Most of us look forward to the summer months when time slows down a bit. The days are longer and it seems you can catch your breath for a minute. Except when you have a garage sale! 

My Mom had a big sale every summer for many years. She loved to shop and always followed the latest trends. That meant in one year, she had lots of stuff she wasn’t using anymore. Her sales were similar to a profitable business. She turned over barely used merchandise at a quick pace. In that respect, her garage sales felt pretty classy. She had regular customers that came to shop every year.

For weeks, Mom would fill boxes with items she wanted to sell. My siblings and I had the unfortunate job of lugging them all into the garage. Dad had a couple of assignments. First, he was to make sure the garage was clean. That didn’t take much effort because it was always neat as a pin and barely needed to be swept. (I absolutely inherited his cleanliness and  organizational skills!) Second, Mom directed him where and how she wanted all the folding tables set up. Dad patiently pushed and pulled the tables many times through the garage until she was satisfied. Through the years she developed a marketing sense to the whole process.

Next came the pricing. I remember my sister Barb being assigned to that job. With rolls of pricing stickers and pens in hand, they strategically mulled over each item’s value, for what seemed like days.

She ran her sale like clockwork. She put an ad in the newspaper, got her money box, collected Dad’s heavy-duty adding machine, and went to the bank for change. For 3 mornings, the homemade garage sale sign was driven down to the bottom of our street. My favorite part was sometimes getting donuts in the morning or setting up a lemonade stand for thirsty customers so I could make a few bucks. 

Mom’s garage sales were always financially rewarding even if they were a lot of work for the whole family. She was a mother and housewife and her earnings gave her a sense of pride. If Mom had a business card back in the 70s and 80s, it definitely would have read, “Adrienne Czuba, Professional Garage Sale Host” and she would have been proud to hand them out!