This story takes place Summer 1995 at Fernbridge Antique Mall.
My grandma had just moved to Humboldt County a year or two prior, shattering my dreams of running away from the Bay Area to Southern California ASAP. Out for the day on a visit to the general store in Ferndale to get candy. I admitted that Humboldt was growing on me and maybe I’d like to go to college there. I was only 12, had no plans for college and probably more so was just looking for an invitation from her and an okay from mom to go ahead and live at her house now. Grandma was delighted to hear the change of heart about her new home and my mom delighted to hear the word college. I didn’t get the response I was looking for, though. Instead, I was encouraged to get good grades and start saving my pennies – from both of them! I wasn’t sure how that was going to happen seeing as I was expected to buy my own candy and my brother’s candy with my babysitting money that day. Feeling frustrated I asked to stop at the antique mall near the 101 on ramp on our way back to Eureka.
I went in and scoured the place for the cheapest most valuable item under $3 and some change that I had leftover from the candy haul. Then I found it…
Everyone, gather ’round… This is what I bought…
Can you even believe the luck? I found the perfect thing that would definitely only increase in value exponentially until I was 18. Full of pride, I announced this little E.T. (in his original packaging!!) was going to pay for my college tuition. I again was met with more encouragement to get good grades, save my pennies and think about opening my own antique shop someday with all my “stuff”.
By the time the year 2000 came around he was worth less than he was that day. Poor guy. I packed him away with other silly childhood things where he’d remain the next decade. It wasn’t until my late twenties that I saw him again. I had just moved to a new apartment. This time with my boxes of silly childhood things. I still hadn’t saved any pennies, still hadn’t finished college and had no job. I looked ET up on eBay and he was…back up to about $3. Not bad! He still wasn’t the cash cow I’d dreamed of but it was that day I finally considered taking the advice to sell old stuff.
It made sense… My parents were both collectors and I’d practically been raised at yard sales and flea markets. I had sold newer items on eBay and handmade items on Etsy in the past. I lived closer to my dad who somehow knew (and still knows) the current value of just about anything. The next weekend I went shopping with him and the next year I had steady income from my vintage Etsy store. Fifteen years later, he and I opened an antique shop together, in an old building, like the one ET was found in. Since then I’ve pulled back from selling to focus on other things but always find myself drawn back to it. ET still sits on a little shelf by the door of my office. His packaging fairly and surprisingly unchanged from the day I bought him. He sits there and reminds me of how much I enjoy the treasure hunt and how much I love my “stuff” and how much I love sharing the stuff I find, spreading the joy, lightening the load only to buy more stuff! This year is going to be filled with great stuff.
Edit: I did end up living with Grandma while attending the community college in Eureka. Due to the weather and lack of city-life it lasted one semester. Turns out I did just want to live with her. We made excellent roommates! 🖤
in this article by gribblenation.org