Tis the season for ‘yard-sale-ing’

“Tis the season to be jolly” is a popular line from the wintry Christmas carol “Deck the Halls.” But with autumn still approximately a month away, many still are using the summer season for the jolliness of sailing: yard sale-ing.

Yes, there still is time for finding cheap stuff worth millions of dollars -- perhaps rare paintings, toys, coins, jewelry or historic pieces of furniture. Yeah, right. Still, many of us (not me, my late wife who taught me the value of bargain hunting) remain on our toes, trying not to step on the toes of fellow shoppers, especially those looking for used shoes.

There seems to be a scent that emanates from neighborhood entrepreneurs. The aroma numbs our thrifty sense and makes us want to spend our cents (similar to those cafes that craftily pump the fragrance of fried food into the air). But about yard-sale-ing, I believe that my darling mate had a special device installed in her car. It made it impossible to pass any lot with tables, any yard sale, garage sale, lemonade or vegetable stand or antiquity-looking spot. I mean, really. Besides stopping, it would propel her out of the vehicle.

Like most guys, I can shop anywhere for up to five minutes. Otherwise, I’m out of there. But others dive (sometimes literally) at length into sale areas, unafraid of 3-foot-tall stacks of clothing covering half the yard or garage floor, plus boxes of footwear and crates of dusty, stinky books (similar to the odor from the shoes and boots).

I have to admit that in my younger days I enjoyed being a seller. On some Saturdays I’d take our three children to the local drive-in movie theater. The owner rented spaces for selling one’s priceless collection of this, that and the other. We had fun and even made a few dollars on occasion. And we got rid of stuff we had obtained at other yard sales.

So, as Sonny & Cher sang, “The beat goes on.” Maybe this coming weekend I will drag out my world-famous falling apart boxes and try to sell the contents. It is a fine collection of doo-dads, gimcracks, knick-knacks, bric-a-brac and assorted junk … I mean, wonderful odds and ends. Great prices, too, or ... please, just take it.