Ann Arbor Yard Sale

When I was a little kid, growing up in St. Ignace, Michigan, there wasn't anything like a "Yard" or "Garage" sale.  (No one I knew, even had a garage, let alone extra items to sell)  I do remember going to the local dump out on Cheeseman Road, though.  Dad would usually have a trailer of junk to drop off at the dump and would let my brothers and me scrounge around looking for "good" things.  Items like bike parts, dishes, pans, and tools.  I didn't care what I was looking for, I just liked being there.  I liked climbing the hills of junk, hoping to be the first one to say, "Hey, Dad, look what I found!"  Any individual attention for achievement, in a family of ten children, was worth vying for.

Since then, I have been to many of garage and yard sales. I've even had a few myself, while living in Gaylord.  My favorite was when we took the total profits from the sale and all went out for a big dinner at the Sugar Bowl Restaurant, on Main Street.  It was a perfect ending to a long, hot day.

I helped my daughter, Heidi, with her yard sale, here in Ann Arbor, about a week ago.  It was my first experience with an Ann Arbor yard sale.   I was surprised to experience one with any unique quality I haven't already seen.

Heidi and Friend, Sonya, Yard Sale Sitting

Heidi, Thoughts of Berlin, Maybe?

There's your normal "early shoppers" who demand to see what you have, while you're still putting things out on tables.  There's the "Do you have any….? shoppers"  who are looking for a dresser, end table or piece of furniture.  Then there's the "one circle around the sale and I'm out of here" type of shopper. (I imagine they're the ones who are looking for something to resell at their store or garage sale to make a profit) The "take my time" shopper, who doesn't care what they buy as long as it catches their eye and they want it.  And, of course, there's the "Would you take this for $…..?" shopper.  They like to bargain for the price.

I was surprised to see anything much different in Ann Arbor. I'm learning, though.  Ann Arbor is full of surprises.  Nothing is the "Norm".  The first thing I noticed about the sale was there was absolutely NO parking on 7th Street, where we had the sale.  The customers had to either park on a smaller side street, or park illegally for a short time, on a busy street, to get a quick look at the items for sale.  

The next surprise was the amount of people who just stopped by on their Saturday walk in the neighborhood.  Some with strollers, some hand in hand with their family.  All were friendly.  Some specifically walked to the sale and others had no intention of buying, just looking. Like the sale was a small garden they were meandering by.  

Unique Bike, Parking to Shop

I have never seen Vespas Scooters at any sale I've been to before.  This sale had three in the same time-frame, all driving by and able to pull up in the yard or small driveway and take a look at the sale.  Several bicyclists also stopped.  

Vespas With Their Baskets For Shopping

One man looked in a box and put on a pair of goggles to see how he liked them.  Another man tried on a Halloween mask.  I asked each of them if I could take their picture.

Man Who Bought Heidi's Goggles

Man Who Purchased Halloween Mask

One mom let her daughter (about 6 years old) play "dress-up".  The little girl spent about thirty minutes trying on belts, jackets, high-heels and jewelry.  She even knelt down by a box of dishes and pretended to drink out of a fancy, pink, champaign glass (with a silver necklace on her head as a pretend tiara).  When she was finished, her and her mother walked up the hill to finish their walk, not intending to purchase anything. Just enjoying the day.

At the end of the day, a small convertible pulled up in the driveway and a tall, dark man got out.  He look off his expensive-looking sunglasses and walked around checking things out the yard sale. 

Young Girls Walking by, Stopped to Look
(Later, they came back with money and each bought something)

Only in Ann Arbor.  It was as fun as going to the Cheeseman dump.  Unexpected surprises, fun and plenty of stories to share when it was through.