Used bargains galore when times are hard

Garage sale-ing is one of the most popular Saturday activities in McCook this time of the year. If you don't believe it, just check out the lines at events like the annual Humane Society sale at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds a few weeks ago, or be among the early birds at any of Saturday's sales listed on the radio or in the Gazette's classified section.

You'd better watch out, or you might get knocked over, let alone miss that bargain you had staked out.

While it's fun to get a good deal at your neighborhood sale, more and more of them are tinged with a trace of sadness.

Yes, the ones involving people moving out of town are sad -- it's disappointing to see our community lose another family.

But more and more are a sign of desperation.

In fact, a story by The Associated Press points out that online auctions and other sales systems are more and more being used by people who are just short of cash.

If you don't know what we mean, you haven't visited the gas pump recently. Fuel is near $4 a gallon in some places, and we doubt it improves much in the coming summer months.

Coupled with a slowing job market and slumping housing markets in much of the country, many people are not just moving things out of the attic to make room, they're simply trying to survive.

The story cited listings with admonishments like, "please buy anything you can to help out." And, others included a diamond engagement ring, grandmother's dishes, Herme leather jackets and Versace jeans and silk shirts.

Online flea-market site Craigslist has seen for-sale listings up 70 percent since July, and in March, the number of listings more than doubled, to 15 million.

Unfortunately, simple economics dictates that with more and more used personal items for sale, and less disposable income, prices are going to be at fire-sale levels.

And more and more of the items for sale are those that involve the use of pricey gasoline, such as campers and trailers, cars, trucks and boats.

Those that usually depend on the generosity of the well-off are suffering, such as the Salvation Army, which reported a 20 percent decline in donations January to March.

Observers don't think the supply of used goods will reach the saturation point until the economy hits bottom, whenever that may be.

Let's hope we're all more responsible with our money and credit the next time we're enjoying good economic times.