[Flickr Source]

There is a quasi-new antique store in the Lincoln Lakes Area.

Garage Sale Antiques used to reside in the small garage adjoining Arnie Oldenburg's business, AOK Engines, on Highway 10. Arnie's wife Kathy, a long-time lover of antiques, opened the shop in 2005, but soon needed more space. There were other dealers from as far away as Detroit Lakes begging to rent space from her to sell their wares. She and Arnie then built a 40 by 80 foot building next to AOK Engines and Kathy, along with 15 other dealers, moved in this past summer.

The term "garage sale" gives the impression the buyer will pay a good price. The word "antique" does the opposite. It gives the buyer the idea they may pay dearly for an item. But Oldenburg and her dealers seem to be able to blend the two very well. The products available at Garage Sale Antiques are moderately priced, in good condition and the variety is wide.

Kathy began this business with her friend Linda Michurski because, as she put it, "I love antiques. Also, Arnie and I are very close and we need to interact often during the day. I doesn't make sense that we work miles apart. When we lived in Belle Plaine, we had the same situation. I was at home with the kids and he had his machine shop behind the house. We just have a hard time being away from each other for long periods of time."

The decor of Garage Sale Antiques is very "up north." The walls are knotty pine with old-time local advertising signs spaced sporadically. The dealers are individualized; some carry glassware, while others have dolls, furniture, books, pottery, toys, sports and hunting items, and so much more.

Continue Reading..

Having a yard sale used to be simple. Set up some card tables, price any old clothes, toys or kitchen appliances, put signs around the neighborhood, and open for business.

Today, South Florida homeowners need to fill out applications, pay for permits and read regulations before they get started. And that's assuming the local condominium or homeowner association allows the sales to begin with.

As collecting becomes more popular and buying cheap has entered the mainstream, more people have tried to emulate online flea markets like eBay by selling unused clothes, electronics and household items in their front yards.

RESTRICTIONS

To forestall such makeshift retailing, cities have begun to crack down by requiring permits and limiting the number of sales. Most cities also prohibit residents from putting any signs on public property to keep streets uncluttered for drivers.

Coral Gables resident Tony Martinez had to pay $25 for a garage sale permit this summer. Martinez and his wife, Angie Stephen, also had to ask nearby homeowners to put signs in their yards to guide potential shoppers through the neighborhood's winding streets. A couple of years ago, a city inspector removed signs the couple had posted along the street.

Continue Reading..

It's amazing how much stuff American families can accumulate.

Over time, we end up with clothes and toys our children have outgrown, furniture we no longer want, bicycles that have long been abandoned and a whole assortment of other items that clutter the corners of our homes.

Sooner or later, most families realize that there is only one answer to this situation: a garage sale.

I don't know what Americans did before the invention of garages.

I know that the original idea of a garage was to provide shelter for one's cars. But over time, it's clear the real purpose of garages is to provide a venue for selling all those items that we no longer need or want.

It's free enterprise at its best.

We profit from getting rid of a ton of stuff and make a little money at the same time. The buyers benefit from getting bargains on items.

Such was the case last weekend at our garage sale.

Continue Reading.

Los Angeles.– In the market for spangled headdresses, sequined chaps, or fishnet hotpants? Aren't we all? That's why we'll be taking a road trip to Los Angeles this week to check out Cher's garage sale.

The iconic singer/actress/fashion victim will be unloading a variety of undoubtedly tasteful clothes, jewelry, objet d'art, and furnishings from her Malibu mansion, as she trades in her previous Gothic aesthetic for a "a Moroccan-Tibetan look."

But Cher's Naugahyde chaps and jaunty sailor cap aren't the first celeb cast-offs offered to the eager masses.

In 2003, Elton John famously auctioned $1.67 million worth of understated costumes and decor. Last year you could have picked up some creepy housewares at Tim Burton and Lisa Marie's post-break-up auction.

If you're lucky, you could even spot stars' ads on Craigslist from time to time.

But if your inner diva can only be satisfied with a Bob Mackie that's been up-close-and-personal with Cher's famous tattoos, you'd better get ready to start bidding.

[News Source]