Hampton Cove subdivision in east Huntsville.
I woke up early on Saturday for a very big event in town…Hampton Cove was having its yard sale!
Hampton Cove is a very nice subdivision on the east side of Huntsville, over Monte Sano Mountain.
I borrowed Lefty’s black Nissan truck and headed for town.
There were a lot of people who came to the sell, but it wasn’t too crowded, and I always found a parking space.
I saw everything from leaf shredders, to foosball tables, to lamps, and everything in between. Not to mention, clothes, clothes, and more clothes.
My favorite find: a Battenburg Lace table cloth!
I am listing my 10 best tips and yard sale-ing etiquette:
- Stay off the homeowner’s grass. Remember what Mama taught you about that. (Especially don’t drive on someone’s lawn!)
- Remember what Mama taught about the Golden Rule? It still counts with yard sale-ing.
I know that yard sale finds are exciting, but try not to get all Christmas-in-the-80s-Cabbage-Patch-Kid-crazy and start a fight over that Precious Moments figurine.
- Be fair with your negotiations. If something seems to be worth $10, go ahead and shell it out.
- Be safe. Again, I know that a yard sale is like a treasure hunt, but keep safety in mind. Drive and park safely so that there won’t be trips to the emergency room.
- Be safe Part II. Don’t get so excited that you trip over a neighbor’s curb or fall down a hill. This is another way to prevent trips to the ER and will go a long way to keeping humiliation at bay.
- On that note…Long ago, when I was in high school, my 10th grade teacher passed along a maxim from her mother: “Maintain your dignity.”
- If you see cute kids and teens selling lemonade, snacks, or sodas, by all means–encourage the young entrepreneurs! The sweetest 9-year-old girl with adorable freckles sold me some snack crackers. I was long over-due for a snack, and her endearing smile made it all worthwhile!
- On the same note, over-pay the kids. If a child is selling something–like lemonade, toys or whatever, I wouldn’t haggle with them. Some of them are even saving up for something special like camp.
- Use cash. Unless I’m purchasing a big-ticket item, I try to pay in cash. Two reasons: it will keep your spending in check and it will let you give the sellers “real money.”
- Remember your clutter pile. (Or clutter piles, in my case.) Before I left for the sale, I promised Lefty that I would think long and hard before I bought anything. We’re bustin’ at the seams with blessings, in our house.
White house where I found my Battenburg Lace table cloth for $10.
Here’s a special shout-out for all of the nice people, both sellers and buyers, that I met at the Hampton Cove yard sale! Hi!
I really like this home.
What do you think? If you have any additional tips, we’d love to hear about them!
Yard-salers
Antique radio.
Old barn on Hampton Cove’s golf course. The HC course is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. I recently wrote an article about it in “Life in Hampton Cove.”
This lady was uber-organized!
This guy came away with a truck-load of good stuff.
I may make a Pin out of these cute sayings.
Here is what I bought:
My Battenburg Table cloth at home.
Look at this outfit that I put together. It probably cost me less than $5!
My favorite book and flash cards for Princess Buttercup. I think I paid $1 for both.
More of my table cloth.
The focal point on my table cloth.
