Chris Meierling and I will be writing, and hopefully presenting, a paper for the 12th Annual Chicago Ethnography Conference this spring at Depaul University. Our proposal was recently accepted and showcases our most recent endeavor,The Things We Sell. On a personal level, this paper is a much needed way to further develop some ideas I have had on sharing research and design insights in a compelling and meaningful ways. Additionally, this is a way to get something out there and published, a goal both Chris and I have had for quite some time!

“Willie the Cat” had memorabilia from the first half of the 20th century covering every square inch of his garage. This, paired with an inconspicuous broken record player for sale, brought glimpses of the past with the sounds of saxophonist Coleman Hawkins; signed photos of Dixie Evans, the Marilyn Monroe of burlesque; and images of the American comic persona W.C. Fields. Willie enthusiastically shared his personal record collection with us in addition to his passion for jazz and vinyl.

Check it out here.

On an unusually cloudy morning in the Valley of the Sun, Mike and his wife had the usual things out on tables at their garage sale, but they also had an old 1971 MG convertible in their front yard. After introducing our project to Mike’s wife she immediately said, ‘Oh, talk to my husband. He’s got all kinds of stories.’

Check it out here.

This year’s winter break from classes has not been as restful as I originally imagined… On Saturday, I woke up at the crack of dawn, got my audio recorder, camera and notebook ready, and set out searching for garage sales in Mesa, Arizona with two friends. This was the third time we got together to document garage sales and the beginning of a project we are calling,
The Things We Sell.

This project (and soon-to-launch website) chronicles the stories contained within the personal belongings sold at garage, stoop and yard sales around the country. The premise: Every product being sold has a tale to tell and these tales reveal more than just a product’s monetary worth; they bring an authentic awareness to people’s choices, circumstances, and lives. The website will share a growing collection of these narratives with audio and photography, told first hand by the people selling the products.

Stay tuned for updates, we’ll be launching the site soon.