MotherTalk Blog Tour: Garage Sale America

This book review is part of a MotherTalk blog tour. To read other posts about this book, click here.

I went to my first yard sale when I was 8 years old. Kicking around in my front yard, I noticed cars parked along the street and people milling around at my normally dormant neighbor's house. As I got closer, I realized there was a bunch of stuff strew out on their driveway. The next thing I remember, I was on my knees in the grass, rummaging through a bunch of board games: Stratego, Battleship, Clue. Adrenaline pumping, I kept dragging stuff into my house and running back across the street with a fistful of dimes, until my mom bristled or they ran out of stuff, I can't remember which. I still have a few of those games.

Not until my twenties, as I traveled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, did I again experience that rush of a good deal found. Our Ford Tempo was jammed with tents and coolers, but Brian and I managed to find room for a $5 wooden bookshelf, which we later refinished and which suited our office perfectly.

From then on, going to yard sales has been one of my favorite past times. Especially now that I have kids and can't always stop when I see an interesting sale, I love nothing more than a morning of wandering from sale to sale, newspaper on the passenger seat, large coffee in hand.

Some of my favorite finds through the years include:

• An estate sale where Brian and I got a bunch of stuff for our new, empty apartment, including a steamer basket that I still own 15 years later.

• A huge collection of Beanie Babies for 25 cents each, which we found when my first son was 18 months old and which still forms the cornerstone of the kids' stuffed animal collection.

• A child's wooden rocking chair, solid as rock, for $15. That same day, I also bought a Little Tike's rocking chair for $3, having seen the same one on ebay for $15 plus shipping.

The funny part about the rocking chairs is that I specifically wanted to find a rocking chair for the kids when I went out hunting that day -- and I found two. You see, I always say a little prayer before I head out to yard sales, asking for what I'd like to find. I do believe there is synchronicity involved when we set out to hunt through people's crap, er, cast-offs.

For example, after seeing how ridiculously expensive View Masters were at Toys R Us, I decided against getting one for Ben's birthday. A few weeks later, I was loading three of them (one vintage) into my car along with a carrying case holding 50 mint-condition discs -- all for $5. Last summer, I wanted soft-rubber blocks for my 1-year-old, and I found a large set for $2 at pretty much the only yard sale I attended all year. Recently we went to Todd Farm and, among other things, I wanted some ice cream sundae glasses for the kids. I scored a set of five tall, thick glasses with nary a fleabite* for just $10.

My latest score? A neighbor of mine had a pathetic-looking yard sale going, but I mosied over anyway. I scored a 1970s' Little Tikes doll house with a box full of dolls and accessaries for $20, just in time for Ava's 2nd birthday. Sweet!

Wait a minute. Was I supposed to be reviewing a book? Oh. Yeah. Sorry about that.

What a lot of fun I've had reading and admiring Garage Sale America, by Bruce Littlefield. Aside from being a restauranteur, a successful author, an interior designer and an all-around fun guy, Littlefield is an avid fan of "yard hopping, garage stopping, and barn storming." He calls them "the ultimate reality television" and "the perfect antidepressent because it's a good deal for all involved." I happen to agree.

The book is a work-of-art, truly, jam-packed with full-color photographs of interesting people and things that Littlefield has come across at garage/yard/barn/tag/estate/rummage/stoop sales across the country. Even though it's a paperpack, it's got thick, sturdy pages, each one with a different mix of interesting info, such as:

• State-specific advice on what to look for and where.

• Details about collectibles. (Think Matchbox cars, Tiffany glass, fishing lures. Yes, fishing lures.)

• Unique stories from and about individual collectors, yard salers and families, such as the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players (a cult phenom inspired from a yard-sale find).

• Tips on buying and selling from the pros, such as The Yard Sale Queen and many others (including, of course, Littlefield).

• A month-by-month guide of events across the country.

• A glossary of both useful and entertaining garage-sale terms such as: "tire kicking: Testing things out, plugging things in"; and "Robin Hood sale: A sale in a wealthy neighborhood that makes for a lot of Merry Men and Women."

There's also an entire section featuring Littlefield's 1940s' farmhouse located in the Catskills, which he has artfully decorated with his vintage finds. This section has decorating/living tips and photos of the entire home with details about the items including how much he paid for them.

The author's breezy writing style made me feel as if I were tagging along with him on a Saturday morning treasure hunt. His way of turning a phrase tells me that if I did hang out with him, it would be a blast. In fact, I was surprised when reading his bio to find that Littlefield doesn't have his own television show. He seems like he'd be a natural for that venue, although he's so active in other areas that he may not have the time. (He does, however, have a blog.)

Garage Sale America is sure to be enjoyed by yard-sale enthusiasts as well as collectors and people interested in interior design (especially vintage). It's also got a strong pop-culture bent, and I think it would become well-worn on just about any coffee table.

* Fleabite: A tiny chip in pottery or glass, usually not large enough to warrant foregoing a purchase.
- Garage Sale America.