Serious question, our annual block sale has this thing with souvenir spoons now

Every year at our neighborhood garage sale, a few houses put out boxes of souvenir spoons (you know, the little decorative ones from tourist spots). Some folks, like my neighbor Martha, think it's totally fine to buy the whole box in one go (she says she's 'rescuing the collection' and keeping it together). But other people, like me, think that's kind of rude because maybe five different people wanted to start their own collection with just one or two spoons. I was looking at a box from Florida last weekend, and by the time I got there at 10 AM, the whole thing was already gone, sold to one person. It feels like it goes against the spirit of a community sale, which is for everyone to find a little treasure. But maybe the seller just wants it gone fast? What's the move here?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera5142mo ago

Can you chat with the sellers before the sale starts? I've done that and asked if they could set aside a few spoons for later buyers. Some are happy to help if you explain it's for the community feel. Another trick is to get there early, but that's not always possible for everyone.

parker_price2mo ago

vera514's tip works well, but I've also had luck just asking nicely when I arrive.

daniel_martin2mo ago

Honestly, that "asking nicely when you arrive" thing reminds me of my friend who did that at a yard sale last week. She just explained she was starting her first apartment and the seller gave her a whole box of extra kitchen stuff for free. It really can work if you catch them at the right time.