Collector's Corner: Bargain hunting at Terry-Taylor
Saturday, July 26, 2008 11:34 PM PDT
By Brenda Blevins McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleEverybody’s kinda bummed out these days.
News on the economy just seems to get worse. The price of gas goes up, up, then drops at a snail’s pace.
Every time there’s a natural disaster or movement in the Middle East, people hold their breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
For collectors, this affects not just your desire to pursue your hobby, but your avenues to do so. Antique shops and malls close up and shipping prices for items purchased on the Internet can sometimes be prohibitive.
How can people have some good, old-fashioned — and cheap — fun? And maybe score a bargain or two in the process?
Just in the nick of time, the annual Terry-Taylor Garage Sale is just around the corner.
This year’s event will be held from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m. Aug. 2 in the Longview Terry-Taylor-Northlake neighborhood off of Pacific Way.
I am ashamed to say that I’ve never been to the sale. Coordinators say it’s been going on for 27 years, and I can’t believe that I’ve missed out all this time. Well, this year, Rick and I are going to attend.
Unless it’s, like, 100 degrees outside. You couldn’t pay me to go then.
Going to garage, estate and yard sales can be a financially feasible experience. You take as much money as you can afford to spend and stop looking when you run out of money and willpower.
In the meantime, if you take the time to stop and look around, you’ll see your friends and neighbors in this festival atmosphere. It’s good, clean fun and if you live locally, it doesn’t cost much gas to get there. Just park and let your feet do the rest.
What will you be looking for? I know what I’m going to scope out.
Last year, a local antiques dealer showed me this gorgeous bowl he had picked up at one sale. The clear glass was adorned with handles shaped like fish and elaborate patterns decorated the sides of the dish.
He ended up selling it to my mom, bless his heart. She loves that dish to this day.
So, glass will be the order of the day for Rick and I. Plus local memorabilia. Sports stuff.
OK, just about anything interesting.
You don’t have to search for antiques to score deals, though. New items will surely be plentiful, as people empty their homes and garages of all those things that they just had to have ... then discovered they didn’t really need.
This year, the organizers are putting out 16 porta potties to accommodate the participants. Parking will be the same as in years past.
As in years past, a one-way grid will be in place for the sale. Different from last year, Northlake will also be one way (the same as Taylor, which goes west). Diagonal parking will be available on Pacific Way and many of the local churches will also allow event parking.
Hundreds of homes take place, usually bringing in more than one seller.
To have the best time, participants should bring a wheeled basket or cart to carry their finds and save endless trips back and forth to the car.
Food and soda will be sold by various groups, including elephant ears by the Altrusa Club and hamburgers by the Elks.
grandie wrote on Jul 27, 2008 9:32 AM:
lola*in*longview wrote on Jul 27, 2008 10:43 AM:
blacarrow wrote on Jul 27, 2008 3:43 PM:
tigger4 wrote on Jul 27, 2008 10:45 PM:
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