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Funny or embarrassing junking stories, anyone?

Candy Allen, contributor

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For a while now I have been seeing commercial or industrial signs people use as home decor (Lani's home, Sue's books, various sites).  I have searched for my own ever since.  

Two weeks ago I went to a year-round flea market where the vendors are pemanent fixtures.  I was so excited I finally found an awesome vintage sign for my kitchen!  It was laying smack dab between a couple of cardboard boxes filled with old kitchen junk.  Woohoo!  Lucky me!  No one else could see it I thought.  It was white with black letters and said Closed - Come back again.  Perfect!

So I tuck it under my arm for safe keeping and continue to look through the boxes for extra goodies.  I finish my shopping and see the booth owner approaching and ask "how much for the sign?"  He looked at me kind of funny and said "that's my store sign...it's not for sale."  This interaction was viewed by another customer who just had to laugh.  I'm sure he was laughing with me, not at me. 

Anyone else have any funny, embarrassing or just plain weird stories that occurred while junking?

Candy

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Comments (9)

Vick writes: I have a diffrent "sign" buying story... Around here its common for the family of the dearly departed to have a huge auction to sell off the contents and the home of their departed love one. Well, I was looking for the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood. A home backing to the big local park. We found this home being Auctioned one day. The problem was the dearly departed had never throwen anything away. and no matter how hard the auctioneer tryed their were just some things no one would buy. We discovered when We eggerly placed the winning bid on the house that...Yes those paint cans from the 1940's were ours. Rust and brushes too. After many bin loads of someone's treaures coming out the garage we discovered "The Sign" it was on our Solid Oak garage walls. It says "White Pine Falls"
Its as strange as the rest of the place. We love it. Posted: 10:41 pm on October 23rd

Junk_Sophisticate writes: Hi Sue - Hehe. That is a great story! You've shown how an unusual item can reel customers into a booth. I'm not sure I have the capability of keeping such a "prized" piece in my stock though! Hopefully you got other sales from them checking it out.

That is just too funny, Kathy! And what an amazing coincidence you would end up at the same place a month later. I can't believe you "fessed" up to it though. Funny, funny!

Fellowjunker and Eveh - I've oftentimes been very curious about abandoned homes and would love to stop and check them out. I think you've both cured me of my curiosity! It was nice of you to check back on the elderly man fellowjunker. And Eveh...sounds like that house had some squatters!!

Loni - Lol. You know maybe I should put the wash room sign in my kitchen. It seems like I'm always telling my girls to "go wash your hands!" whenever they enter. That's a pretty cruddy thing that happened to you but you bring up a good tip for us all. "Stake your claim" and then check the item out thoroughly.

W.T. - I'm so happy your sofa was still there for your husband to pick up! Most times you'll find people that throw things out are happy when someone else wants them.

Italian Peasant - Great stories! That's too bad someone would take items from another's pile. And now I know where your to find all those great signs I've been searching for. ;)

Thanks everyone. I knew there had to be a lot of good junking stories out there.

Candy Posted: 8:17 am on October 23rd

italianpeasant writes: AT ONE OF MY SALES I HAD TWO WOMEN WERE OVER FOR EARLY BUYERS AS I LET A FEW GOOD CUSTOMERS DO :). THEY BOTH STARTED THEIR PILES & THE ONE WOMAN KEPT TAKING THINGS FROM THE OTHER WOMAN'S PILE, SO THE ONE WOMAN TOLD ME & I SET THE OTHER WOMAN STRAIGHT & TOLD THEM ALL TO PLAY NICE!

ANOTHER TIME I WAS HOARDING OLD WOODEN SIGNS IN THE OUTHOUSE, I FORGOT ABOUT THEM & MARY EMMERLING CALLED & SAID SHE NEEDED SOME SIGNS, I SAID I'D LOOK FOR SOME, BUT I DIDN'T THINK I HAD ANY :) SO I LOOKED ALL OVER, OPENED THE DOOR & OUT THEY FELL! I GAVE HER A CALL & WE HAD TO LAUGH TOGETHER AS ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD PLENTY TO SELL!
Posted: 6:36 pm on October 22nd

eveh writes: fellowjunker, we had almost the same experience. We thought we were walking around an old, abandoned house and opened up the door to see two people on a bed. A man and a woman were both sitting up, holding the covers to thier chins and staring at us. It was spooky.

The grass hadn't been cut in years, and there was junk all around the house. Maybe, they didn't belong there either,,, it could have been a love nest...LOL.... We said sorry and ran like a bat out of Hades...: : ) Posted: 3:37 pm on October 22nd

White_Trash writes: While working as a rural carrier for the Post Office, I always kept my eyes on open on brush pickup days. One day I spotted a red velvet sofa by the curbside. Well needless to say, I couldn't get through my route fast enough to call my husbaned to get it for me. (The P.O. frowned on sofas in the mail jeep). He didn't want to do it (digging in the trash is not his first love), but I kept nagging. Finally he and a friend went to get it. As they are loading it into the back of his truck, worrying someone will see them, a man sticks his head out the front door of the house they were at and yells at them. Shamefully they set it down, only for the guy to come on out and tell them, he has another one in the backyard if they want it too. Bless my husband's heart, he loaded it up too. Only thing is, that one was modern-so out by our curb it went. Posted: 1:29 pm on October 22nd

CottageElements writes: Candy, I thought for a minute you were gonna say the Wash Room sign was on a door. LOL. Just kidding. I guess my story would be similar to ShabbyChicks. I was at a sale, looking at a beautiful cupboard for $50 and checking to see that it was sturdy. I was open drawers and doors, and checking out all the nuts and bolts. Looking at it quite thoroughly. When I was convinced it was in fairly good shape, I went to the owner to say I'd purchase it. To my dismay there was a man standing there who had just walked in (and had obviously been seeing what I was doing) who was buying it. I guess I just chalked it up to the art of buying. Now sometimes I stake my claim, and then check it out!

Lani Posted: 11:10 am on October 22nd

fellowjunker writes: I have a terrible junking story... For months I kept driving by this run down abandoned house hidden behind trees in the area we lived in. I kept thinking, "WOW, I bet there are some great finds around that property". Well, I finally got up enough courage to park my car, get out and walk gingerly down the weed covered driveway. I was so excited... there were some old boards and piles of junk just sitting around the yard. I went up to the front door to check it out (I was really into doors at the time and prepared to take it off the hinges right then and there!). Anyways, I had the shock of my life when a very old man opened the front door and asked just what it was I was doing. I almost died!! I apologized profusely, of course, telling him I didn't realize any one lived there. Turned out he was 98 years old, living on his own and walking a mile three times a week to get his groceries. After that I checked in on him every once in a while to see if he needed anything. I learned my lesson that time and I sure don't stop at "abandoned" houses any more!!!
xojanis
Posted: 11:06 am on October 22nd

shabbychick writes: Candy - I know you'll find another sign - hang in there... (I like the "Wash Room" sign)

Sue - Hopefully you got some pictures - they'd be worth a thousand words for sure!!! :)

OK, I've got a good one (that I'm now semi-famous for - at least with my girlfriends...). A couple years ago I stopped at a garage sale - and as I was walking up, noticed an awesome sideboard (lots of scrolly detail, etc.), birdcage, magazine rack, etc (LOTS 'o' goodies)... Anyway, there was a woman checking out the sideboard, so I kept my eye on it, and gathered up a few other things until she walked away from it, and walking up to it - I knew it was going to be mine, and when I saw the price ($10.00) - I told the lady I'd take it...it was a good day!!

About a month later, I was at a home decorating party (Southern Living or something...), and my friend and I were talking with a couple ladies about the fleamarkets that we sell at, etc., and the lady who was putting on the show overheard us talking, and she started telling us a story about a garage sale she had been to a while ago, and was wishing she had bought this wonderful sideboard she had seen, but that some woman had "swooped" in and took it - oh my gosh... Of course, I realized exactly who she was talking about (me)..., and I swear I did not "swoop" in - you always stand back until someone walks away...and I did - she evidently saw it completely different than I did. So, I'm sitting there turning redder than I probably have ever done before, and my girlfriend was also realizing who she was talking about - and we busted up...and I had to admit it was me, and set the record "straight"... She just really shouldn't have walked away (and she was regretting it - which we've all done once or twice, right??) - but what a small world - who would have thought...??!!

(My girlfriends will never let me forget this either...)

P.S. There is a picture of the infamous sideboard on my post about my conservatory (and, yes, I gave it the white paint job...) Posted: 9:12 am on October 22nd

suewhitney writes: Hi Candy,

I can assure you that the other customer was laughing with you. Junker's are kind people. I once bought a fat busting machine. The big heavy kind with the strap that was supposed to jiggle fat away. It was so heavy that it took about 4 strapping young men to lift it out of a basement and back to the JUNKMARKET. It provided amusement for all during 3 consecutive sales. No one wanted to buy it, but just about everyone had to try it out. People were lined up to take turns on the contraption. After all was said and done I had to pay someone to take it away. Not a financially profitable deal, but sure was good for more than a few laughs.

Thanks for sharing your story!

Be well,
Sue Posted: 6:30 am on October 22nd

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