Whatever happened to customer service?

I decided to try my luck at a couple of estate sales Friday morning. They were both in their first day. The first one was only open about 15 minutes when I pulled up. I almost heard the crickets chirping as I put my car in park. There was only 1 other car on the street in close proximity to the house where the sale was.

I walked into the house, and there was only one other couple there, besides workers. The workers pretty much were following us around, room to room, but trying to make it look like they weren't. It was quite awkward. I went in with no coat, just wearing my hoodie and jeans. I didn't even take a bag or purse in. I kept my wallet in my pocket.

Did that make me seem shifty? Must have, because I wasn't allowed out of their site! Their prices were way too high, so I didn't waste any time searching. The cashier told me everything was 25% off as I was walking out the door-a little too little, a little too late! Even at that price their things were priced higher than I'd price them in my booth!

The next sale was a few miles away, and it was in its first 20 minutes when I arrived, and the crickets were camped there as well. There was a group of people talking in the living room as I walked in, and I had to squeeze by them to get into the house. I later found out that 2 of the people (a man and a woman), were the people in charge.

I went through to the kitchen, and then the basement. In the kitchen I passed a woman at a check-out table. In the basement, I passed an older gentleman and woman. He was just sitting on a chair, and she was behind a table loaded with vintage costume jewelry.

As I wandered around, I found a stack of old afghans on the floor. At the bottom of the pile was an old quilt. A very heavy old quilt. I lifted it up and asked the man how much. He looked at the woman and said, I think all the blankets are $2, but the lady at the check out table has the list. She can tell you for sure. So I folded it over my arm and continued shopping.

In another room in the basement, there was another older man. I asked the price on an old wooden ironing board, and he told me it was $5. I wrinkled up my nose and said, how about $3. He raised his voice, like he was an old school teacher and I his pupil! He said, "The price is $5! This is the first day, and the first 2 hours-the price is $5!"

I just raised my eyebrows at him and said no thanks and walked away. I picked up a clothespin bag and went back upstairs. When I asked the cashier the price on the quilt, she said she had no idea that I had to ask the couple in the other room. So I stood there and asked-since they were only about 6 fee from me.

The talked between themselves and said $6-all quilts are $6. I told her what the man downstairs said, and she snapped at me and said, he would NEVER have said that. I told her that yes he had said that and that he told me to ask the cashier. She informed me that he isn't allowed to say that and she said she was going to have a talk with him-as she marched toward the stairs.

After she left, I asked the man how much on the clothespin bag, and he threw up his arms and said only "she" can give prices. So I waited. When she came back I asked on the bag and she said $1. So, I looked over the quilt a little more and decided to buy them both. The quilt is in pretty rough shape, and the insides are very heavy and strange. I'm wondering if it was such a good idea after all to buy it.

After that, I stopped at another sale, and two thrift shops. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Nothing remarkable good or bad.

As I was in the last thrift shop, my phone vibrated, but I decided to wait to talk until I was out in the car. It was a guy from one of the moving companies I had contacted for a free quote on packing up and moving our household-when the time comes. He was wanting to change his appointment, which was supposed to be in a half an hour!

I told him to just forget it, and I'd call him if I was still interested later. He said he'd grab some lunch and be right over, I told him no thanks and thanked him for his time and hung up. Within an hour, he had called back to apologize, and give me a rough estimate over the phone, with a promise to call back in April to see if we were closer to moving, and knowing more specifics-like date, and where we are moving to.

What's up with people today? I don't think it was me...I was in a great mood-looking forward to an adventure. Instead, I got mean crabby people!

The last sale was in a really old mini mansion type house. It brought a smile to my face, because it reminded me a little bit of the era of Downton Abbey (my latest obsession!). Gorgeous stair rails, trim and moldings, super high ceilings, beautiful stonework, and a really neat butler's pantry. Every worker at this sale pretty much ignored the shoppers. I guess I lost my shifty appearance from the other two sales.

Since I've been home, I've been catching up on my Downton Abbey watching! Have you seen it yet? I watched season 1 on Netflix, and season 2 on Amazon Prime (Adam has an account, and it's free to watch), and tomorrow, I'll start season 3 on PBS online, so I'll be all caught up for when it airs on Sunday!

I'm hooked! I've been loving it, and I bet you would too!

Saturday Kevin and I went to three flea markets, an indoor sale at an empty greenhouse a consignment shop and an antique store! It was a blustery, snowy day and we probably shouldn't have been out on the roads! We made it just fine and enjoyed visiting, the Goodrich Flea Market, Collette's Antiques and Flea Market, and the Davison Kof C Flea Market. It gave us time to talk through some of the house issues.

No news yet from the township-their secret meeting is supposed to be this week-hopefully we'll know more after that. Things can't really move until they get back to us, so we wait...along with our lawyer and realtor...waiting is hard!!!

 Sorry-bad snap here. Look at what's inside! A very heavy blanket of some sort...what could it be?

 This is the only damage-and it's a big spot. It reveals the inside blanket thing.

 This is the back-two quilts in one? It's a weird size too.

 As I was walking through the house a lady came in and saw me carrying this clothespin bag and announced to everyone that it was probably an outfit from the woman of the home's dead baby daughter who died as an infant. She was so loud, I think the neighbors probably heard her too!

 Got this Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casserole at the Goodrich Flea Market on Saturday-the dealer told me I was spoiled since I talked him into $5 less than what he had on it!

 Two for seventy five cents!

I've wanted the strainer thing for a while now, and couldn't pass it up for fifty cents-still had the label on the back! I don't know what the egg thing is, but I thought it was pretty cool---any ideas?