Jared Says for July/August 2000

A note: Jared has been out during July buying collectables and collecting new tales and experiences to share. Something had to give way! Watch for the next Jared Says which will be posted here in September.

As much as I enjoy selling items through eBay I still enjoy the "live" selling at flea markets or yard sales. What I enjoy most is the face-to-face contact, lively negotiations, meeting old friends, and making a little money.

I've been selling for over 25 years now. My first involvement was in CT. while I was out of work. When I was helping a friend paint a house he suggested that I take the stuff these people were throwing away to a local drive-in flea market. I think I made $75 on that first adventure. I was hooked! This also started my regular treasure hunting forays to yard sales.

After I went back to work, doing flea markets became an avenue of selling off excess merchandise and keeping the better stuff for my retirement.

I've always been a talker so it has not been hard for me to meet people, especially when I always had a great variety of items to sell. There are several people who stand out in my mind: Wex Rex from Hudson MA is one, he always dressed as if he was going to a Hawaiian luau and was always looking for old toys. You can see him now as a regular on THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW. On the same show is L. Dunbar who used to do an afternoon jazz show on a commercial free station in Worcester MA. and I used to call every now and then when he was on the air.

A retired air force general has always been asking me for military, especially army air corps items. Do not forget your neighbors! Some of my best finds have come from people who lived close to me in MA and RI especially military items from deceased veterans.

Many dealers and collectors became friends over the years and I became a "picker" for them in addition to my buyers list that I developed from the publications PAPER COLLECTORS' MARKETPLACE and PAPER AND ADVERTISING COLLECTOR. In these two papers I noticed that the wanted list always outnumbered the sellers list so I made my own list.

Over the years I have had numerous dealings with people on my list, but unfortunately I have never met any of them except via the mail or telephone. Since eBay the contacts via these papers has gone down so it is important to make contacts at flea markets and yard sales.

Next month I'll describe what I believe are the essential steps to take to have a successful yard sale. Meanwhile if you are in the South Kingston, RI area on 7 July please stop by my annual yard sale. Follow the signs for the J-Red yard sale from off RT 1 at the Green Hill Beach exit.

Good picking and have a safe and enjoyable 4th!

Jared