Reno's Annual Motherlode of Junkin'

Well, today was the day we wait for all summer, EACH summer here in the biggest little city. Heck, we plan our vacations around this event. No, not our  Hot August Nights hot rod event, not the Annual Rib Cook-Off, not even our 4th of July firework shows...The. Hidden. Valley. Neighborhood. Yard. Sales.
For many years now, my junkin' buddy Pam and I have ventured out just as the sun is just peaking over the mountains to head on over, cold hard cash in our pockets, to the largest grouping of yard sales in one area of town. No need to scour the newspaper mapping out a route. It's all there in one really, really large neighborhood. The sale date is ALWAYS mid August, and early birds DO get the worms for sure.
This year we had a couple of friends join us. (note* This is not always advised- amatures can slow you down. They sometimes linger far too long looking at something that clearly IS junk, and don't have the fine art of haggleing down to a science.) On the other hand, it's nice to get a second or third opinion on an item sometimes. Also having 4 extra eyeballs casing a spot as you do a "drive by" can be adventagous. Another thing-When you bring friends along, they have to ride in the back seat, so, when you stop the truck, you've gotta jump out fast and not close the front door of the truck till the person in back gets out and closes their door, or it could get ugly.
The key to shopping at a large neighborhood wide type of sale thing is to be early and drive slowly. There are people walking and pulling out in their cars in front of you then entire way.
We met up with our friend Rae at Mickey D's at 6:20  (yes, I mean A.M.) and she piled into my truck. Pam always rides shotgun and navigates, since I was born without a sense of direction. She can spot when and where to turn for a good sale before we are even to the corner every time. (Kind of like Radar on the old M*A*S*H* series, but way cuter) Our friend Sarah joined our posse an hour later. (Here is a picture of Sarah, Rae and Pam loading the truck with our diamonds in the rough...)
The trip was a complete success, with my truck loaded beyond full inside and out. Chairs, a dining table, pictures, a mirror, end tables, stools, duck decoys, cystal lamps and a stained glass door I am going to hang horizontally from the high ceiling in the new shop when I get it. I tried to take a picture of my stash in the garage, but I just couldn't fit it ALL into the picture!
My personal favorite find was a monogrammed (with a "B" for Buxton!) sugar and creamer that I stole for $5.   The sugar bowl has no lid, but no matter. I am gonna use it to hold Q-Tips in the master bath.
Rae was thrilled to purchase a new "party beverage cooler"  for $25. Sure, it LOOKS like a large animal feed trough, (which Rae says costs about $100 usually) but with a family the size of Rae's it's a party beverage cooler. 
We got Crispy Creme donuts at one house, and then an hour later lucked out (oh, about 8:30 a.m.) to find some nice folks in a cultisack full of sales selling hot dogs, hot off the grill, WITH a drink for $1.50...10:00 a.m. we were back at Mickey D's spitting up the treasures and I headed to my little shop ...I gotta tell ya, life just doesn't get any better than this.