Sunday, August 17th, 2008
Best Garage Sale Purchase EVER

This weekend, while Robbie was passed out from medication after getting his wisdom teeth removed, I snuck out of the house for some garage-sale-ing.

I love garage sales. I always have a couple things in mind that I want, and lately, I have been coming up empty. I need a new TV stand, preferably wooden, with cabinet doors to hold cds and dvds. Not an ugly, particle board Wal-Mart one... Like a GROWN UP tv stand.

I also have been looking for a desk or small table to house my sewing machine, so I can stop monopolizing the dining room table, and we can have our lives back. The problem is, it has to be SMALL, because there is next to zero room in our apartment.

Well, on Saturday, i found my dream desk!

Here it is:

It's an Air Force Field Desk. The guy who was selling it had about 5 of them from his different tours in the Middle East during the Gulf War.

It can be transported anywhere when you box it up like a big chest, with heavy duty latches and padlocks. Then.. it folds out into a DESK!

It is probably the coolest thing I have ever seen. I had to have it.
See? This is my new sewing setup at the apartment:

It's awesome. It has all these little drawers that feel like they were MADE for sewing projects!

Clearly, it was not made for sewing projects. This is the most un-manly assignment this desk has ever received, but I hope it doesn't mind. I hope I am not humiliating my fellow Americans and service men and women across the country.

I am soooooo glad I found this thing! This little desk has been to Saudi Arabia, Katar, Iraq and the UAE. Now, it has ended up in my living room in Louisville, KY, housing my sewing projects. Pretty nice retirement, if you ask me.
34 Comments
billpearch
1) Very cool. It's so military chic.
Bill   Sunday, August 17, 2008
nheinzel
2) Wow, Betsy, that's really cool. We'll come back in six months and see if the drawers are still that neat!!! LOL That's a great find!! And I"m sure the desk will be pleased that you are honoring it in this way.
!   Sunday, August 17, 2008
willnbek
3) Sweet!!!! I want one!!!!
WillnBek.com   Sunday, August 17, 2008
willnbek
4) Why don't you go buy me one and we can Humzoo express it down!!!!
WillnBek.com   Sunday, August 17, 2008
girlcarew
5) That is such a neat desk!
girlcarew   Sunday, August 17, 2008
6) Betsy, just you bought it twice because your taxpayer $$ paid for the Air Force to procure from a civilian manfacturer and then you bought from the seller at the garage sale. My question is how did the seller end up with five of them and why weren't they returned to USAF Supply when he was finished with them each time?
hawkwolf   Sunday, August 17, 2008
lgrant
7) Congrats on your find, Betsy. It looks like it was made for a small space efficiency.
LGrant   Sunday, August 17, 2008
Leslie
8) Terrific find. One man's army trash is a sewing girls treasure. We expect a lot of cool sewing projects to be produced.
Leslie   Sunday, August 17, 2008
ChinaCalling
9) I love what you found! Enjoy every minute you use it! The story behind it makes it even more fun!
ChinaCalling   Sunday, August 17, 2008
_DELETED_hayley
10) Dude, that's awesome. I wish I was a good garage sale-r
Hayley   Sunday, August 17, 2008
justmeg
11) Ya kow - since I work for the feds and am a USAF brat - I gotta kinda agree with hawkwolf - that was my initial reaction when I saw the pic "Why did these not get turned back into supply?"
justmeg   Sunday, August 17, 2008
Ames
12) Very cool! I could think of all kinds of useful stuff you could do with a trunk/desk like that. What a great find!
Ames   Sunday, August 17, 2008
George
13) Sweet find Betsy. That is a sooper cool design....very efficient.
LimeyGeorge   Sunday, August 17, 2008
igna83
14) I think it's pretty neat, but I'm not keen on garage sales. Oh, I'm OK with having one, but I never shop at 'em. Now as far as the USAF issue, perhaps they fazed them out due to the fact that more part-time seamstresses in the US needed them, and the guy at that sale had a feeling that five would be in the Louisville, KY, area. Sounds reasonable to me.
Angi   Sunday, August 17, 2008
Amber
15) that's awesome!
Amber   Monday, August 18, 2008
betsyradish
16) hawkwolf - I don't mind that guy making money off of me for the desk, if he was on five different tours of duty in the middle east, protecting the good old USA.
I have an entire cabinet full of glasses from my old dormitory cafeteria at college, so I can understand not turning something back into supply. I'd sell em if I thought anyone would want them.
Betsy   Monday, August 18, 2008
17) Nice desk! I love it.

Maybe the military changed the design a bit and that's why the desks didn't go back to supply.
Pam   Monday, August 18, 2008
18) Dude, that is so cool! I'm glad you found the perfect desk...
Kate Johnston   Tuesday, August 19, 2008
19) That is awesome. We used those a lot when I was in the Army, and trust me they will take a beating. I'm throwing the BS flag on the back story though. Maybe he went to those countries, but if those desks went with him, I doubt he would be able to keep them. They aren't issued to individuals, especially 5. Unless he just flat out stole them. Or just bought them from the military... http://cgi.govliquidation.com/auction/view?id=1900977&c...

But still a great find. Enjoy.
Robby T   Tuesday, August 19, 2008
betsyradish
20) Thanks for crushing my dreams Robby.
Betsy   Wednesday, August 20, 2008
21) Sorry, and BTW there's no Santa.
Robby T   Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Joe
22) Betsy,
K8Day and I will be in Louisville next weekend. We'd love to meet up and have lunch if you're in town.
Joe   Saturday, August 23, 2008
betsyradish
23) No Way! That is awesome!
Robbie's parents are in town, and sadly, I might have to WORK... but I will let you know when I find out what's going on next weekend.
What's the occasion? Where are you staying?
Betsy   Saturday, August 23, 2008
Joe
24) We're going ghost hunting in the sanitorium. We'll be making hotel arrangements today.
Joe   Sunday, August 24, 2008
betsyradish
25) NO WAY. Dude, why didn't you invite me?
Betsy   Sunday, August 24, 2008
Joe
26) If you go, I think we all have to dress up like the crew from Scooby Doo.
Like, Yikes, Scooby.
Joe   Sunday, August 24, 2008
Joe
27) We're set up in the Days Inn Suites (not related). Ghost hunt is Sunday night, so we will be enjoying your fair city Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. Might check out the Louisville Slugger factory and we heard there was a zoo with a baby elephant named "Scotty."
Joe   Monday, August 25, 2008
betsyradish
28) Joe, that will be no problem to dress up like the Scooby Doo gang. I already have the outfit.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6875/290/1600/Hallow...
Betsy   Tuesday, August 26, 2008
betsyradish
29) Joe or K8, email me and we can coordinate something :)
betsyradish@yahoo.com
Betsy   Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Joe
30) Will do.
Joe   Tuesday, August 26, 2008
betsyradish
31) Why are my comments numbered?
Betsy   Wednesday, August 27, 2008
justmeg
32) Everyone's comments are numbered - i think D&D are trying to be sneaky with coding
justmeg   Wednesday, August 27, 2008
betsyradish
33) IT'S FREAKING ME OUT, MAN!
Betsy   Wednesday, August 27, 2008
lgrant
34) I asked last night--it is a new feature (would be nice if they told us BEFORE they did it!) that they added to Humzoo. Started out on the mobile site and they liked it so much they added it to the main site. :)
LGrant   Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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