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Carol Perkins: The Furniture Truck The furniture bought off a North Carolina furniture truck parked in Edmonton, KY, left its own aesthetic legacy in the family, and a reminder of Guy Perkins' rule, A bargain is only a bargain if you need what you buy. Next previous Carol Perkins column: Color Me Beautiful By Carol Perkins The Furniture Truck I seldom pay much attention to TV commercials, but one caught my attention recently because it reminded me of a moment a long time ago. The time was when a furniture truck came to town and, like most women who crave new furniture when they have little, my friends and I couldn't wait to climb inside the back of that truck to browse. When I say young women have little, what I mean is little of their own. Most of us started with furniture given to us by our relatives. "Here, you can have this old couch. We don't use it much." Soon, it is in your living room until you can do better. When you can, you pass it to your children...if they will have it. Word spread quickly about the semi from NC Word soon spread that a semi from North Carolina was on the square, loaded with "quality" furniture at rock bottom prices. There was such a crowd of women, we had to take turns viewing the plastic covered bargains. The driver had pictures, which would have saved pulling away the plastic to see for ourselves, but none of us trusted pictures. After all, when the truck left town, there was no taking back what we bought. That wasn't what I was thinking when my time came. I had an empty living room and dining room and a new house almost finished. This was my chance. By the time I left the back of the truck, I had chosen a brown couch with a matching chair, an end table and a coffee table, and a complete dining room set with enough table extensions to seat twenty people. Whether husband consulted beforehand still unresolved Whether or not I talked with Guy about this is unresolved. His memory is that he came home from work that night and a semi-truck was parked in front of the house, blocking the street (we lived on James Street then) and two men were rolling huge boxes in the house on dollies. My neighborhood friends gathered to see what I had bought and to shop in the back of the truck as well...by flashlight. There was a party going on! Those boxes sat in our living room for a few months until our present home was finished. I tore the sides off enough to get a peek, but I didn't know for sure what I had bought until the move. It was like Christmas When that happened, unboxing the new furniture was like Christmas. The carpet was a dark tan, so the brown couch would look good sitting on it, so I thought. Why I bought a crushed velvet-like brown couch is still a mystery. Was I in a state of shopper's shock and awe and had to buy something? Today, brown might be vogue, but back then Early American was the style and this was not early American. Once positioned, I stood back to admire. "That's the ugliest couch I've ever seen," was all Guy had to say. I hated to and never did admit that he was right. It wasn't ugly; it just wasn't me. The dining room table, chairs, and lighted hutch were actually nicer than what I expected. Guy always said they were cheap looking, but I think he said that because they came off a truck. Years later, couldn't give away couch Years later, I couldn't even give the couch away to our daughter when she moved into her first apartment. Finally, I advertised it on the Trader and sold it. It was a well-built couch, but I never did bond with brown. Just a few years ago, I finally got Carla to take the dining room set to "do" until she had her own. Actually, she covered the chairs and the set looks good in her dining room. Jon is lucky to live far away or I would be giving him my leftovers too. Never one to think before leaping, I admit that my purchases were spontaneous and items as important as furniture should require more thought, but that truck mesmerized me. A rolling truck back in the old days always drew a crowd, so no wonder so many women couldn't pass up this rolling semi. Every time I see one of those furniture trucks from the mills, I wonder if the driver's destination is to a small town somewhere, where he will lower the tailgate, and set out a sign, "North Carolina Furniture." If the truck came to Edmonton again (it's been thirty years since this happened), I would probably be the first one to slam on the brakes and stop. A bargain is a bargain. MORAL However, as Guy always reminds me, "A bargain is only a bargain if you need what you buy." I guess it's a good thing one of us is rational. (email Carol at cperkins@scrtc.com. Her book, Let's Talk About, is available at Ivy Bookstore, 402 Rogers RD, Glasgow, KY) This story was posted on 2010-04-25 02:18:34
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Carol Perkins:
Carol Perkins: Color Me Beautiful Carol Perkins: Willie Carol Perkins: I witnessed the Civil Rights Movement Carol Perkins, Perfect Vision Carol Perkins: Affairs to Remember Carol Perkins: The Teepee Carol Perkins: Addicted to the Soaps Carol Perkins: The Money Line Carol Perkins: The Lizard in the Playroom Carol Perkins: Growing older View even more articles in topic Carol Perkins |
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