Hi, That turntable nail bin is one of my favorite things too, besides the old truck. Of course, I love that old shed with the red chippy door, and would like to dismantle it for the wood, but have no room for it right now (my pool demo is in about 6 weeks and the back yard has to be cleared for heavy equipment). They're having the actual sale Fri, Sat and Sun, and will probably get rained on tomorrow (fri). It will be a muddy mess, because there's no grass or paving out there. I bought a couple of small pieces of sheet metal and a little fishing equipment for a birdhouse I'm making. It's almost finished and I hope to post pictures soon. I removed heads and blurred vehicles that were not being sold. DH didn't mind having his head removed, lol. He was demonstrating the little 'left turn signal' on the truck. Linda

Just so you all don't think I'm totally whacked out over hostas, I used to live in Ohio and have to transport children back and for summer visits. So Cory's was about 1-1/2 hours out of my way! Ken, thanks for keeping track of my hauls! For some reason, I haven't kept track of that! As a matter of fact, the amount paid for my hostas is the only column in all of my spreadsheets that I don't have a total on. I'm in total denial! I called Englerth's number today, their phone is disconnected and the property is up for sale. Thanks for the info on Allegan hostas. I walked away from Allegan Fog many times, I actuallly thought this one was one of the best I'd seen. Steve - yes, I paid $10 each for all of those hostas. Nancy Gill is a mix of Sum and Substance x pycnophylla x Montana. I'm hoping I might be able to give it a little bit of sun. Bernd, while at Cory's I thought the same thing about the newspapers! Mr. Cory wasn't too keen on that idea though!

Most basic things already said. My own experience? Some are wonderful and will not only get your adrenalin up and send you home with some things not available anywhere else, but will also give you the chance to see the insides of beautiful old homes in your area. I have bought lovely old mirrors, patio furniture, prints, dishes, and even basic pots & pans at estate sales. These can be put on by the family and friends, or by an antique store or company. And even though some complain about higher prices by a company-run sale, they are usually very well organized, with numbers given out at the door one hour before sale begins and orderly entry. They have change and they have 'docents' in each room to facilitate your purchase, as well as to answer questions. On the flip side, as some Californios already mentioned, anyone can put in an ad and call it an estate sale. If I decide to move and sell a lot of my furniture to cut down on having to move it, I might list it as an estate sale. I see nothing wrong with that. If I go to a sale and I find a great old chair or a dresser or even some yard equipment that the seller doesn't want to take with them, I don't care what they call it. Here's my check/I'll go pull up my truck! But also, they can be way over-priced, ill-run, and a free-for-all that can be frightening, as the lady with the Coach handbag and diamond earrings starts fighting with the lady in the sweats and athletic shoes over the crystal chandelier. People sometimes lose their decency in their lust to get a deal. Come early, wear comfortable clothes, put your money in your pocket (so you don't struggle with your purse or worse--knock something off a table with your purse as someone bumps you) and maybe carry a cloth tote for small items. Keep your sense of humor, be prepared to make a quick decision, have a plan for pick-up if you find something big, and have checks as well as enough cash to do what you need to do. If you find something you want, pick it up. Or pull the tag and take it straight to the cashier so no one else gets that antique lamp while you are wandering around. But do go. Try it. Make your own decision about whether it's fun or infuriating. Red

"Leaving your family with a mess you have created is very thoughtless and unfair." I'm in this club, too, and based on what my family and I had to deal with after my parents died, I'm not doing this to my kids, either. Plus I just don't want to live like that, surrounded by stuff I no longer want or use. For us it was complicated by the fact that my parents lived on the opposite coast. They were more packrats than hoarders, with a nice apartment and some very nice things, most of which they never used any more. But 40 years worth of stuff in closets and drawers and cupboards adds up. It was a long and complicated affair to make arrangements to travel to clean out their place. Further complicated by the fact that it was a rental, so the landlord was breathing down our necks and not at all understanding of the time and distance constraints. And it was over the holidays and we had been away sorting out their stuff (ie hauling it away by the truckload) from their vacation home. Far far away. My husband and I are incredibly lucky we're self-employed, because we could make our own schedules (up to a point); any employer would have fired us that year. But we lost out on work/$$ and had to impose on my elderly inlaws to look after our own things while we were away so long. We took as much of the good stuff as we could in a trailer. But most of it wasn't to our taste or there wasn't room for it. Thank goodness for a Goodwill just a block away, and three willing kids (ours) to help haul stuff over there. Really, with a "garbage room" on each floor of the building, and the Goodwill on the way to the subway station not to mention a maid who would have been happy for the shoes and purses etc., my parents could have been disposing of a bag of stuff a week on the way to work for years and not been in this situation. A friend told me that before her father died in his 90s, he started giving things away. So that by the time he died, he was down to a bed, table, chair, one plate, one bowl, one fork, etc., some favorite books, the television, and so on. He transferred the deed to land he owned to his daughter. All very Thoreauvian, and very selfless. She said it took her less than a week to deal with his house and estate. Sigh... All a huge reminder for me of what NOT to do, including not waiting until the very last minute, and a good lesson for my kids, too. And though I've always been a steady declutterer (though I like my pretty things, too), I became even steadier after returning from that first trip. For what it's worth, I've never bothered with garage sales. Anything in decent shape goes to Goodwill, which is faster, easier, and benefits others...