Yesterday at about mid-morning, somebody rang our front gate bell. It was a man in a big truck asking if we had any things we would like him to haul away for us. Furniture, garden tools, computers, batteries, books, etc. Look at the list above and you'll get an idea of what he was talking about.
A few years ago our village ended its annual pick up of objets encombrants. So we don't have a good way of getting rid of things we have no use for any more. For example, an old walk-behind lawn mower that we bought maybe 12 years ago stopped using last year when it started showing signs of its age. Also a big gas-powered brush cutter ("weed eater" or débroussailleuse) that we bought in 2003 when we came to live here in Saint-Aignan but haven't used in about 20 years. And four or five Android tablets that have stopped working or now seem too slow to use anymore. Two little mini-PCs as well, both in working order.
A few years after the village crews stopped coming by once a year to pick up "cumbersone objects" we found ourselves stuck with an old king-size mattress (it was at least 20 years old and we had bought a new one), an old CRT television set that we bought in 2003, a 15-year-old chest freezer we no longer needed, plus an old barbecue grill that was rusting away. We paid a guy 80 euros to come get all that junk and take it to the dump.
As I was talking to the man, he asked me if I had any old clocks or watches that I no longer needed. I told him I had a least two watches I could think of. Are they gold? If not, describe them for me. I said I did have a gold Bulova Accutron that I've had since 1969. It doesn't work any more, despite an attempted repair by a watch repair man a few years ago. I told him that the other watch I had, a Timex, was even older but not gold.
He said he'd give me 150 euros for the two watches, sight unseen. You want to buy these things from me, I asked him. Yes, he said, to my surprise. I told him I'd need some time to figure out what I would like to get rid of. I'd call him when I'd figured it all out. No, he said. Tell me now when I can come back. I said next week. He said what about tomorrow? I'm expecting him at 10 a.m. today. I'm not letting him into the house, garage, or garden shed. We're putting the things we would like to be rid of out in the driveway. It will be interesting to see if he actually shows up. Wish me luck.
I see some 14k gold Bulova Accutron watches on Ebay for $2000 to $3000, so maybe hold onto that one!
ReplyDeleteIt's gone now. My parents gave it to me as a Christmas present just before I left home to come to France in late December 1969. My mother later said she picked it out because it was something small that I could easily take with me on the trip to France. I wore it for years, but since I retired 22 years ago, I never wear a watch any more. The cars have clocks in them, as do phones these days. Who need a watch?
Delete..."needs" in that last sentence, of course...
DeleteAntique watches are a big thing these days. He may rip you off but on the other hand, what good are they doing hidden away and how much trouble would it be to try to sell them? My policy is to get rid of unwanted stuff and not think about it afterwards.
ReplyDeletePersonally I wear a watch every day and use quite a few. They are an accessory item and I find it easier to take a quick glance at my wrist watch than to remember where I put my phone!
Of course I could always ask Alexa what time it is but as I get older I am becoming more old school. I still switch on all my lamps by hand even though we know people who "have an app for that"!
I agree with you, Jean. I got rid of things that had been sitting around collecting dust for years while I tried to figure out what to do with them or how to dispose of them. The two men who showed up this morning and hauled all the stuff away were pleasant and friendly. I don't know what they plan to do with all the junk I gave them, but I wish them luck! I hope they don't come back as burglers. The thing is, one of us is always at home with the dog. As for watches, I still have one that works. It was a gift from Walt nearly 40 years ago. He still has one that he finds convenient to wear. As for me, more and more my phone goes out in my pocket with me so I know where it is. When I have appointments in places like Montrichard or Blois, the clock in my car tells me what time it is. On another subject, our kitchen here in Saint-Aignan must be at least 50 years old.
DeleteBoluva stopped making the accutron works about 40 years ago. The largest collection of parts is owned by a shop in North Carolina. I had my father's rebuilt after he died, as I recall the rebuild cost was almost $2,000. My mother's went to the estate sale people.
ReplyDeleteI think Lewis has an Accutron like yours in his drawer. My dad wore it for a few years proudly. We can't hold on to everything. Maybe you could give him my address and I could load him up with goodies. Did he want your cameras?
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to get rid of things I like but no longer really need, although after I’ve done it I feel so much better.
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
Glad it worked out okay so far. I glanced at his list of items and am wondering what on earth a "Dinky Toy" is?
ReplyDeleteI know the term. Friends in Rouen talked about Dinky Toys 50 years ago. I think they are scale models, miniatures, of cars and other vehicles, maybe of other things.
DeleteI worked for a wealthy man who hired me to write to his 'friends' around the world so they could 'wheel and deal' with their miniature matchbox and cars and trucks. (part-time during college)
DeleteGold is at it's highest valuation EVER. I checked early this week and it was at $3,000 + dollars per oz. I hope you did not leave the gold watch.
ReplyDeleteThe gold Bulova Accutron is gone. I sold it yesterday for a pittance. I googled it this morning and saw it on offer by various vendors for between 200 and 300 euros. Anyway, the watch didn't work any more.
ReplyDelete