Articolo disponibile anche in: Italian

The series of markets promoted by “Chianti Waste Less”, “Svuota la Soffitta” (garage sales) continue. This October, the living rooms of Greve residents suddenly became businesses.

Basements, garages, storage rooms, closets and other similar places have become gold mines for who desires to bring their unused items to the piazza and offer them to new, appreciative ownere.

For some families, it is indispensible to rid themselves of items to make room in the house. Freeing some shelves may not be useful if you live in a castle, but it is very helpful for those who live in a small appartment.

To wax poetic, we can say that it offers a second life to objects which have served their owners. Perhaps those objects can be helpful to others, or they might be interesting to someone seeing the items with new eyes.

Actually, some of these stands seem somewhat professional, although most respect the genuine spirit of the movement, since much of the merchandise arrives directly from closets.

The statue of Giovanni da Verrazzano might want to shake its head at the sight of some of the junk, but he probaly feels at home with these strange objects. It is interesting to judge how “taste” is relative.

That which a fashionable young lady bought two years ago (and possible wore only 3 or 4 times), to her might seem outdated. For another , the same article of clothing might represent a “desirable object”.

You never know. Maybe a woman wants to get rid of a collection of comic books which crowded her cellar shelf and a collector has been looking for them for years.

Perhaps the collector brought shelves of books which the fashionable lady finds interesting because among them is the novel that excited her at the movies, and she now wants to read the book.

Among the many articles of clothing, knick knacks, doilies, etcetera, you can find something that “hits” you at an interesting price. The dealing of a group of children to buy a bicycle for 15 euros and the payment through a bunch of coins, direct from the piggy bank, is especially fun to watch and a “serious” transaction.

You need the spirit of adventure and a brake on excessive curiosity. As such, it is probable that something of interest is waiting for you at the next stand. And then, for the person who has emptied their attic, at the end of the day, some money in their pocket can’t hurt. Maybe it’s just enough for a pizza with the family, but it is still a satisfying experience.