By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó Dale Massagee of China Grove said he cleaned out his storage building for Saturday’s Community Yard Sale.
Everything was priced so cheap, he said “somebody’s got to take it.”
Massagee, who set up his tables in the Bank of the Carolinas parking lot, didn’t waste time making a sale to Karen and David Woodward. They asked the price of a 20-gallon aquarium. He told them $5, adding that the accessories still left inside were worth that much.
“I gave it away,” he said.
“Yes, you did,” Karen Woodward said, adding that they had been pricing aquariums for a while. “I appreciate it.”
Massagee said he had already sold a 10-gallon aquarium along with furniture, sinks, dishes and pet supplies. One of his tables was almost bare by noon, but the pit bull in a large cage on the other table was still there.
Louise ó who Massagee said answers to “Weezie” and comes from a blue bloodline ó attracted lots of attention from children and adults alike.
“Everybody looks at her and pets her and likes her, but nobody has any money,” he said. “The economy’s so bad. I had some people say they’re going to come back, but you know how that is.”
Even though he hadn’t been able to find an owner for Weezie, Massagee said he had made enough money at the yard sale “to do it again.”
Rhonda Harrington of Kannapolis, who had an “Estate Sale” sign taped to her table, said she was trying to sell some of the possessions of her late mother and sister.
“I’m doing pretty well,” she said. “I’ve priced them reasonable, and people know a good bargain when they see it.”
Dean Goodnight of Corriher Grange Road stopped by shortly afterward and purchased the Mel Gibson movie, “What Women Want,” on VHS for 50 cents. He said he hadn’t seen it and was purchasing VHS movies since his DVD player stopped working.
Goodnight held a stack of folded bills in his mouth while waiting for change because his hands were full with a used DVD player he bought at another table and two other VHS movies.
Harrington said Saturday’s cooler temperatures and slight breeze was perfect weather for the community yard sale and the annual Farmers Day festival in nearby China Grove. “You couldn’t ask for it to be nicer,” she said.
Harrington’s father owns Talbert’s Jewelry in Landis, and her husband owns Landis Supply.
Julie Harkey and her mother, Carole Cress, both of Concord were selling handcrafted jewelry, jewelry bookmarks and handmade greeting cards. They weren’t doing so well, Julie said. “We should have probably gone to Farmers Day.”
Debbie Yates of Landis, however, said she had made a lot of sales. Her antiques and collectibles were the most popular with buyers, she said. An old stone crock, for example, sold for $50, and some of her grandfather’s old tools for $30.
Yates said she had held onto them because she wanted to eventually build a shop and display them, but ended up selling them to a man who wanted to put them in his shop.
Joseph Hagler of Concord said he had done “OK” selling such items as furniture and baby clothes his 15-month-old daughter, Raygan, had outgrown. Helping him with the yard sale were his girlfriend, Morgan Pepper of China Grove, and her mother, Debbie Butner, also of China Grove.
Alice and Leonard Hipkins of Kannapolis were trying to sell some of the collectibles they’ve accrued over the years, including Elvis memorabilia, California Raisin figurines and two very large, stuffed trolls. They had made more than $100 by noon, Alice said.
Though Leonard had sold a couple of sets of California Raisins, he hadn’t found any buyers for the two that were made to look like the late “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson. Each one had a $20 price tag.
Looking back over his life, he said, “I wish I hadn’t collected anything. … It was just wasting money.”
Virginia Alexander, of Salisbury, wasn’t doing too well selling her crocheted baby blankets, scarves and various sizes of afghans or her large selection of dish towels with crocheted holders.
At the table beside her, Vickie Hudgins, also of Salisbury, was faring better with her crafts. She had made $45 by noon, enough to make it worthwhile.
Hudgins seemed to be enjoying her spot under the shade of a large tree, where a breeze was stirring strongly enough to blow a wooden rabbit holding a heart-shaped “Welcome” sign onto the pavement.
Rita Biggerstaff of Rockwell seemed happy with the $75 she and her 8-year-old grandson, Clayton Biggerstaff, had made at the yard sale. “If I hadn’t been here, I’d have been going to yard sales spending money,” she said.
Rita had sold furniture, clothes and other items, while Clayton sold some of his Matchbox cars.
One of the reasons they set up a table was to help the schools, she said. Proceeds from the $5 rent fee to set up a table or sell food at the community yard sale ó which was approved by the Landis Board of Aldermen ó will be divided among nearby schools.
Rita said her 13-year-old grandson, Jeremy Biggerstaff, goes to Corriher-Lipe Middle School.
Trying to take Clayton’s photograph loading up their truck to leave proved to be difficult as he kept stopping and smiling. “Whatever you do, I’m always going to smile,” he said, “unless you hurt me.”
Not a chance.
Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.