Bits and pieces

Skype: Free.
Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920: $73.98.
Watching Ella see her sister for the first time in several years: Priceless.

We made our first ever Skype call on Sunday, and Ella spent a couple of hours chit chatting with her sister in Maryland.  Even though they talk on the phone occasionally, they haven’t seen each other since their mom’s funeral, so it was nice to see them “get together,” even if it was just online.

***

I haven’t been in this “business” very long, compared to some, and I recognize that some of my competitors have more experience than I do.  However, I took it as a sign of respect when Harold, who thrifts full time, immediately grabbed a box of physics homeschooling VHS tapes when he saw me walk in a Saturday church sale.  Apparently, he now considers me competition.

Speaking of the church sale, it was a humdinger.  Ella and I have driven by the church many times, and I always jokingly say that they owe me a yard sale.  Well, finally, they obliged, and with Harold and me (plus Ella) as the only serious pickers, we all did some serious thrifting.  I’m not sure what Harold walked away with, aside from the VHS tapes, but I had a huge box full of books, CDs, DVDs, and assorted odds and ends.

I wanted to stay longer at the church, but time was against us since we had to head out of town for a small book sale.  After flying down the highway and arriving about 30 minutes late, I was pleased to see that no other dealers were in attendance. So, we spent about an hour combing through the books, and came away with a full rolling tote plus a few extra in a cardboard box.  It’s always fun to attend a sale without worrying about what another dealer is grabbing.

I won’t be so lucky this week, though. The local Friends of the Library is holding their annual Old Book Sale this Thursday through Saturday.  The sale promises more than 90,000 books, and probably just as many dealers on Thursday morning for their $5 preview sale.  It’s a dog-eat-dog, no holds barred, battle royal refereed by the nice, but stern, book ladies.  The husband of one of the book ladies works with me, and I asked him if they were giving out numbers on Thursday morning.  He said that he would check, but remarked that the difference between No. 1 and No. 100 getting in the door was probably only a minute or two.  That’s true, I admitted, but since sales are so slow right now, I need all the advantage that I can get.

Have a productive week everyone.