Just after we have come in USA, my husband bought a bike to ride between home and adult school or some places where he needs to go. We bought it from yard sale. I liked the idea of yard sale which does not exist in our country. It seems to me a better place to buy something like furniture except for clothes in which we do not need to pay much. After we have bought a car he did not use his bike at all and his bike stayed in our parking for over 6 or 7 months without any movement. A two days ago, my neighbor told me that "Someone left the message on your bike. Have you read it?" The message asked us if we wanted to sell our bike or not and left phone number to contact with a message sender. Of course, it was a good offer for us especially for my son. For last few months, he asked for me to buy him a bike or a scooter. Yesterday, we sold it by the same price that we first bought it. Now my son and me are so satisfied because my son got a scooter that he wanted to have and I have increased the number of books in my own library. It is really easy to buy or sell second-hand things in USA.
Yard Sale or Garage Sale is such an interesting culture in the United States. When I first arrived in the United States, these two words puzzled me. I asked my self how can (yard=measurement;place in a house or garage=place to park car) be on sale. Ha! Ha! I learned a new phrase which I loved so much because I loved to go on striking to each sale and find "treasure" for myself. One day, I found a lot of silver spoons for $1.00 in a poor condition but it was great for my preschoolers to use their fine motor skill to pick up small items or dig in the sand. It's like hunting for endless treasure which is other's trash. I am a teacher, and I am a hunter to hunt the materials I needed for class. Just think of it, it's like take a tour in your neighborhood and take a drive or a walk for a fresh air.
ReplyDeleteGood for you and your son! I want a scooter, too... And it is really convenient to sell second-hand things here. I like the trade-in service of Amazon very very much. You just sell the things you don't want any more to Amazon without any hassle, like finding a buyer, as long as you can find them in the trade-in department. And Amazon will pay the shipping fee, which means no cost on you. What makes you happier is that the price is very reasonable. Recently, I have traded in my iPhone 4. And now I am waiting for the credits to buy a new samsung galaxy. Isn't that exciting!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not partake in yard sales, I do appreciate the concept: people getting rid of unwanted stuff, and others acquiring stuff they can use at a very low cost. I think it's a great alternative to 1) throwing stuff away and adding more trash to the planet, and 2) getting something useful without paying full price.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you really can get cheap things that work for you at a garage/yard sale! Some people have this misconception that just because you live in the United States you have to buy brand name goods or buy from the store. We are definitely NOT all rich here in the "land of opportunity". Garage/yard sales are also a great opportunity for kids to learn about the value of money. When we were kids, my brother and his friend held a yard sale to get rid of some old toys and it was cute when cars would stop by and other kids would come to see what we had for sale. Big bro didn't make much money but is was still fun. =)
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