Garage Sale

During a garage sale at my house, I was reminded of how second hand goods can be such a meaningful substance in a person's life. Carload after carload of families, elderly couples and people of all ages and walks of life who had seen our signs posted and followed them to our house. It was also very interesting to note the diversity of our gathering. There must have been at least one visitor from every ethnic community in the tri-city area. I was pleased with the continuous flow of customers, and was excited to get rid so much stuff that was junk to me, but was a treasure for someone else. The history of the American garage sale can actually be traced back hundreds of years. The Indians and also the Inuits used similar practices as a basis for survival. They would trade goods that were in abundance in their communities, such as rice or flour, for items that were harder to come by, such as fabric. This confirms the fact that garage sales are a modern day survival tactic. One thing that really surprised me was how much theft there was. My roommate actually caught one little kid sticking a baseball card in his pocket, but didn't think it was worth bringing attention to. This shows us that that little boy wanted something he couldn't afford, and would do what it took to get it. By doing this the boy was emphasizing the fact that he was of a lower class, but did not wish to remain there.