My next Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale kicks off tomorrow morning at 9 am and runs until noon at 840 Damon Drive in Medina, Ohio. It continues on Saturday in two sessions, 9-11 am and 5-7 pm. This is the first time I’m attempting evening hours.
This weekend’s garage sale has also been called both Driveway Con and Garage Con, the latter in the Funky Winkerbean comic strips by my friend and neighbor Tom Batiuk. I have planned some cool special stuff for the weekend.
The heart of the garage sale is, as always, the thousands of comic books priced at a quarter each or five for a dollar. In addition to the comic books, I’ll also be selling magazines, trade paperbacks, hardcovers, mass market paperbacks and other items at low prices.All day today, I’ll be restocking for the garage sale.
Because this is Comic-Con week in San Diego and I couldn’t attend that stellar event this year, I’m trying to bring a little tiny bit of that excitement to this weekend’s garage sale.
I’m encouraging fans to come to the garage sale in comics-oriented costumes. They will be rewarded for their willingness to entertain me. Just showing up in a costume earns you $1 in Vast Accumulation of Stuff money, which you can use at my garage sales throughout the summer. If I really like your costume, you’ll get $5 in VAOS money. If you come as any of four Isabella creations - Black Lightning, Misty Knight, Tigra, Tobias Whale - you’ll get $10 in VAOS money. My favorite costume of the weekend will earn its wearer $50 in VAOS money. If this crazy idea is successful, I will likely repeat it at least once more before the end of the summer.
At random times during the garage sales, I’ll be asking multiple-choice trivia questions based on my comics career. If you’re chosen to play and answer correctly, you’ll get $1 in VAOS money. Again, if this trivia contest is successful, it will likely be repeated at some future garage sales.
There will be a honest-to-Godzilla convention-style panel held on Saturday at 11 am. Weather permitting, we’ll set up a panel table in my driveway. Mike W. Barr (Batman, Camelot 3000, Star Trek) and Tom Batiuk (Crankshaft, Funky Winkerbean) will be talking about our favorite comic books and strips and answering your questions about our work. The panel will run roughly an hour from whenever we get started. Some chairs will be available, but you’ll have to carry them to the driveway from my patio and elsewhere in the yard. If you want to be assured of a seat, it’s recommended you bring your own chair.
Let’s talk about the weather for a moment. Friday’s prediction is for a sunny day during the garage sale. Saturday could be a little dicey. Here are my contingency plans:
If it rains, but the weather isn’t too threatening otherwise, the door of my garage will be closed. You will be able to enter through my back porch.
Unfortunately, if it’s raining or worse, the comics panel will be cancelled. I can’t move it inside the garage. However, if I have to cancel it, I’ll try to reschedule it for some future date, perhaps at some other Medina area venue.
Ohio weather is generally only somewhat predictable. I’m hoping for the best possible weather for this weekend.
A few more quick notes...
There is no early entry to the garage sale and no special showings of the garage sale. The sale hours are the sale hours. Should this weekend’s attempt at evening hours prove successful, I’ll schedule more of them.
No dealers will be allowed at the garage sales. These sales are for the fans and the readers. If dealers choose to ignore this message, which I have repeated several times, they will be refused service.
There will be no parking in my driveway. While street parking is available, you should pay attention to the street signs that tell you where you can’t park. We’ve never had any garage sale customer ticketed and I’d like to maintain that record.
I caution parents not to make the assumption that all comic books and other items are suitable for all ages. That’s why I have copies of the following information sheet on the first table in my garage:
PARENTS PLEASE READ
NOT EVERY COMIC BOOK IS SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS!
EVEN SOME COMICS FEATURING CLASSIC HEROES MIGHT BE UNSUITABLE FOR YOUNGSTERS.
THIS TABLE FEATURES ITEMS SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OTHER ITEMS ARE SUITABLE FOR YOUR CHILD, DON’T HESITATE TO ASK. I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANKS FOR COMING TO MY GARAGE SALES. I HOPE YOU FIND ITEMS WHICH WILL PLEASE BOTH YOU AND YOUR CHILD.
Tony Isabella
NOT EVERY COMIC BOOK IS SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS!
EVEN SOME COMICS FEATURING CLASSIC HEROES MIGHT BE UNSUITABLE FOR YOUNGSTERS.
THIS TABLE FEATURES ITEMS SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OTHER ITEMS ARE SUITABLE FOR YOUR CHILD, DON’T HESITATE TO ASK. I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANKS FOR COMING TO MY GARAGE SALES. I HOPE YOU FIND ITEMS WHICH WILL PLEASE BOTH YOU AND YOUR CHILD.
Tony Isabella
As you might have gathered from our title and opening illustration, it’s crunch time for this weekend’s garage sales. I’ll be spending the rest of the day restocking for the sales and doing the dozens of little jobs that always precede these sales.
The August garage sale schedule will be posted at the garage sale and online tomorrow. Figuring it out is one of those little jobs I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
That’s all for now. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2014 Tony Isabella
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