Getting High MInded about Pots

One man's trash is another man's treasure. Except if you run it by Tom who believes in the absoluteness of the garbage classification. But as per me, recently, I have come to fancy myself the One Man and have attracted a lot of Another Men running around out there. Especially on Craigs List.

Last fall, I mentioned I was going to advertise our old patio furniture on Craigs List. Because I'm too lazy to play shopkeeper, I told Tom I was just going to give it away to the first taker.

Tom was like, "No one is going to want that old furniture. It's ten years old. Let's just throw it away."

I perservered. I am no landfill-addict, unlike some of us around here. I put this ad on Craigs List in the "free stuff" section:

60" Round/Octagonal Patio Table and 4 matching arm chairs with cushions. Frankly, they’ve seen better days. Good news is they are no-brainer low maintenance. No need to chain up because you’re afraid somebody might steal them. Also, they can stay outside all winter without being covered up. We have tested these hypotheses successfully for the past five years.

The white melamine table top has a classy “stone” texture going on and is also easy wash down with a hose. Chairs are your standard aluminum with white rubber seats.

All this can be yours FREE if you come and pick them up. Tell us when you’re coming and we’ll leave them in the front yard for you.

Possibly because of my power sales ad copywriting, I got a hundred-plus takers. My email box got stretch marks. The furntiture removed itself to a very appreciative good home in about twenty minutes.

So a couple days ago I had this other brainstorm. I decided I was going to post up an ad to give away old plant pots. Doubting Thomas was right in there with his "Who the hell would want your dirty pots?" Despite the wellspring of pessimism, I posted this ad:

Over the years, I have collected about a hundred plastic plant containers. The black, brown or green kind your plant purchase comes in when you take it home from the greenhouse or nursery.

I have shrub-size large containers, medium and small pots from house plants, flats, flat trays, hanging planters... pretty much all shapes and sizes of your standard planter.

My plant containers are used. They formerly contained plants and soil and I don’t plan on washing them out. They are not especially attractive, leaning more toward function than form. But they can be yours for the asking.

I got about forty interested parties this go around and the pots are all long gone. Now I have a lot of extra space in the garage. I've been prowling around on Craigs List. This time I get to be the Another Man.