Treasures in rummage sales

I was first introduced to rummage sale by my aunt when I was 22 years old – that was the year I first arrived in the US. Of course, we Filipinos specifically Filipino-Chinese have this inherent frugal lifestyle. In the Philippines where I came from, people just amass things. We have a strong affinity to keep things until well, forever. We are brought up not to waste things and maximize items as possible. So having not much pocket money, my aunt brought me to this church rummage sale. At first I was hesitant to buy stuffs knowing they’re worse than second-hand stuffs. Stuffs are old, others are tattered, some have missing parts… however for those who persevere in their search, they are rewarded by finding items that are new or barely used. I was amazed at how many useful things I can buy in rummage sale. They’re very cheap compared to stores and especially when the “bag sale” event starts, where each bag is $2 and you can stuff anything in that bag to overflowing. So some of the items I bought over the years that I’ve been diligently browsing in rummage sales were: wall paintings, old-fashion cameras, laundry hamper/basket, lamp, sofa, plastic containers/drawers, boots, bags, bike, books, house tools, cooking pots/pans, baking items, winter clothes, souvenirs, etc. Yes some of the souvenirs that I bring back to the Philippines were bought from rummage sales . Doing rummage sale also develops a sense of generosity. We don’t store old things anymore rather we put them in a box and donate it to charity which will be sold in another rummage sale event. It all comes in full circle.