Possessed
With the Long Beach 100 Mile (or what ever they call it) garage sale going on this weekend, I figured this would be a good article to run.
The human desire for possessions is such an odd thing. I am amazed even by the collection of things I’ve accumulated over the years. Yes, we all needs tools of sorts to do things we feel we need to do, but our collecting nature somehow weaves out of control and becomes a behavioral disorder.
It all seems to start with good intentions, but somehow the things we possess begin possessing us. Eventually, that which we once wrongly considered as assets begins draining us of our assets by guilting us into renting storage units or building extensions onto our houses.
Just talking with people I’ve come up with the two major offending possessions that people deal with and rarely use:
1. Sporting equipment. It seems that people get interested in some activity, but soon find the idea of the activity was much more intriguing than the actual activity. How many times have you been in someone’s house and saw a dusty set of golf clubs in the same place in the garage for the last ten years? Bicycles and skis are also on that list along with ping pong tables and billiard tables. I have three tennis rackets and I’ve only played tennis twice in my life.
2. Exercise equipment. People should never buy this equipment, even if they designed an entire room in their house to hold this equipment. It will never be used after the first week. Join a club or go for a walk, just don’t waste your money on equipment.
If you ever get a bug to buy any sporting or exercise equipment you should really question if you will still be interested in owning it a month later. It will keep you from having a garage sale next year.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 5:59 AM
8 Comments:
Or, watch for that exercise equipment on Craigslist or at garage sales. That way you're not out so much money for something you'll end up using to hang clothes on.
LOL, I ran a Goodwill store for a while and it was amazing the amount of those very things people would bring in....funny you post this today I am in the mood to rifle thru boxes of accumulated stuff
Totally agree - we (okay, me) all have way too much stuff.
But - I do use my exercise machine for walking in the winter - too icy on the sidewalks in my neck of the woods.
So true especially the exercise gear. Most folks commitment to getting in shape ends almost immediately after they've plopped down at least six bills for the latest calorie burner. Every other sale offers a NordicTrack (which is a great system BTW if you gotta have one)for $15-20. Yes get out and walk if you can. I remember a story about a gal who lost about 80 pounds by climbing the Astoria column 2 or 3 time a day for 6 months. A fine bicycle is a wonderful thing however and I count those who got a screaming deal via me and a garage sale among my happiest customers. I think the subject of storage units may deserve a post of its own someday. They are an insidious trap.
I use my stationary bike as I don't walk so well now. But, it's the 1st of about 4 to get much use. All were yard sale fodder and cheap. The only use I found for storage units that made sense were the two I rented at once in FL to restore vehicles in. No better half tantrums from dust, noise,paint fumes etc:)
Beth and Mike, your excuses are in order. Now let the rest of us get out there and sell some stuff. BTW I can't stand garage sales. I'd never have one. I'd rather give it all away than have strangers insult me.
Guy that is so true. The tightwad dealers always show up early and then try to tell you what your stuffs worth. I think that is why it is the wife that does the honors about 90% of the time. The menfolk always have an important golf game or fishing trip come up that weekend. They can't handle it. The down side of that is she sometimes sell his really good stuff dirt cheap. Oh the stories i could tell.
My father in law finds the best stuff for pennies on the dollar, but when ever I go to a garage sale all I see is bed pans, walkers and stinky clothing.
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