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Pack Rats Pay For Feasts
It hurts to admit, but my father is a raving pack rat. He keeps everything from bent paper clips to broken toys from our childhood. He loves holding on to random wires and old VHS remotes. He's also a fan of keeping old, unusable tires -- just in case. Just in case science creates a time machine, I like to quip. World collided, recently, when I had the idea of having a garage sale. It took all my powers of persuasion to convince him to part with even a third of his massive stash.
I started the ball rolling by tactfully recording an HGTV Channel show about pack rats. It's one of those shows that has a gaggle of designers and craftsmen come in and sell off all the junk in order to renovate a new home. We just "happened" to catch the show during dinner. The subconscious is a very powerful tool -- and it seemed to have worked. The next day, he agreed to the garage sale.
I had to move fast, before the sense and reason of the show wore off. I put posters up all around our neighborhood and prepared the front yard for the sale. I borrowed some fold out tables and had everything ready for the big day. As the day of the sale dawned, my father was in a foul mood.
All of my father's busted goods moved quickly. I was surprised there was such a demand for his junk. Maybe he was onto something. One person's junk is another person's treasure. The only problem I had, other than my father's mood, was his propensity to double or triple the price when asked! There was one item in particular -- our stainless steel fan -- that put him in a stubborn mood. It was listed at $5, but he wouldn't take less than $20. I had to take him aside and assure him we could go to any modern fan company and buy a new one.
I managed -- eventually -- to sell the fan, but only after my father stormed off. At the end of the day, I counted the take and marveled that we had sold $300 worth of junk. Amazing. I treated the entire family, sans my father, to a burger feast. Knowing the meal was being paid for by my father's junk was extremely satisfying. Thanks, pop.
About the Author If you're hoping to convince that pack rat in your life to sell off his junk, assure him there is a modern fan company where he can replaced his stainless steel fan.
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