Garage sale is not for the faint-hearted

They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. I say people can be vicious! The annual Puget Island Garage and Yard Sale is not for the faint of heart, a friend told me, and, boy, was she right!

People driving north, south, east, west—sideways to get to the next sale, no left turn signals, no right turn signals, people parking in the middle of the road!

I am just a reporter trying to do my job. My assignment was to travel around to the various sales and talk to people, find out how far they came for this, the seventh annual garage sale.

I will know better next time not to get in the way of a person hot for a garage sale. It seems some of these people would push aside their own mother to get to that $3 salad spinner before that person that pulled in behind them.

With traffic piled up on both sides of the street, kids riding their bikes in between cars, what is a roving reporter to do?

There are some people out there that are truly kind. They will see that someone is trying to maneuver around the vehicles with care and will be sure to gesture if it is safe to pass; however, some will pull out in front of me to arrive at the next sale 50 feet away before I do.

People traveled from near and far to see what they could find to take home.

One couple came from Woodland with their daughter, an antiques dealer from Chandler, Ariz. He said his daughter told him, “It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

One woman said she came from Clatskanie for the sale. She said she hadn’t really found anything unusual. “Just stuff,” she said.

Another came all the way from Australia just to scope out the bargains. Okay, that isn’t fair because she is actually visiting friends and family and is a Wahkiakum County native, but it sounded pretty good. She too, found that perfect item.

Overall, I think people were having a good time. Vendors and shoppers alike seemed to be enjoying the sunshine and the warm weather. A bargain hunter beaming with delight as she walked to her car with her new treasures had that extra bounce in her step and went back for more.

But the one lesson I learned in all of this; never get in the way of a person going to a garage sale!