Patience

Did you hear about the guy in Fresno who picked up a box of old glass negatives at a garage sale? Turns out they may be the early work of Ansel Adams.


It never occurs to me that I could come across some fabulous item worth gobs of money as I'm roaming the neighborhood. But I do know that if I'm patient I can usually find exactly what I'm looking for.


A while back, I was searching for a just-right little cabinet for my entry way.

I carried the dimensions around in my wallet for months. And I always have a little measuring tape (a garate sale find, naturally) in my purse.


My good friends, Mike & Cynthia, were visiting from Arkansas. Cynthia is a die-hard garage sailer, but Mike? Not so much. I think the only reason he came along with us that morning was to keep an eye on the amount of "junk" that might be hauled back across the country. It turned out to be a very good thing that we had him along. We were out in their car when we came across this little old cabinet about six blocks from the house. It was perfect: the right color, shape, size, aesthetic.


And the price was right, too: $25.


The only problem was how to get it home. Mike made it easy. He threw a beach towel on the roof of the car and we flipped it upside down. He and I sat in the back seat with our arms out the windows hanging onto the legs while Cynthia drove (slowly!) home.


So, lower your expectations (no Jackson Pollocks or Ansel Adams negataives), but have patience and you'll find your own little treasure.