The Liquidation Sale

So they had been advertising an amazing liquidation sale here in Lansing for about two weeks and while I didn't really have the money to spend, I was drawn in by the promise of a super bargain. The ad suggested I might find digital cameras for $20 and perhaps even a laptop for $150 (more on those items later). While, looking back, I am surprised by my general gullibility and response to public advertising, I was also a bit stressed out and also lonely yesterday, so I decided to give a new experience a try.

I drove to downtown which, may I say, I was pleasantly surprised to find rather clean and cute. There are tons of unique little shops and eateries, just like a big city. If I were a city girl, the trip might have been worth it to simply erase what I had imagined as downtown Lansing. In truth, I was expecting something like downtown Y-town and was pleasantly surprised to find something much more like the good parts of downtown Akron.

Parking at the site was 5 bucks and parking in the garage was 1.00 an hour, so I opted to park on the street and walk the four blocks or so. Also, it was a nice day and I was happy to feel the breeze as I walked. But then, I got to the sale :(

I waited in line to get into the ballroom, but then realized I had to walk down to the other side of the center to first purchase my entry ticket. So I did and waited in line again. I took about three steps into the "sale" before realizing there was nothing in the room I wanted, the room was much smaller than I imagined, and that I had just wasted my 6 dollar entry fee.

The room was full of the most gaudy awful stuff you can imagine. Amid the knock-off sunglasses and giant stall of car decals, you could also find tons of gold-plate jewelry, rings of CZ and lab created gems, pleather coats, and a "Shammy" presentation (like the Sham-wow, but a sham shall we say). I even saw a stall of those awful art pieces from the late 80's that are usually a waterfall or something, but that have some sort of light display behind that makes the water appear to move.

I did find the $20 digital camera. It was a 3.2 megapixel piece of junk without even a full screen. The $150 laptop had a nice sign on it that said "Bare Bones, No O.S, No Mem. So, basically, it was a case with a dvd player (I think) and a motherboard. There were a few Dell laptops and the like, but those were closer to 350 or 450 and not really a bargain. I will say that there appeared to be some good musical stuff in the back. I saw a number of people walking out with assorted speakers and amps and the like, but I have no way of knowing if those were also junk. To be fair, I also saw some 300-600 per cal sheets sets for pretty cheap and some kids toys (made with lead paint in china, I'm sure) that might not have been as junky as the electronics and jewelry.

Speaking of the people. This was a crushing crowd of the worst of Michigan humanity. I cannot tell you how many greasy-haired, nearly-mulleted young mothers I saw in their walmart brand rock and roll tees (all at least 2 sizes too small) towing a small gaggle of similarly greasy children with them pushing their way to the gold-plated CZ ring table (apparently afraid that someone might get snatch up that treasure before they had the chance). Side note: I've never had alot of money and have often had very little, but I don't understand why that means a lack of personal hygiene for so many people. Anyway, I was also struck by the vapid expressions on nearly everyone's face. Perhaps, like me, they had all just realized what a waste their entrance fee really was, but I think its more likely that they had all fallen into some sort of trance brought on by the overwhelming piles of commercialized junk in the room. The men were particularly devoid of any spark of life.

I was also struck by the size of nearly everyone in the room. You hear about the obesity problem in America and you hear how the lower income bracket is suffering the worst, but until you're packed into a room with people at seriously unhealthy weights, I don't think the severity of the problem really sets in. Aside from a few rail-thin folks (who seemed like they might be going without food to pay for other luxuries) and a few teenagers, I was very nearly the smallest woman in the room (and I am not a small person). Maybe I've been hanging out with my new American Studies friends too much, but the insane need for Americans to consume everything they come in contact with was shocking and more than a little sobering.

In short, this was an awful environment and I had to get out as quickly as I could. So after a quick pass through, taking maybe 10 minutes, I left feeling like I had just been duped in a big way. This was not a liquidation of actual merchandise, but instead a sale of knock-offs and crap most people wouldn't take home with them for free, except that people will buy anything if you tell them it's on sale.

Silver lining: I went alone and didn't end up paying the entry fee for both Chris and I. Also, learned a little something about marketing, consumerism, and downtown Lansing.

I also got a free ticket to go back today...