HH and I enjoy a good yard, estate, or garage sale every now and then, especially if sewing materials are advertised. I already have quite the stash of fabric and notions, but I can't resist the possibility of getting some good yardage or supplies on the cheap. We usually search Craigslist before heading out on our monthly Winco trip to see if there are any sales that seem worthwhile that we can visit on our way home. Typically, estate sales are great for sewing supplies since it's an activity that seems to be more common with the older generation.
On this particular outing, we found a sale that wasn't too far from home and was advertised as "a sewer's dream." There were bins upon boxes upon bins of fabric. Tables full of notions such as thread, buttons, elastic, etc. An old serger. A drop-leaf craft table. It did not disappoint.
To start things off, HH asked how much they were asking for a grouping of 6 sewing/quilting rulers. The gentleman shrugged, looked at his lady selling partner, and said "One dollar?" From then on we knew we were where we needed to be. Each of those rulers is at least $10 new, and they were all in perfect condition. It turns out that neither of the sellers were sewers themselves, which meant they were unsure of the value of the items, which in turn meant great deals for me.
As I was looking through the first box of fabric and had already pulled 3 or 4 pieces out, the gentleman disappeared for a minute and brought out a box for me to store my finds in. I promised to do my best to fill it up. Soon, my box was getting heavier and heavier with an assortment of fabrics and notions. It was becoming difficult to drag to each new spot as I filtered through all of the fabric bins. Occasionally I had to tell a fellow yard sale participant that it was my box and not up for grabs. (But to be fair, at one point I was caught unintentionally rifling through someone else's box and they had to give me the same warning.)
Although much of the fabric was for quilting, much of it was suitable for clothing, including a very large piece of wool (that I later found had some holes in it, but still a great deal), some silky knits, and nice cottons.
Throughout our time there we had been eying the drop-leaf craft table and debating whether it was worth the $50 quoted by the gentleman. Several other people asked about it and decided against it. Eventually we followed suit and decided to head home with all the goodness we had been able to stuff inside our box. When it came time to pay, I asked whether they wanted to go item by item or to put a price on the whole box. The gentleman told me to name a fair price, so I thought about it for a second and offered $30. They were selling entire plastic bins of fabric for $15, so I thought it was a very fair price for both of us considering the extra stuff I had included (rulers, buttons, thread, snaps, webbing, and an umbrella). I didn't calculate how many yards of fabric that I got but it was well worth the $30 by itself.
After returning home and sorting through my goodies, I decided to head back to the sale at the advertised ending time to make an offer on the table if it was still there. It was, and I did. I asked the lady seller if she would take $40 for it, and she looked a little confused about the price so I told her what the gentleman had quoted before. Since she really had no idea I probably could have offered lower but I thought it seemed fair. It looked to be in good shape and a good size for my sewing room. Buying the table would mean I wouldn't have to cut everything out on the floor anymore which can get a little awkward. When I got it home I noticed that one of the leaves wouldn't extend all the way up. HH and I did some sleuthing and realized the hinges were bent. If I had known that I definitely would have offered less, but at this time I don't have room to put both leaves up at the same time anyway. If I ever need to, I can replace the hinges for a couple dollars at the hardware store.
This yard sale adventure has helped me become aware of why some people like to collect things. They like to look at what they have, touch it, rearrange it. I can't explain why, but it is satisfying. This is how I have been feeling lately with my fabric and patterns. Every once in a while I pull everything out and match up the fabric with the patterns. Even when they are already matched up, I go through and make sure I still like the arrangements and change the ones that don't seem to fit anymore. I like to hold the fabric up to myself in front of the mirror and imagine what it will become someday. I like to refold it all and arrange them in piles or boxes according to their intended purpose.
Okay so I realize this post got kind of weird and off track, but the joy I get from sewing doesn't come just from the process or the finished product. It also comes from the satisfaction of having materials that I am excited about that I have obtained in a way I am comfortable with, and the anticipation of what is to be. I enjoy having fabric that at one point belonged to someone else who had their own ideas and anticipation over the end result. At times I feel guilt over how many sewing supplies and yards of fabrics that I have and the price I have paid to get them, but that feeling is tempered by pure satisfaction of an activity that is both useful and a bit frivolous at the same time. $70 every once in a while seems to be a fair price to me.
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