Being Particular
I've been in withdrawal lately because the winter has meant a dearth of garage sales to browse--one of my favorite pasttimes. Last Saturday, I found one sole sale in my town, and I made it a point to drop by.
Now, one thing I have learned in recent years is not to buy everything that strikes my fancy, no matter how good a deal it is or how much I think I might use it in the future. (That's how our attic got so full, in addition to my tendency to never throw things away . . . one thing I inherited from my mother.)
At any rate, a cabinet at this sale caught my eye. It didn't have a tag on it but was being used to display things. Since I could tell that the owner was moving by the "for sale" sign in the yard, I asked if the cabinet, too, might be for sale. The owner said it was and told me I could have it for $50.
Now, that was a mighty fine bargain for this cabinet. It was an Ethan Allen piece of furniture, and though it needed refinishing or painting, it was in remarkably good shape. It also matched an entertainment center that I had purchased for my mother a few years ago. I paced back and forth, trying to decide if I should get it.
I finally decided that I didn't have a place to put it at mother's house. But it was such a good find that I thought I should get it for myself. I could refinish or paint it and put it in our music/craft room. We needed something on which to set a TV, and this would fit the bill.
After quite a while of hemming and hawing, I chose to give myself a "time out." For me, that means leaving the scene and thinking about the purchase in a less pressured atmosphere. (If I stay there, I'm afraid someone else will buy the item I want, and I might jump at the buy when I shouldn't.)
As I drove off, I mentally checked the list of "to do" projects still pending at home. I had the desk hutch, the cabinet doors, and the checkerboard. I also knew that I shouldn't take any more furniture in the music room until I had time to paint the walls. That might be a while, too. On top of that, there was the garden, which is already calling my name after this mild winter.
I also thought about the amount of work it would take to bring the cabinet up to par. Refinishing would be a nightmare, since the doors were the shutter type, with lots of louvers. It would also be a pain to paint, for the same reason. Once finished, it would be a nice piece, but did I have the time or energy to do that right now?
I finally made my decision to pass on the cabinet. It was tough, but in retrospect, I think I made the right choice.
But I couldn't help driving by the house the next day, just to see if they had put the cabinet on the curb for the "trash." If it was free, by golly, I was gonna get it!
Now, one thing I have learned in recent years is not to buy everything that strikes my fancy, no matter how good a deal it is or how much I think I might use it in the future. (That's how our attic got so full, in addition to my tendency to never throw things away . . . one thing I inherited from my mother.)
At any rate, a cabinet at this sale caught my eye. It didn't have a tag on it but was being used to display things. Since I could tell that the owner was moving by the "for sale" sign in the yard, I asked if the cabinet, too, might be for sale. The owner said it was and told me I could have it for $50.
Now, that was a mighty fine bargain for this cabinet. It was an Ethan Allen piece of furniture, and though it needed refinishing or painting, it was in remarkably good shape. It also matched an entertainment center that I had purchased for my mother a few years ago. I paced back and forth, trying to decide if I should get it.
I finally decided that I didn't have a place to put it at mother's house. But it was such a good find that I thought I should get it for myself. I could refinish or paint it and put it in our music/craft room. We needed something on which to set a TV, and this would fit the bill.
After quite a while of hemming and hawing, I chose to give myself a "time out." For me, that means leaving the scene and thinking about the purchase in a less pressured atmosphere. (If I stay there, I'm afraid someone else will buy the item I want, and I might jump at the buy when I shouldn't.)
As I drove off, I mentally checked the list of "to do" projects still pending at home. I had the desk hutch, the cabinet doors, and the checkerboard. I also knew that I shouldn't take any more furniture in the music room until I had time to paint the walls. That might be a while, too. On top of that, there was the garden, which is already calling my name after this mild winter.
I also thought about the amount of work it would take to bring the cabinet up to par. Refinishing would be a nightmare, since the doors were the shutter type, with lots of louvers. It would also be a pain to paint, for the same reason. Once finished, it would be a nice piece, but did I have the time or energy to do that right now?
I finally made my decision to pass on the cabinet. It was tough, but in retrospect, I think I made the right choice.
But I couldn't help driving by the house the next day, just to see if they had put the cabinet on the curb for the "trash." If it was free, by golly, I was gonna get it!
posted by Tif at 8:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home