Jul 31 2009
Shopping List
The dear departed
My ring has finally sold. I have mixed emotions about it, even though I gave it up three months ago. I guess I could have changed my mind and gotten it back, but if you’re at a financial point in your life where you’re selling your jewelry, you don’t really have the luxury of exercising a woman’s prerogative. The money will definitely come in handy, and I’ll try not to think about how I received less than a quarter of the appraised value.
I’ve been thinking lately about how little I got for the things I’ve been forced to sell versus the appraised value, or the value I thought they had. The truth is that any object, from a house (the one I’m renting was bought about three years ago for $450,000, and is now worth around half that) to a used book, is only worth what someone’s willing to pay for it. And whoever bought my things isn’t going to be able to sell them for a huge profit any more than I could, at least not in the immediate future. And the immediate future is what I’m concerned with right now.
When I first received the news, I immediately thought about the things I’d buy with the money:
- A new teapot to replace the one the kitties broke;
- New socks! I have maybe one pair without holes in them;
- A non-stick pan, since mine now sticks;
- Tickets to the A’s game where Rickey Henderson’s jersey will be retired; and
- Blinds and hanging plants for the porch.
Then I started laughing when I realized how modest these items are. It’s pretty funny to trade in a 2 carat diamond ring for some socks and a frying pan!