Behind Every Price Tag, a Story

During today's , Erica Jazayeri made the rounds in search of items of special significance or interest. Read the descriptions below and take a look at the photo slideshow to see her finds.

What a Doll

on Arden Avenue decided to get its congregation together to participate in the annual citywide garage sale for the first time. Of the eight participants in this multi-family sale, one eye-catching display was begging to be asked about.

Barbara Rodriguez, recently deceased, was an avid collector of dolls, Santa Clauses, and Beanie Babies. She grew up in a poor family and didn’t get the toys she desired as a little girl. When she grew up, she began her collection and found herself surrounded with all the joys she felt deprived of.

This bride and groom doll set is from the 1960s, their exaggerated features reminiscent of the decade. It came from a carnival, and was likely won by Rodriguez as a prize.

The pre-haggling asking price? $15. Well worth the nostalgia factor for children of the 60’s and doll collectors alike.

Just two hours into the sale, three dolls had already been sold to South City shoppers, but the dozens remaining promised quality shopping throughout the day.

Some Like it Hot

Just a few hops away from the on Arroyo Drive, signs beckoned drivers to take a little detour to the Walsh family’s garage sale.

Books, clothing and kitchen knick-knacks were displayed on the front lawn, and Lindsey Walsh took care of all the customers.

A large mounted poster of Marilyn Monroe and funny looking Monroe bobble-head were both in new condition, hoping for a new home. Walsh quickly admitted her admiration of Monroe but told me these two pieces were birthday gifts from three years ago and simply don’t hold a special place in her heart.

With the original price tag reading $16.95 on the bottom of the bobble-head, Walsh was practically giving it away with her asking price of $2. The well-kept mounted poster runs $10 and would be a perfect piece of wall art for any girly bedroom, lounge, or makeup station.

There had been no interest in these items early in the day, but I’m sure someone eventually came along who couldn’t refuse Marilyn’s gorgeous photograph or her sultry-eyed bobble-head.

Cry Me a River

In Buri Buri I came across a small sale, very different from the rest. It had boxes of vintage European postcards, trading cards of Joe Montana and Mickey Mantle, vintage photographs and a complete collection of A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books.

One really old book caught my eye with a hand-written card labeling it Mark Twain’s first nationally published work. It was an 1866 copy of Harper’s Monthly Magazine with Twain’s (mistakenly acknowledged here as Mark Swain) story, “Forty-Three Days in an Open Boat.”

Mike Turner, using his son’s house to put on this garage sale, said the book would be worth $500 in mint condition but his copy’s faults determined its asking price of $70. He said people have asked about the book and its price, but so far there had been no takers.