GARAGE SALES IN PALM SPRINGS

Before moving to Palm Springs, friends had said, “Kath, you have to come down here and go to garage sales with us”. While I liked garage sales, it wasn’t high on my agenda to fly to Palm Springs and get up early Saturday morning.

Okay, I am hooked. Let me explain. Friday’s paper lists the garage sales in the Palm Springs area. If you wanted to branch out and go to other parts of the Coachella Valley, there are many more listed for other areas. Normal starting time is 7:00 and ending at 1:00-2:00 p.m. – remember it gets warm here in the afternoon.

Our routine is to meet at my friend’s house at 8:00 a.m. She has a car that will hold lots of “stuff”. Normally, there are three of us. With cash in our wallets and the route researched by our friend, we head out.

Invariably, on the way to the designated first stop, we see signs for still another garage sales. We pile out and check out the “stuff”. Yup, one of us will find something and then it is back into the car…..where we find still another garage sale before we get to our goal.

Last week, we went to a gated community that was opening its’ gates for garage sales. We learned this is a once year occurrence and since it was high-end homes we were convinced we would find treasures.

Within the gated community I found at first stop:

New toaster for $3
A folding wooden white chair like they use at weddings $3 (Looks great on my casita deck)
A glass cutting board with art design $1
New dishtowels for $.25
Foot stool for $1

Second stop:

I wonderful cloth tablecloth for $3 (Ironically, the woman was moving back to Washington State)

Third stop:

White icicle lights for my girlfriend’s house --they will probably wrap around ½ of her house. $8

Fourth stop:

The most amazing black leather sofa with not a flaw $160
A dining room, solid wood, with six great chairs $360

No I didn’t buy them….but boy did I try to figure out “why” I might need them.

I trust I have painted a picture for you—garage sales here --- ANYTHING you need can be found at a fraction of the new cost. Imagine what it is for sale when the snowbirds leave in the spring?

Oh, I forgot….look at the sky in the picture that I have with this blog….How could I not get up early on Saturday morning?

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

When you are thinking you are not accomplishing much in your day, start an activities page. Write down what things you have touched that day. I do believe you will be surprised at how much you actually have accomplished.