Garage sales

Working at a newspaper, I find myself taking ads for garage sales from many, many ambitious people who actually have them.
Myself? Well, not surprisingly, I never have garage sales. Don't get me wrong, I admire those people who do, I just don't have them myself. I always thought it was because I was too lazy to gather all the crap I have in my house up and laying it out on the driveway for others to peruse, discuss and ultimately reject. (What?? That is a perfectly good 8-track player, how could you not want that?) Now I have come to the conclusion that I don't have garage sales because I have a mental illness.
My illness stems from my intense belief that my crap is worth more than you are willing to pay me for it and I don't want to let anything go (and because I'm too lazy to haul my junk outside and put price tags on it).
About a year ago, my sisters and mom came over to help me fix up my basement and make the kids' rooms into "guest rooms" and basically make it a livable section of the house.(Yes, it requires an entire cleaning crew to get this done). My sister reminded me just the other day of them going through the hordes of stuff in my basement. They started by asking me if I wanted to keep this or that. They quickly learned, if asked, I would not release anything. (Now do you wonder why my house is so full of crap?)
It started out simply enough with questions like: Them - "Why do you have this little blow up beach ball thing?" Me - "My son brought it home from after-prom, so it has a story attached to it. He probably still wants that." Them - "No he doesn't" It is thrown away. (Being the youngest, I have learned they just ask to be polite, they really don't care what the response is. They are older and know what's best for me. Actually, most of the time that is true. Apparently you don't get any smarter with age.) They immediately quit asking. When they left the basement, about four lawn & leaf bags of junk went with them.
Miraculously, my basement became a clean, livable space--then. It seems I have a way of accumulating stuff. Some things even I am a little ashamed I have kept (I have a cast from a broken leg I had 18 years ago). Other things, how do you pitch them? Just a couple of weeks ago I took down a handprint my son had made when he was three. Now obviously, I have no use for it now, but how can a mother throw it away?? If you don't throw it away, where do you keep it. At what point do you draw the line??
And that's just sentimental stuff. What about that recliner you paid $400 for back in 1988? I mean it's still in good shape, why shouldn't someone be willing to pay $200 for it now. I mean my gosh, it's half price!! The dresser only has a few scrathes on it, it should be worth at least a third of its original price, right? WRONG! My stuff is crap. Your stuff is crap. If it's at a garage sale, everyone pretty much thinks it's crap. Well, maybe I'm wrong. People have told me about garage sales they had and made $1,000-$2,000. I'm lucky to make $10.
I guess it really is just my stuff that is crap.