Mad dash for cash

Saturday was a wall-to-wall full day, which started with a petty argument with Ella at 6 a.m. concerning our itinerary for the day, and ended with a seller at the auction refusing to put something I really wanted up for bids.

The petty argument resolved itself fairly quickly as Ella, Duc and I hit the road by 6:30 a.m., determined to visit a few sales before heading toward Milledgeville, about 45 minutes away, for the city’s annual library fair, which started promptly at 9 a.m. However, we didn’t have much luck; it seems some people actually mean 8 a.m. when they advertise 8 a.m.

So, off to Milledgeville we went, which would sound humorous if you knew the history of the city (mental institutions and state prisons). We made it to the library fair, which hosts a huge book sale in the parking lot, an inside flea market, and various other activities, with about 20 minutes to spare, and got in line. Since I had attended the sale in previous years, I knew the line actually was to buy empty boxes ($15 per box; 5 boxes for $60) in which to put the books. I also knew that book dealers were actually smart enough NOT to wait in line, since you could buy the books individually ($.50 for paperbacks, $1 for hardbacks). So, close to 9 a.m., we left the line and took up residence along the edge of the sale, with the rest of the dealers, waiting for the starting gun, so to speak.

When the word was given over the loudspeaker, chaos, as Duc would say, ensued, as dealers made their figurative mad dash for cash.

We divided and conquered, with Ella heading inside to check out the flea market, and Duc sticking with me.

I walked quickly to the first table, where I had spied this book:

Apparently, another dealer had spied it as well, and all but tried to push me out of the way to grab it.

“Mine!” I said, as I grabbed it to scan. It wasn’t worth that much, but I grinned widely after scanning, and dropped it in my tote, hoping to psych out the other dealer. Apparently, it worked, because he left quickly for another table. Too bad, because had he stuck to his guns, he might have grabbed this one:

It sold soon after I listed it on Sunday for $96.

Though Ella didn’t find anything inside to resell, she quickly grabbed some comic books/graphic novels that were worth some money, especially one worth $100.00 that, fortunately for us, had been overlooked.

After filling two rolling totes, and picking out several stacks of book, which I had Duc guard with his life, Ella tallied our haul, which came to approximately $118. Since Ella actually is the smart one in our marriage, she suggested buying the five boxes for $60. I did, and all the books fit, with some room to spare. So, we just started grabbing other books just to fill the boxes to get our money’s worth. Duc even found a couple of SAT books to study.

It was a good day at the library fair.

On the way home, we stopped at the historic Hay House in Macon for a free tour, thanks to a special Smithsonian Museum promotion.

Ella and Duc pose on the steps of the Hay House. 
Duc, who wants to be an architect, enjoyed looking at the antebellum houses
along Georgia Avenue in Macon

From the Hay House website:

“One of Georgia’s most distinguished structures, the Johnston-Felton-Hay House in Macon was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. It was built from 1855 to 1859 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, a marked contrast to the more restrained Greek Revival architecture of the antebellum period.”

Ever the thrifter, I found a book, Macon: An Architectural and Historical Guide, that was selling for $1 in the gift shop.  After a quick Amazon check, I bought all four since they are selling for close to $9 online.

To cap off an already busy day, Ella and I attended the local auction; Duc says it gives him a headache, so he stayed home. After surveying what was to be auctioned, I zeroed in on a small box of vintage paperwork and photos, including the creepiest photo of Santa Claus, signed no less, that I had ever seen. The seller, however, decided not to offer the collection up for bids. Bummer!

On Sunday, while listing the books from the library fair, I came across a copy of Eating Disorders for Dummies. It wasn’t worth much, but what made it interesting was that there were the remnants of tape and wrapping paper on it. I couldn’t tell if it was birthday or Christmas paper, but, either way, is there ever a special occasion where you give a book about eating disorders?

For the bulimic who has everything, I guess.

Later in the day, we went to a local scaled-down version of Comic Con, where I met 17-year-old Mackenzie Lintz, who plays Norrie on Under the Dome, the Stephen King adaptation on CBS.  She politely refused to tell me if the dome comes down next season (you’ll just have to watch, she said), but she did share how they make touching the dome look so real. Sometimes, the producers use large sheets of Plexiglass; other times, the actors just touch small pieces of glass. She also admitted that sometimes they just fake it, like a mime would do.

Mackenzie Lintz as Norrie Calvert-Hill and Colin Ford as Joe McAlister
in CBS’ Under the Dome

The next couple of weekends promise to be busy, with several large thrifting events (Granny’s Attic and Historic Macon’s annual flea market), as well as one more small book sale. Thankfully, they are not all on the same day. With the weather finally cooling off, yard sales should pick up a bit as well. Several good fall hauls are just what I need to ensure a busy Christmas season.

Have a great week everyone.