Random Happenstance

(Mostly) Off-topic: I think I might have to give up on garage sales.

I've been to enough garage sales lately that I've almost got statistically valid data, and I'm starting to think parents in my town outright don't buy their kids any toys. Or if they do, their kids are either girly girls, whose toys I don't want; or they're holding on to their toys with both hands. I've barely found squat of late.

My dad told me once, regarding gambling, that sometimes the worst thing that can happen to you is beginner's luck: if you win early, that can set the idea in your head that this is what's supposed to happen, that you're a 'winner.' Then, when the percentages eventually start to grind your winnings down, you may have conditioned yourself to believe the reward is coming when it's not, that one more try is all you need to get that big payout.

I grew up in a small town, and there were no garage sales. Of course, back then people didn't seem to have that burning need to replace all their living room furniture every few years. Eventually I moved to a bigger city, and then when I started going to garage sales, I found gold:

Freaking sweet. There's more that I didn't want to get out right now, like the old Playmates Star Trek Transporter (it's done with mirrors. Really!) and I'm probably forgetting some others, but I gave all of these guys a good home. In recent years, though, the pickings have been slim. What have I found lately?

Man, Jurassic Park Junior seems like a weird branding choice. Kid friendly flesh tearing monsters. 'Kay...in all fairness, though, I bought that for under a buck for the Youngest, who loves it, and it's sturdy enough for him to stand on (laid on it's side), which is impressive.

And yet, I keep going to sale after sale after sale, making polite conversation with families trying to ditch the old kids' clothes, silverware, non-ATSC compatible TV's and potentially hazardous tools; absolutely convinced that the next sale I hit is going to have that loose Castle Greyskull, a box of old Star Wars figures, or even a lonely Transformer. Sweet zombie Jeebus, lately I'm surprised to even see a sticky pile of Happy Meal toys.

Do. Not. Suggest. ebay. To. Me. I used to quite enjoy checking out loose figures, and there's still some ebay stores or specific items I would get there; but the constant, constant gouging has finally gotten to me. Everybody does it, and I probably have too, but I'm so very tired of seeing $10 shipping and "handling" for a $.99 item. Add to that the lost or wrong items I've never received, the ever-present aggrevation of being outbid at the last second because I have a job and can't hover over my computer to poach auctions, and the nickel-and-diming of buying and selling; gah, I think my blood pressure just shot up typing that.

I wasn't feeling swell yesterday evening, but I had a busy afternoon. Wal-Mart had marked down the Legendary Comic Book Heroes to five bucks; so I got Ripclaw, which had the last build-a-figure piece for Pitt.
Oddly, right before that, the kids and I hit a yard sale by their grandparents' place, where we picked up a couple kid's books, an Aflac duck for the youngest, and an A-Team Col. John "Hannibal" Smith figure from the early 80's. The only way I figured out that's what it was supposed to be was the "Cannell" tag on the back, since it's not a great likeness of George Peppard. In fact, at first I had thought it was a Jimmy Carter action figure. Good use of a dime, or proving my point? You tell me.