When I checked the local paper’s web site Friday night before going to bed I found 13 garage sales scheduled to start on Saturday in Grand Forks. Along with these, there were 3 estate garage sales advertised in small towns around Grand Forks.

Since all three estate sales were in small towns between 45 and 55 miles from Grand Forks I decided there might be less competition and better pickings if I opted for them rather than local garage sales.

I left home at 6:45 Saturday morning for the 55 mile drive to the first sale that began at 8:00. That sale produced a 1927 James Way catalog for $1, an early Boy Scout composition book for $1, a cardboard Halloween candy bag for $3, and a Northwestern Hytest aspirin tin (probably one of the three best acquisitions of the day) and a Watkins aspirin tin without price tag that they told me I could have for nothing.

After a 25 mile drive I arrived at the second estate sale where I purchased a Mastercrafters ship mantel clock for $3.

Another 20 mile drive and I was at the third estate sale where I found nothing worth buying. A garage sale in this small town produced nothing either.

It was now a little after 10 in the morning and and I had little to show for my efforts except a gas gauge in the Explorer that was lower than when I’d started. I was about 40 miles from a small out of the way antique shop I often buy things. Although it took me further from home, I decide to stop there and see if I could find something that would partially salvage the day.

Arriving in Cooperstown I was greeted at the door of the shop by a sign that said “Closed for the day - attending a funeral.”

On the way home I followed a “garage sale - 5 miles” sign along the side of the highway and was able to buy a place setting for 4 of elegant glassware from the 50’s for $2. I arrived back in Grand Forks a few minutes after 1:00 having spent a total of $10 and driving approximately 200 miles. Not what you would call a productive morning.

Always a glutton for punishment, I decided to check out the 13 local garage sales. From the garage sales I purchased 2 Commodore 64 computers in their boxes for $10 each; a vintage cast iron Post Office scale for $5; and, 10 different 4 piece place settings of Lenox, Noritake, and Royal Doulton dinnerware for $3 per place setting.

The estate sales were a definite disappointment and the actual trip won’t make much money when you factor in the gas burned doing all the driving. The saving factor will probably be the Northwestern Hytest aspirin tin which should sell for between $50 and $100.

The items bought at the local garage sales should all be profitable, but overall, the day may well have been more profitable if I had chosen to ignore the three estate sale ads that sounded so good.

Everything purchased on Saturday will be launched Tuesday night as five day auctions ending next Sunday night and we will see how they all do.

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