GARAGE SALE WIZARD

03.30.10 / Uncategorized / Author: TWGranE / Comments: (0)
Tags: Children, garage sale, math, school, Wizard

At my last parent-teacher conference the teacher was pleased to announce that my first grader is a MATH WIZ. Really? Math, you don’t say? That’s nice. HOW?!

It’s not like I’ve worked with her with flashcards since her high-chair days (Oh, those commercials drive me nuts, pleeaaase!).

The teacher continues her excitement, “Yes! She is the only one in my class that has a full grasp on money and change.

Oh, I get it now! Perhaps this teacher doesn’t realize how many garage sales this poor little girl has had to endure. I did the dragging, but little Miss Math/Garage Sale Wizard did the shopping! This one ain’t shy. Before I can browse through a box of book titles, she is up at the card table asking if they would take a quarter for a toy, shoes or anything that sparkles.

She found out early that mama wasn’t going to buy her everything just because it was cheap. Really how many Little Pony’s do you need? That’s when she started taking (and buying!) little purses to throw all her found change in.

We started early.

At first she would need help identifying coins (The quarters are the big ones.). Then we worked on how much each was worth, followed by adding and making change.

She has it down, sometimes even assisting the poor little lady who is adding items with her industrial-sized adding machine next to her muffin-tin change organizer.

Last week my daughter was all excited saying that she had to get some old toys priced and, “Oh, could you make some cookies and maybe some granola bars?”

I’m thinking I must have missed something on a school note. It’s not like the teacher uses flashcards with us parents. I’m lucky to read school notes half of the time. But as I’m going through the assortment of gold star math papers, I find verification of my Little Miss Math Wiz demands — A Math Class Garage Sale.

Each child is to bring 25¢ in dimes, nickels and pennies along with low priced items. A math class garage sale! How ingenious! I wonder where are on earth the teacher came up with such a brilliant idea.

She’s a garage sale wizard
There’s got to be a twist
A garage sale wizard
She’s got a coin purse on her wrist

How do you think she does it?
(I don’t know)
What makes her so good?

She ain’t got no distractions
Can see the bargains and deals
Doesn’t let high stickers stop her
Pays only in small bills

Always gets a bargain
Never over-pays at all
That Math/Garage Sale Wizard
Sure has a bargain ball!

Great American Garage Sale Experience – GAGSE

09.02.09 / Uncategorized / Author: TWGranE / Comments: (0)
Tags: ebay, garage sale, money

Nothing is sweeter than citywide garage sales, except the day before citywide! Fearing I would not have the stamina (or the money)(or the driving skills) to go to hundreds on Saturday, I armed myself with 20 bucks cash, enlisted a driver (my devoted husband) and headed North. Driver was needed because I am unable to maneuver tricky alley way parking and able to read signs and watch traffic at the same time. My husband brought more dough into the deal, but my twenty bucks was my twenty bucks to be used in the GREAT AMERICAN GARAGE SALE EXPERIENCE, referred to here on out as the GAGSE! Simple really, buy really cool stuff for my own use and buy really cool stuff for resale to finance my GAGSE and make some extra moo-la.

I did amazingly well, impressing even myself! Here’s my loot: Big yellow Mexican clay girl figurine (KEEP), 1960’s Starburst German Metal Clock (KEEP – it so matches our vintage Shasta trailer); 10 large pink chandelier crystals (KEEP – already hanging from our front entry light – Thank you Erin!); Giraffe baby blanket (SELL); 9 pair of Vintage Hose NIP, some with back seams and heel design (UNDECIDED, these would look really cool and unsure of resell on these); Sunflower Cross Stitch Pillow Kit (KEEP – winters here get really long), Victorian Dolls Stitch and stuff Kit (KEEP, ditto); I Dream of Genie Costume (KEEP, I’ll sell it next year!), adult cat costume (SELL, I can’t pull that one off); Bratz “lips” doll bed (KEEP, until daughter grows out of that phase); Kids Weaving Loom for potholders (KEEP, hey I need new potholders!); Tupperware Deviled Egg container (KEEP, watch out office potlucks!); Alfafa Bobble Head (SELL!); Vintage plastic Flower lamp (KEEP, hanging in my new Art/Office); Bratz Carrying Case (KEEP – Dah); Baby Clothes – Levi Jacket, Minnie Mouse Coat, Dora Shoes, Strawberry Shortcake Shoes, 2 Dora fleece pullovers, Infant Cowboy Boots (SELL, SELL, SELL, SELL, SELL, SELL, SELL); 2 Tupperware Christmas Labelors (Ah, want am I going to do with these?); Vintage Tandy Zackman Handheld game (SELL); Antique Princess 6′ mirror (KEEP, needs some work); Giraffe Keychain (KEEP, oldest likes giraffes for some strange reason); Most Awesome Scarf from Paris (KEEP – Absolutely); 2 Vintage Brooches (1 KEEP – goes with Paris scarf, 1 SELL – Christmas item); Victorian 3D Bathroom Art (KEEP – gotta love bathroom art!); Hannah Montana Slippers (KEEP – but she better keep tags on them); A bunch of Corn Cob Handle thingies (KEEP – we so needed these); New Iron (KEEP, unfortunately I don’t believe in ironing)

THAT’S IT – WITH $1 LEFT OVER!

Halloween items are up on ebay already. Working on the others. I’ll let you know if I come ahead. But, I bet I do! Thanks for reading and check back for results of the GAGSE!