American Idioms

Professor Charles Bordogna

CHAPTER 15: At the Garage Sale

(Scene: A Saturday morning. Anna, a Lithuanian student, explores a garage sale in suburbia with Jay, her American boyfriend).

Jay: Let me tell you Anna, you can find real bargains at these sales! I've decorated my apartment with what I have bought at these sales. I also look for something that I might sell. Even a techie like me finds stuff. I'm usually more interested in technology, but I've found some useful stuff at garage sales! Get a load of all the people here!

Anna: They find this junk interesting?

Jay: This junk is more interesting than their own junk. Of course, some of these people are really in the know. They're dealers looking for valuable old collectibles.

Anna: Collectibles?

Jay: Today, people collect everything! Anything that is old can be collected! Some dealers find rare, collectible items and resell them in their shops.

Anna: I can't imagine people buy some of this stuff.

Jay: It's not all worthless. I've learned to pass over the garbage. I'm an old hand at these sales!

Anna: What have you bought recently that was valuable?

Jay: Every so often I find valuable old toys. Last week I paid a dollar for a toy truck that is worth nearly thirty dollars. Let's speed it up. We'd better get a move on if we want to make the next sale.

Anna: How do you know the value?

Jay: I read special books that list going prices.

Anna: Do you do this every Saturday?

Jay: You bet! I often show up at some houses at seven in the morning and wait, drinking my coffee.

Anna: Do you select the houses carefully?

Jay: Absolutely! I only go to sales in wealthy neighborhoods. The upper crust throw out all sorts of valuable things. This one lady whose house I went to - she didn't know the first thing about what she had, or didn't care. Her boyfriend had run off and she was dumping all his stuff. What a steal! I bought an old bakelite radio for a dollar, an aquarium for fifty cents, and his collection of baseball cards for five bucks.

Anna: What's a bakelite radio?

Jay: It's a radio that existed before cassette players! It was used during World War II!

Anna: Wow!

Jay: I hit the jackpot. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. The old lady was absolutely clueless; besides that, she just didn't care. I'd do this seven days a week if I had the money.

Anna: You would need a big garage just to store everything you'd buy!

Practice and Activities <-- Mobile Compatible Version

Exercise 1   Exercise 2 <-- Flash Required