stroller (after our travel system and double stroller), but we wanted something extremely light and portable. It's a little stained up, but it should look good once Kris works her magic over it. And for $5? Psshh...


...so, all in all, this morning was extremely productive. I wish they had community garage sales around here more often. The next one is in May, and, by that point in time, we'll be ready to participate ourselves (we'll be tossing out all the old infant clothing and toys, odds and ends, and maybe - if I'm lucky - even a few swords). I think we've met our quota for awesome plunder acquisition for the next six months, though.

Slainte,

- Brian