I’m having a yard sale this weekend. I guess it’d be more accurately called an “estate sale”, since almost everything in it had belonged to my late mother-in-law and her husband, Max. When Gma passed away last December, she left behind a lot of stuff. A lot. She was an avid auction, estate and yard sale person herself. She loved a good deal. It didn’t matter if it was ceramic ducks (selling a ton of those), artwork (lots of paintings too), or Depression-Era glassware (man! There’s a whole lot of glassware in this house), she loved getting a bargain. She would go to the bargain stores in Jackson and come back with a wide variety of items. Costume jewelry (of which we will be selling most of this weekend) and fake plants (those are going in the sale) were two of her favorite things. Gma would buy crock pots (at least two of those are in the sale) even though she had enough of them. In recent years, she had slowed down on buying furniture (but we still have a lovely couch and sofa chair to sell this weekend). She had two freezers (of which we will be selling the BIG six-foot long, lay-down freezer cheap! Be sure to bring a truck. We don’t deliver.)
Her husband, Max, passed a few years ago. He was quite the collector, too. His tastes were unique, to say the least. He loved cast iron cookware (there’s a truckload of the stuff, and it’s priced to sell! Frying pans, pots, at least one cast iron tea pot, and Oh! So much more). Strangely enough, he got into collecting Collector Edition Barbie Dolls, many years before last year’s “Barbie” movie came out. He thought they might be a good investment (and so will you! Come down and check out over twenty “still in the box”, great condition Barbies from the mid to late 90’s! There’s also a bin of loose, unboxed Barbies and Kens). He loved to smoke meat, barbecue (good smoker for sale) and cook (oh, my dear Lord, we have a lot of HUGE aluminum pots, as well as baking pans, not to mention utensils, that will go for little or nearly nothing). He also loved to collect John Deere collectibles (die cast metal tractors, hats, etc.for sale – but at a limited supply). He had quite a few harmonicas, as well. (You KNOW I’m selling those! My grandkids ain’t running around my house blowing those things). Max was a trucker once upon a time, and he wasn’t a fan of getting rid of stuff. He mainly hauled mobile homes (for which he left flagging material, hard hats, truck fixtures like mirrors, 15w30 diesel oil in half a dozen jugs, a couple of briefcases, and – get this – six or seven cb radios and various antennas! They will go cheap! Also, he left some “OVERSIZE LOAD” signage that would look great on your wall, and a Motorola “belt phone” -still in a leather zippered case, from the nineties-great conversation piece) He was a regular Renaissance Man, that Max.
Way back when, Gma and Max canned their own vegetables. Tomatoes were their favorite. They shared a lot of produce with us over the years, to my ‘mater lovin’ delight. My wife, Laura Gail, and I never learned how (so now we have a HUGE quantity of mason jars, lids, canning supplies and cookery to move-fast! We’ll be packing them into plastic milk crates, which you can keep) so we really don’t need those supplies. They both worked in the yard a lot (and acquired an over-abundance of gardening tools, of which the excess will be in the sale).
They kept just about everything, being from a generation that didn’t grow up with a lot. When they got to where they could afford stuff for themselves, they held onto it, even when they had multiples of the same thing. (hand tools, old tractor wrenches, twine, plumbing and electrical parts-all MUST go!)
I’m a sentimental guy. I hold onto things for which I really have no use (exercise equipment, desks, a microwave, toys, etc will all be sold!), but they make me look like a Tibetan Monk with a vow of poverty. Still, it’s hard to have to go through our loved one’s personal treasures (so come on down this Saturday and Sunday, April 20th and 21st, from 7am to 2pm and help us find all of this stuff a brand new home!) but since we’ll be eventually moving into their house ( 461 state route 186 south, Humboldt, TN-look for the ESTATE SALE sign out front!) we have to make room for our own things. Like I said, it’s hard to sell other people’s treasures. But we’re going to force ourselves to. Come on down this weekend and get yourself some bargain treasures! This is an opinion column and, in my humble opinion, you can’t afford to pass up this sale. Lots of stuff inside the house, as well as outside. Come rain, or come shine, it’s gonna go down this weekend.
Disclaimer: This has been a blatant and desperate attempt to get all of you to come buy some pretty awesome stuff. Forgive me if you feel that I’m taking advantage of you by telling you about this in my column. Oh, and if you mention “Kevin’s Corner” at the yard sale I’ll be happy to sign an autograph and take a photo with you. Free of charge. I love taking selfies with folks. Or you can give me a dollar not to. Y’all come!
God bless y’all!
Rolling Stones 