Oh, we're not finished with them yet. But things have been winnowed down. I have two strategies for winnowing and the first one has been a huge success.
As a reminder, we started with the book sale. Pretty big flop, but we finally found somebody who loved to take them away, read all they wanted, and would donate the rest as we were planning to do. So, they saved us a lot of work. The second garage sale was general house clearing, and we sold enough to make it worth our while. But both were a whole lot of work. It was looking like we were stuck with two more sales, one specialized, and later a final estate sale.
The specialized sale was getting rid of the jewelry-making stuff from about 15 years of collecting, planning, falling "in like" with different rocks and beads, and finding myself changing fascinations before using up all the supplies. It started with several weeks of organizing, bits here and bits there. Then it was followed by organizing, say, rock slabs and partially worked ones and finished and/or bought cabochons into piles, as opposed to metals, and as opposed to beads. Bazillions of beads! I pulled out the tools I anticipated needing for the few beads I wished to keep, and a few rocks to pass on just to show grandkids how varied and interesting they can be. Packed! (FYI the glass projects are still in process, so not packed, and no spare pieces identified yet. I've promised the club the extras.)
Next came locating all the bazillion tiny through larger bags that were part of the hobby - either how things came, or how they went to the club store to sell, or whatever. Each little bag contained a unit of some kind of items once those were collected and sorted, say a particular size and color of crystals, or stone slabs or beads, or even occasionally some plastic ones, something fine for kids but verboten for selling in the club store. The last step was combining bitty bags into larger bags to sell as a unit. So a unit might have 4 cabs, or three packs of different beads, or little bottles of various findings. However it worked out, whatever would fit. Every bag, whatever it contained, was priced at a quarter. To induce volume purchasing, 5 bags cost a dollar. Each may well have contents purchased for $20 or even $50!
The plan was to haul everything - with permission - as a vendor into the club, display on the tables, and let members pick what they wanted, hoping for some enthusiasm. Really, really hoping to just get rid of it all. Sure, also make a few bucks on it of course. but just not to have to pack more stuff I would no longer have access to the proper equipment for finishing projects to the standards I'd developed in the club.
I called my best friend down here and a fellow club member. I asked her if she would like first pick. In my house of course, and we could chat while going through everything. Win-win. She bought just over half! Lots of grandchildren to make things for, even grown children including some men who would wear a large pendant on a thong for example. She also claimed things for herself to wear, as there were things matching her own personal exotic tastes. We both were thrilled.
About a week later I got to talking with another club member. She has relatives who love jewelry, and others who hate jewelry but love rocks. I invited her over to look and see if she wanted anything. She came this morning. She wanted everything left! She's a snowbird and has the equipment of her own at her northern location to work on things all year that way. When she was finished, I gave her the total, and she decided me prices were way too cheap. She would give me double. I explained my philosophy, needing to just get rid of the stuff, glad if it made the next person (or people) happy, and they went where they'd see some use. Besides, she saved me hauling it to the club, or worse, hauling it back! She changed her mind at that, and insisted on paying me triple my asking price!
If only all sales were that easy!
I have no real idea what will be the result of my second strategy. I called a local auction house which is knowledgeable about collectables. They'll send somebody out next week to see what I have to offer. It will be a combination of some of the better pieces of furniture (extra expense to move and store), the pieces of my SW pottery - he informed me over the phone that I have "Native American" pottery, the category "SW" pottery was different, just a fad from recent years that has worn out its interest level - plus bunches of the Chinese and early 20th century glass pieces (Fenton, Carnival, Vasoline glass, etc.), items I don't "need" to keep. The person I talked to actually represents two different auction houses, one mostly collectibles, the other furniture and household items. Steve might even throw in his Kachinas, delicate and not guaranteed to arrive north in good shape. Moving those out of the house gives us room to fix up the house and paint what needs it, and finish organize packing once there are empty walls to stack boxes against.
Then there's only the final garage/moving sale to deal with. Followed by the "FREE" box at the curb.
Then the dumpster.
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