Those that have followed the blog for a while know that we have a “season closer” each year. This is sort of silly, since we still hit sales weeks afterwards, but they are less frequent. Since we have covered Olympic Manor (aka “Oly Manor”) at least four times now, here is a little information about the area.

Oly Manor consists of 350 homes all built in the 1950s and is one of the better architectural midcentury modern time-capsules you are bound to find in the Pacific Northwest. Many have wonderful views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. It’s considered to be one of the safer places to live in Seattle. Before it was parceled into lots in the early ’50s, it had been a large golf course.

Slowly most of the original residents have moved, sold, been put into nursing homes, etc. This means that quality of the items being sold at the annual sale can be spotty, if you are looking for older collectables. We have been to a few good estate sales and some bad yard sales in this neighborhood.

Most of the items are either stuff the seller carts out each year, or newer junk that the person puts a higher value on than they should. If it’s $9 at IKEA, it probably shouldn’t be $7 at your yard sale. Or if you treated a nice purse like total crap, maybe don’t ask $85. Then again, maybe you can ask it and “go down” later … or more likely, just take it back into your house.

I started out at 8:00, because there was a sale near my house that sounded good, but when I drove there they must have decided to not have the sale and that is a huge drag if none of the other sales start for 45 minutes. So, driving to get coffee and kill a little time I saw a sign for another sale starting at 8:00. This one turned out pretty good after I purchased a Marley Hodgson Ghurka bag for a dollar. SCORE!

The Ballard Cheerleaders had a sale (below) and I am not sure why cheerleader sales usually aren’t very good. Maybe because all of the clothing is size 4 and from American Eagle?!

This whole sale looked like the Ross Dress for Less “beach” section had exploded there.

Then I saw this “free stuff” sign. That makes me think you are having a sale and giving away stuff that no one will want.

I sort of wished I would have gone to this a little earlier, because they had just pulled everything into their drive way and folks were carting it off. This is just a sample of what was out front, all free.

I didn’t want any of the above items, even for free –- but I am sure someone would.

At another sale there were a couple of items I was excited to see. I once owned this van and love it.

And the Green Machine — the fancy big wheel from when I was a kid.

I went to tons of sales – nothing really amazing happened and my trunk shot isn’t that impressive, but I had a pretty good day.