JOURNAL: YARD SALES: 20100515: 2010 Expedition #5: Air hockey table, flatscreen monitor, free stuff!

Got up around 10:30AM, made it out driving by 10:51AM, and went out until for a total of almost 4 hours. But we ate, so I’m calling it 3.5 hours.

Total spent $62.00 plus ~$6.23 gas for 37.4 miles of driving, for a total cost of $68.23. We bought 33 items – 16 if you count the comics+magazine lot as 1 item – for a total estimated value of $465.70, leading to a profit of $397.47. That’s $113.56/hr as a couple or $56.78/hr per person. And to earn that much after taxes you’d really have to earn $665; money saved (by not having to spend it) is actually worth more than we realize when the government’s cut is taken into consideration.

This one creepy guy gave us all this free stuff. We started so late that it was past noon when we arrived at most sales. Thus, people were kind of sick of being there by the time we got there. Some had already packed up. This guy said to just take anything we wanted. Then later, other people came, and he charged them $1 for various things. Meanwhile, we came back from our car, gave everything another once-over, and got even more stuff [because it was free]. Maybe he was a racist and only didn’t charge white people. Maybe he was taken aback by Carolyn’s beauty. Either way: free flatscreen monitor!

Carolyn’s car actually overheated on the way to KFC/Taco Bell to get 2 Double Down sandwiches. We added 2 quarts of coolant and it was fine; she has opted not to fix a coolant leak, so this happens from time to time. She also briefly had some brake problems after I broke while going over a speedbump — something I avoid doing. They seemed to fix themselves after 20 minutes. I drive the car hard…

• $50.00: air hockey table (90″x50″) (they said the electronic scorekeeper is broken, but the table seemed to blow just fine, though it has a bum leg) (EV:I’m gonna guess around $250, given that it’s used but also comes with delivery. New tables this size cost $500 minimum.)

The air hockey table was a tough decision. We measured it with the tiny tape measure that I bring yard saleling – for the purpose of measuring things. We talked about it and waffled a lot, but opted not to get it. Later, after yard saling, we went home and then started measuring. How far from the pool table to the wall for a comfortable shot? (5 ft, maybe 6 if a couch is there). How big is our pool table? Where would we put the air hockey table? How would this cause us to move other things around? In the end, we found that if we turned our pool table 90 degrees, there was room for an air hockey table. This is totally different from where I imagined an air hockey table would go for the past few years. On Sunday, we actually moved the furniture so we’d be ready to receive it. Anyway, we went back, paid $25 down on the $50 for the air hockey table, and got their phone# and actual address. They shall deliver it some time that I have some friends around to help out. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just have them leave it in our driveway on the day of our party, and conscript party guests to become unfortunate victims in my ploy to move large objects without hiring professionals. I’m sure it’ll work out. We’ll finally have the holy trinity of games: pool, air hockey, and foosball!

• $3.00: Slip ‘N’ Slide (EV:$5) – because they said at 11X-Day that they’d bring it to 12X-Day, but it never happened! So we’re bringin’ it to 13X-Day this summer!

Slip 'N Slide made me bleed as a child. Seriously!

• $2.00: lamp, decorative/artsy, blacklight + “liquid clipboard” rings – 2 ft tall, top ring broken, but it still works upside-down… $11 blacklight bulb stull works too (EV:$15, a total guess, including value of used bulb)
• $2.00: dvd, The Lady & The Highwayman, Hugh Grant – based on the poem The Highwayman (EV:$3.50)

probably a suckfest, but we're more interested in the poem now that we have listened to Dirk (R.I.P.) recite The Highwayman on mp3 a bunch of times

• $1.00: Brita pitcher filter (no filter included) (EV:$13)

We already have 3, which is very useful. We don't really need a 4th -- Time to re-introduce the vodka filter?

• $1.00: dvd, Recognizing And Preventing Strokes (EV:$1?????)
• $1.00: light,the kind with the long cord, and hook to hang it on a nail — the kind that you’d use to work in your attic (EV:$15)

insulation time?

• $1.00: frame, picture, 17×13 (EV:$20)
• $1.00: cans (2), beer, Olde Frothingslosh – hilarious color can with black and white picture (beer already drunken, can opened from bottom to preserve new-looking top) (EV:$2)

mine were white and a bit different, but same black & white girl on them

• $FREE: monitor, flatscreen, 17.1″, Kogi (L7EH-TA) – missing VGA cord ($10) ($60 new – $10 for cords = EV:$50)
• $FREE: belt carrier, camouflage [a fanny pack, basically] (EV:$10)

• $FREE: basket, plastic, 14″x7″x6″, white – already used to organize and control our table clutter ($8)

now holding ketchup & mustard, SriRacha, pepper, napkin holder, Vick's VapoRub, extra plstic forks, spoons, hot sauces from taco bell... no longer sprawled about our table messily

• $FREE: mirror clip set (EV:$2)

seeing as we have a bunch of mirrors sitting on the ground from other yardsales...

• $FREE: frame, poster, 18″x24″, shrink-wrapped (EV:$8)
• $FREE: comics — they weren’t really ones I wanted, but since they were free, I figured I’d preserve them. Too bad most had the kid’s name written over the cover in sharpie. Dumb! A couple of them were actually graphic novels. Here’s the list:
  1. Wolverine #138 (EV:$0.10) X-Men: The Movie, official comic book adaptation (EV:$1.00)
  2. X-Men: Ultimate X-Men Graphic Novel (EV:$) – with free unrelated Marvel super-hero stickers (EV:$1.00)
  3. Marvel Encyclopedia (EV:$1.00)
  4. Spider-Man: Chapter One #12 (EV:$0.10)
  5. Spider-Man: Web Of Spider-man #6, Part 3 (EV:$0.10)
  6. Superman #78 (EV:$0.10)
  7. Action Comics #662 (EV:$0.10)
  8. AAFES: The New Avengers Fireline (EV:$0.10)
  9. AAFES: The New Avengers Letters Home (EV:$0.10)
  10. AAFES: The New Avengers (EV:$0.10)
  11. AAFES: The New Avengers guest starring The Fantastic Four [2 different issues] (EV:$0.20)
  12. Sonic Super Special #14 (EV:$0.05)
  13. 3 Musketeers Aventure #6 (EV:$0.05)
  14. Wonder Man #1 (EV:$0.05)
  15. Quasar #23, part 5 of 7 Cosmos In Collision (EV:$0.05)
• $FREE: magazine, Sports Illustrated, with a comic-style cover (in same lot as free comics) – moved to our free stuff desk (EV:$0.50)

2010 STATS SO FAR:
TOTAL EXPEDITIONS: 5
TOTAL HOURS: ~16.5
TOTAL MILES DRIVEN: ~166.4
TOTAL ITEMS BOUGHT: 80-134, depending on how you count them
TOTAL MONEY SPENT: $256.78
TOTAL ESTIMATED VALUE: $1,511.59
TOTAL PROFIT: $1,254.81
AVG HOURLY WAGE PER PERSON: $38/hr

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EV stands for “Estimated Value”, which I estimate by looking things up in Google Shopping/Google/Amazon/Ebay. I don’t always deduct for an item being used, unless it’s actually in worse condition. It depends on the item, really.Mood: immunized
Music: Gwar – Black & Huge (live)