What happens to everything unwanted and unneeded, but too good to discard? On the first Saturday in May, garage sales sprout like dandelions in the lawn. The terrible signs only hint at their whereabouts and serve only to feed your anticipation. You must time your arrival fifteen minutes before the advertised start. Earlier and they won't let you in - later and all the goodies will be gone.

I look for anything of value that promises some enjoyable hours in the shop to make it look and work like new. Once I found a three-quarter sized violin for $5.00; a low price because of numerous scratches in the finish, a missing bridge and broken strings. Twenty shop hours later (over a period of three weeks) this German-made copy of a Stradivarius sported a new hand rubbed finish and all the parts necessary for it to play like new. A music teacher gladly paid $50.00 for it so her daughter could start violin lessons. With several selections on your arm, dont be afraid to bargain with the owner whose priorities include clearing the place as quickly as possible.

I look for unwanted vacuums (often just jammed with dirt), European-made toys, designer handbags, old sheet music, better cut crystal, top-of-the-line hi-fi speakers with blown or rotted cones and small pieces of furniture. A 1940 luxury tricycle priced at $4.00made a wonderful prop for children's portraits. A barely visiblemanufacturer's badge bowed to the magic of a digital restoration. Sprayed with lacquer paint in its original colors, it glowed with new life. After appearing in dozens of portraits, a neighbor paid me twenty dollars for this collectible. The possibility of finding real gold can't be ignored. My wife once bought a solid gold bracelet for $2.00.

One spring, after partially retiring, I decided to take up golf after a thirty year golf break. Of course, I owned no clubs, bag, or shoes. A new outfit would cost $400.00 so I went garage sale hunting. Another guy and I spotted a ten year old set of clubs at the same time but I walked swiftly to get there first. I paid $15.00 for the set. Complete except for a putter and shoes. The next day I found a pair of new golf shoes in my size set out for pick-up.

Talk about luck. A new putter was a birthday gift from my wife. People discard their old bicycles by the dozens. Daughters go to college, rich kids upgrade and families move. Five reconditioned bikes later, I saved enough for the bike I wanted -- a hybrid cruiser 18 speed. If I had to set a value on garage sale hunting, I'd give ten per cent to saving money on needed items and ninety per cent to the joy of fixing them up.