A Whale Of A Sale

Twice a year, a local church holds a consignment sale for children's toys and clothes.  It is a huge event, with women lining up out the door a solid hour before they open.  Once inside, it is a mad dash to scoop the big ticket items (even though no one knows for sure what will be inside).  I almost questioned whether I should wear shoulder pads and a mouth guard to the sale this past Friday. 

I arrived a few minutes before the doors opened which meant I was at the back of the line.  I think the woman in front of me was nervous/excited because she proceeded to tell me her life story in a matter of minutes...details which included an ongoing divorce, having six days to pack and move because her ex in-laws were kicking her out of the the house she was renting from them, finding a FAH-bulous three bedroom unit to move into, her recent hysterectomy and the reason she was at the sale - her four month old "mistake".  Yes, she referred to her daughter as a mistake.  Not as an accident or as unplanned, but as a mistake.  I wish that daughter much luck with a mother like that.

Anyways, when it was finally time to start the sale, I bee-lined for the girls' clothing section.  I headed to the 6-12 month and 12-18 month section.  I riffled through clothes as fast as I could and grabbed anything and everything. If I heard the word, "Maybe?" in my head, I grabbed it and would decide on it after.  I wasn't about to leave anything decent for the women following me down the line of racks :-)

I was in and out of the church in a matter of twenty minutes.  I went, I rifled, I bought and I didn't waste any time.  All said and done, I walked out of there with five pairs of pants, four shirts, a spring coat, a pair of overalls, two pairs of pajamas, a sweater, a bunnyhug/sweatpant combo, eleven books (including "Walter The Farting Dog"!) and and a wind-up toy thing for a grand total of $31.50.  And this is decent brand name stuff, people.  The spring coat and sweater were Baby Gap, pants from Please Mum and the Children's Place AND a My Little Pony shirt (score!).  All these items were only $1 or $2.  I love this sale.  I'm already gearing up for the fall sale :-)

.