Sunday, August 12, 2012

The Moments and the View

Here's a bit more of what we saw and experienced as we traveled 
The World's Longest Yard Sale 
near Gadsden, AL...

(This is part two of my tales from the Longest Yard Sale.)

~ This was our first stop just off I-59 in Gadsden, AL ~

The guy with this cool table below, which he had made for his wife from an old door, also had a sweet metal barstool (right there in the front) and he was asking $20 for it. I couldn't justify buying a stool that I have no use for at that price, but as I went along I rethought my cheap $5 limit. After all, this stool was metal! I never find metal barstools. Of course, by the time we went back, it was gone. He was firm on the price for his handmade table ($150) He said he made it for his wife after she saw one like it at a high-end store in Birmingham or some such place. He said she didn't want him to sell it, but he told her he'd price it at $150, and if it sold, he'd make her a new one.) It was gone when we drove back by a few hours later. 

Hmmm...I wonder how his wife took the news. It's hard to see in this picture, but the door had a very cool keyhole plate on it. The man had gotten the door from someone redoing a building. Hope he finds another one soon so his wife gets a new table!



He also had tables made out of windows and some really cute brightly colored side tables (partially visible in the picture above - I know, I should have taken photos - so sorry!). We wanted a dresser he had, but we were unable that early in the day to get him to go down on the price so we could stay within our limits. As it was, the dresser was going to need quite a lot of work. It was black and the paint was coming off in many places. The drawers didn't open well and the knobs weren't ideal.

I told him that I had found dressers like it for free and for $5 at home and that I'd still have to put a lot of time and effort into this if I bought it, as well as buy new hardware, so I needed to get it cheap. He laughed and told me I was stealing his joy when I told him how cheap I find things here. He said he had already turned down a $45 offer, so he wasn't quite ready this early in the day to deal to my liking yet. We had a fun time stopping to chat with him. He was very personable and I enjoyed listening to his stories about all the furniture he'd made.











The good pieces he had that we liked (even the more expensive ones that were beyond our limits) were gone when we went back as well. We had quite a few coulda, woulda, shoulda moments. When we left to think about whether we should buy an item or not, it was gone when we went back - every time.  Cally also passed up some cheap crock pots right off the bat and never found such inexpensive or nice ones again after that.


Here are a few of the sights we saw along the way. Just for fun and effect, I've made some of them original size. Odd to have them stretch outside the normal page bounds, but I like to see scenery in a larger format. For a couple of them, you will need to scroll over to see the whole shot. Let me know if it makes the page load too slowly. 




This cemetery was on the side of a pretty brick church on a hill where we parked for a set of sales.


I love steeples. This is the same church that had the beautiful shady cemetery next to it.


We were parked next to this fence and field, and I loved being able to see the mountains in the background as we drove along from sale to sale.

I didn't even notice at the time that there were little twinkle lights strung all over this fence. I bet it looks magical out here at night as people travel the winding roads.

Cally got these shots for me. I liked the dilapidated barn in the background. There were lots of those around. There always are. What is it about barns that they are so often abandoned like that?

Tomorrow I'll show you what I brought home with me!

I'll be sharing this with:

Rural Thursday @ A Rural Journal 
Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Open Call Tuesday @ Salt Tree
Tips & Tricks @ Stringtown Home
Nifty Thrify Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Tuesday To Do @ Blackberry Vine
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy
Sunday's Best @ My 1929 Charmer
Thrifty Treasures @ Southern Hospitality
Manic Monday @ Serendipity & Spice
Mop it up Monday @ I Should Be Mopping the Floor

14 comments:

  1. Sounds like pickers on the road to me...could have our own show! I love that darned door table!!!!!

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  2. I have always wanted to go to this sale. Glad you made it! I'm late, but following you back.
    Marsha in Alabama.

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  3. OMY Liz dontcha love it!!! DID I TELL YOU TED AND I TOOK THAT TRIP A COUPLE OF YRS AGO..WE DID!OUR FIRST..I WOULD DO IT AGAIN. We learned so much..if we can go again we wd like to drive straight to KY/my sister's and with her drive the sale south as far as she could go along..
    you asked: WHAT IS IT ABOUT OLD FALLING DOWN BARNS.LET ME TELL YOU- "they have had a life" and the stories they tell of lives, families, the times. [tugs at my heart. ]I intend to put tog a bunch of old barn pictures to share..including our THE OLD BARN where we had MARKET DAYS AT THE OLD BARN in S.E. Tx. ahhhhhhh

    looking fwd to THE REST OF THE STORY [s].

    Jonell

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  4. I went two years ago with some friends. Had a great time and came home with lots of treasures. Your photos are so lovely!
    Mary Alice

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  5. You have beautiful pics. I especially like the cemetary. Have always loved the peace of those places.

    (Thanks for visiting me, and for your encouraging words!)

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  6. Lovely shots and what fun for you and your daughter to visit this sale together! It would probably blow my hair right back to see so much good stuff in one day! We love old barns too... spent our road trip on Friday oggling barns, sadly no pics. :( Thanks for taking us along. :)

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  7. Love the Door Table, looks like you had a lot fun! I'm now a follower!

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  8. Beautiful pictures! You have some mad skills.

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  9. Sounds like a fun trip and fantastic photography ~ (a Creative Harbor)

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  10. Looks like fun. Nice shots along the way!

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  11. I saw a special on one of the cable channels about this sale -- I wouldn't dare even go near it -- I'm a junker from way back. Sorry your items weren't there when you went back -- they always say buy it when you first see it... Thanks for joining up at RT this week. :)

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  12. That looks like a very big sale. I wanted to have a sale, then gave up. It's so hard when my husband and I work opposite shifts and we have the kids.

    http://theapels.blogspot.com/2012/08/natures-floor.html

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