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My "Friends" couch. Photo Shannon O'Connor. (c) 2015 |
I say survived because I have a penchant for over-shopping, especially when it comes to finding vintage items.
Thankfully, due to the charm of the town of Mannville, I became more interested in its surroundings than I was in shopping, so I survived with my wallet intact and the article in the can.
I would like to say I fared as well at the 8th Annual Rotary Garage Sale that was held in Vermilion recently, but, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
Once again, on assignment, I headed into dangerous waters. Now I have been to a great many yard sales, garage sales, auctions and flea markets, but nothing could have prepared me for the massive onslaught of bargain hunters that surged forward as the door to the Vermilion Heritage Pavilion went up, signalling the start of the sale.
This time there was nothing to distract me from making purchases - there was only STUFF. Glorious, overflowing, wonderful, STUFF, stuffed in every nook and cranny.
People who were familiar with the previous year's sale started making beelines to their favourite aisles. As a newbie, I was left guessing which direction I should go in as there were so many people I couldn't see what items were on the tables until I got there.
By the time I found the toy section, someone was already rushing past me with a box filled to the brim with vintage Barbie toys and other goodies that were still in their original boxes. So close and yet so far! I did manage to snap a picture of the lucky lady for the article. (Which reminded me of why I was there.)
Yet, I continued shopping and managed to find a few items that I immediately paid for and brought to my vehicle.
I took a deep breath before heading back in and resolved to find my contact and finish the story.
I did manage to locate her, but she was quickly swallowed up by the mob of bargain hunters. Before she completely disappeared from view, I told her I would wait for her on the spot.
While nanoseconds turned into full blown seconds, I began to think it could be awhile before she returned, and so convinced myself that looking around a bit more couldn't hurt.
Something shiny caught my eye and like a magpie I was drawn toward it. Before I knew it, I was in the throes of shopping again, and shortly thereafter, I was heading to my vehicle with even more purchases.
But that only made me more determined to put this story to bed when I headed back into the Pavilion for the third time.
Although I couldn't see my contact, I resolved to sit down in the furniture section and wait for her there. As I sat on one couch, it occurred to me I was going to need some furniture. Yes, "need" not "want." So it was perfectly okay to peruse this section in a guilt free frame of mind.
A very vintage loveseat (probably from the mid-80's) caught my eye. It was a bit ratty and would definitely need some work in the way of its upholstery, but I loved the tufted buttons and high back. I thought it had a very "Friends" feel to it, and I immediately imagined all my friends admiring my great eye for vintage furniture.
Two Rotarians were more than happy to move my so called "Friends" couch out of the Pavilion and into the van (perhaps a little too happy). I looked at the time. It was three hours and $100 past story time.
I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to get the article done that night. I had lost sight of my contact altogether.
As I drove away from the 8th annual Rotary Garage Sale with a couch sticking out of the back end of my vehicle, it occurred to me the life of a reporter isn't easy.
It looked like I was going to have to get this story another day.
As luck would have it, it was a three-day garage sale. It seemed I would have to return on day two and three if necessary; whatever it took to get the story was a sacrifice I was willing to make. It's all part of the garage sale blues.
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