How Unfair: Part 1.

Here's the fact. I intended this post to not be novel-length, but then I started writing and, well, things changed. So, I am forced to publish in parts.

Learning is wonderful. Sometimes learning inspires and ignites. Sometimes, however, learning infuriates and upsets. Today, for me personally, the latter happened.

I recall fond memories of the summer days that my grandmother, mother and I used to spend walking the streets of Vancouver searching for diamonds in the rough at garage and yard sales. I was very young at the time and, being that style was not much of an issue, most of my wardrobe was purchased from second-hand stores, or garage sales. These pre-loved items were great. They were cheap, and they were in excellent condition. As a bonus, we got to meet new people, and I got to learn the art of bargaining, as well as the value of money.

I remember how my mom would chat with the vendors about the items she desired. She would negotiate the price, and if the vendor agreed (which they did, in most cases), my mom would take a load off their hands. They wouldn't have to deal with this unwanted item anymore; it wouldn't have to continue collecting cobwebs in their attic. They would make a few dollars, and scoring the deal would make my mom's day. Moreover, scoring the deal would clothe me. 

No, no, we were never even remotely close to being poor. It wasn't like my mom needed to search for garage sales, so that she could afford to put food on the table, but it was a bonus. In a city as expensive as Vancouver,  every penny counts. For some buying a $500 coat isn't feasible; for some, it just isn't morally right. Sure, my mom could afford to dish out $500 for a herring bone coat, but it didn't make any sense to do that. Why would you pay $500 for a coat at the store, when you could pay ten times less for the exact same coat at someone's yard sale? The coat is definitely not worth $500 dollars. The chances are that it was made in a developing country, by underpaid workers. The chances are that the materials used to make the coat are plain, common, fairly inexpensive materials. And the chances are that the only reason that that coat is $500 is because there is some snazzy brand-name company wanting to churn in a huge profit. So why pay that much yourself? Why fund those big corporations?

But that isn't the only issue. There are a lot of people out there that aren't as fortunate as me. They do need to find a coat for cheap, or risk freezing, or starving if they do dish out the cash for the coat. That's what is so good about garage sales - they make it a little easier to have money for clothing and shelter and food.

"But what about the Salvation Army?"

Well, here's the fact: I've been to both thrift stores and garage sales. Though the prices are cheap at thrift stores, they cannot be compared with garage sales. Garage sales are things that people want to get rid of, not because they are tattered and torn, but simply because they are no longer interested in them. To do this, these people will accept just about any price you put forth. And that's another benefit! Unlike thrift stores, where prices are set in stone, garage sales offer the option of bargaining. It's really good. You can find treasures at garage sales! From designer garments to antiques - there is just about everything.

But it isn't only the buyers that benefit - it's the sellers too! Most of the time, the sellers are seniors, who are trying to sustain on their miserable pensions. A lot of time, the vendors are homeless, or nearly-homeless people. These are people that need money desperately. They aren't going to get the money from the government because the government has either failed them, or has provided them with some minuscule life support. They need to watch every cent. Their livelihoods depend on it. 

Over the year(s), my sister, mother and I have accumulated a number of garments that we no longer need. My sister and I have outgrown pants and shirts. Some fads have passed, making certain items no longer fashionable. My mother has discovered some clothes in the pits of her closet that she has only worn once; things that she has no intention of wearing again. Most summers, which is the time that we usually buy new clothes and discard old ones, we head on over to the local donation bin and feed it a suitcase full of good clothing. That's not very fun, though.

So this summer, my mom suggested the idea of a garage sale. My sister was very excited. The prospect of earning money in a fun way was appealing. So that is what we decided to do.

We collected a bunch of clothes, filled two suitcases with them and rolled them over to Denman street. Everything was in good condition. My sister was jumping with joy at the prospect of making some money through selling her own old clothes when she began unloading the suitcases. When we go to donate the clothes, she is usually reluctant to give too much of her stuff, but when you throw in the thought of making a profit, well, things change. Her young entrepreneurial spirits get worked up.

We had unloaded the suitcases and were sitting at our sale. My mom decided to go buy some coffees for the three of us. That is when it happened.

An old man approached my sister and I. I thought that he was there to buy something, instead he asked us if anyone had been by our sale yet.