Part One of a New Adventure.
Packing up 11 years of one’s life is exhausting. For the last few weeks we have been sorting and packing up all our stuff, getting ready to sell most of it as we prepare to move to a new city.
There’s a sense of excitement and freedom in our household, as we get ready for a New Adventure. Tossing junk. Selling bits and pieces, and quite of few big things, too. Sorting through books – they are considered a treasure, but still, some have to go. Wading through paper work. Clearing out cupboards. Selling cupboards, book shelves, toys, furniture. Even clothes. It all has to go. Finally. We can start over.
But it’s also exhausting. Emotionally and physically. Decisions. Decisions. “Is that book really that precious?” “How long has it been since I wore that dress? And will I ever squeeze into it again?”
Then there’s the phone calls, “I saw in the classifieds you’re selling X,Y, Z. Can I come by and take a look?” I really don’t mind these encounters. They are usually pleasant and the buyers come with a win-win attitude.
Yard sales are a different story.
We had a yard sale on the weekend. We told everyone we’d start at 9am. Some people showed up at 8am and wanted us to open the gate. Alas, my husband, being a stand up guy and very Graeng Jai*, opened the gate and let them in. I came outside and very rudely lamented that we don’t start till 9am. They started rummaging through stuff, and loudly lamented that it was all to expensive, and began to bargain hard. So, in Thai I very rudely (ie. not graeng jai) told them, “We don’t start till 9am. Don’t ask questions till then!! We’re too busy!” Thankfully our babysitters showed up right then, cause I was ready to tell them to go sit in their cars and wait!!
It’s really hard when you’re selling your stuff and you know it’s value, and then people rudely say things like, “Paeng ja tdai!” (“So expensive, I’m gonna die!”)
Excuse me!? I already getting Satang on the Baht for it!!!! I wanted to yell. I paid 300baht for that, and I’m selling it for 50baht. How is that ‘Paeng ja tdai’?
In these situations, I really don’t like dealing with Thai resellers (the ones that come to ‘resell’ – they troll Farang** yard sales, demanding super low prices so they can resell them at the second hand market). They come with a sense of intimidation and manipulation. Looking back, I really wish I had stuck to my guns. There was one lady who was so rude about it all. “Paeng ja tdai! Paeng ja tdai!”, she said over and over, manipulating both Sean and I into reducing the price. I’m pretty sure she’s the one who stole the BOSE speakers that Sean had set down next to the books we were selling. I should have charged her more! Next time, I will.
Yes, we have to have another sale in a few weeks. And next time, I will not open the gate before 9am. I will not reduce the price to the point that I make my Helper, P’Wan almost vomit and then whine for days on end about how we got ripped off.
So, while I’m excited about this New Adventure, I really need someone to come and sell my stuff for me. I’m far too Graeng Jai* to be mean to my Thai customers, even though I talk the talk.
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