It’s not the time of year you would choose to visit the California Desert, but since that’s where my granddaughter Kyra was born seven years ago, and where she still lives, I usually brave the interminable heat of the last week in August in order to help her celebrate her birthday.
From the day of those cross country flights from Pittsburgh to DFW to Palm Springs, followed by the 30 mile drive up the mountain to the hospital in the high desert, arriving an hour and a half before her birth, I’ve sweltered annually in the outdoors and frequently donned a wrap to stay comfortable inside. It seems we’re always traveling the Coachella Valley, shopping for groceries, supplies to make a party, or running errands for family members. Since this area is a mecca for, what is known as the “secondary market,” we scavenger hunt the many resale and thrift shops operated by charities in the region.
This August we had a special purpose to our shopping trips. Kyra’s other grandmother, the woman who became my sister grandmother when we stood together on either side of her daughter as she gave birth to Kyra, is terminally ill. The medical experts have run out of medicines they feel can help her, so our mission is to make her as comfortable as possible during these difficult days.
Our list of items to search for was long, a shelving unit and shower curtain for the bathroom in the cottage her husband is outfitting for her on her daughter’s property, a bedside commode, and framed pictures to make the space feel cozy and comfortable. Some items are better purchased at a Walmart or drug store, but for items too expensive to consider purchasing new, or that would take too long to order, the secondary market is the place to look.
One of our strongest desires was to find a lounge chair that would be comfortable for Pat to sit in and sleep on, and most importantly, would be outfitted with a mechanism to assist her in getting into and out of the chair with ease. I’d never really seen one of these chairs but I knew they existed. Her daughter said she saw one a few weeks ago at a thrift store, but of course, when we visited the store, that chair was long gone.
Our first resale shop netted a cute sign for the kitchen and an adorable $2 dress for Krya. That wasn’t on the list, but you have to stay open to what comes available that you can use. Our second shop held a treasure trove of framed pictures in the ten to fifteen dollar range so it took awhile deciding among them. I found a summer top and my son, plastic mixing bowls and matching measuring cups. Again, not everything was on the list, but given that the frames and glass are worth way more than we spent on the pictures, we’re still way ahead.
The third stop was initially a disappointment because it wasn’t the place where I’d found the cool outdoor furniture last year. Kyra and her Dad headed out to search for the bedside commode since we had stopped at a drug store for that item and, though the sign said it was 50% off, at the register we learned that that meant 50% off the second one when you buy two. We had walked out disgusted at the over $100 price tag. Meanwhile, I saw a beautiful blue lounger in the middle of rows of sofas and chairs, but I passed it by at first, unable to believe that it would have the mechanism we needed. Kyra and her Dad came running towards me to announce that the store had three brand new bedside commodes, each priced at $10. After congratulating ourselves on that find we decided to check out the lounger more closely.
The furniture manager came over to help and stated that it was, in fact, a slightly used lift lounger that had been tested and marked down from its original price. Kyra volunteered to test it again and this was the point where, if this had been a movie set, a celebratory music track would be piped into the store.
We looked at one another in disbelief. How could we be so lucky to find this perfect item on this perfect day, just after we had saved $100 on the commode, one day before Kyra’s 7th birthday? The man who checked us out, in this store where the money goes to provide services for people living with AIDS, caught the contagion of our joy. When we told them who would be using this chair and why he suggested, “When the chair is no longer needed, please consider donating it back to us.” I promised I would. That promise was already adding to my current delight as I imagined the joyful faces of the next purchasers when they find this unique and much needed treasure.
What’s your experience with the “secondary market?” It seems to hold some answers for reducing our landfills.
