Garage Sale!

August 8-9, 2008:

My husband and I had decided to sell our house in Panabo. Eversince I was tranferred to our main office in Davao, we hardly sleep there as we preferred staying in Mandug considering the distance. Moreover, sooner or later we will anyway dispose the house once our PR (permanent residency) arrives. Good thing that my brother-in-law was also looking for a place in Panabo and it was an easy decision for him to buy the unit, but without the appliances and furnitures. This means that I have to dispose the items separately, thinking it would be easy. However, it was not. To sell the items, I have to make an inventory, appraise and clean the items, and then look for potential buyers willing to buy never been used and slightly used items (the most tedious part I must say!).

So together with my brothers JR and Ninoy and childhood friend Anna, off we go one last Saturday to do the inventory and partial cleaning. We started first with the high valued items like the refrigerator, TV, sound system, encyclopedia, children's books, sala set, dining set and the bed and matresses then we moved on with the kitchen utensils and some stuff. While doing these, we had a fun time catching up with our lives, reminiscing about our childhood and at the same time telling updates of our other friends. We finished the task at around 3 in the afternoon and decided to come back the next day for the actual garage sale.

The following day, we left Mandug early in the morning and were joined by siblings Belen and JC Boy, also our childhood friends, their mother, Ate Virgie and my colleagues Veince and Biboy. At the back of my mind I was thinking that the car we are using cannot carry all the items that will not be sold coz I was assuming only few items will be disposed in Panabo. When we arrived, I immediately told my brother to go the rounds and inform our neighbour of the garage sale. It turned out that one of my biggest buyers are actually with us along, Belen, Ate Virgie, Veince and Biboy! When they saw my never been used items, especially kitchen items, plus the very low selling prices, they immedaitely had their choices! One by one, our neighbours came and by word of mouth, more people came to see and buy our things. Even the slight rainshower cannot stop them from going to our house. Moreover, my inlaws called to buy most of the high valued items! Indeed, the turn-out was overwhelming...

At the end of the day, only 8 items were left for disposal, 3 sets of glasses, 3 sets of bowls, 1 set of plates and 1 ceramix food containers and 1 high-valued item, the encyclopedia. We left Panabo earlier than projected at 4PM and as my way of saying thanks, treated everyone with a halo-halo and siopao at Mandarin Tea Garden.

It was somewhat emotional for me letting go of some items. They were in a way became part of our family starting from the start where there was only me and my hubby until the time we were blessed with 2 angels. But I am happy that most of those items that had sentimental values were bought by my loved-ones (the house, TV, ref, sound system, books, etc...). At least once in a while, we could see them. I bid my final goodbye to our house, restraining the tears that started dwelling in my eyes. My brother Ninoy must have sensed my emotions for he prodded me to take a picture before we leave, of which I happily did.