But in response to your follow-up, Emily, don’t be afraid to call things what they are. There is no valor in laziness and lack of respect for the way one treats one’s belonging and the mark it makes in this world. Nor do I believe there’s much value in pussy footing around such things; a lack of expecation leads, as we see, to a general lowering of accomplishment.

If people truly are on hard times, I would hope they would take care of their items and work hard to make the most of them and get the most for them, thus improving their situation.

Leaving items out in the elements, or having repeated yard sales where the same cat-puke-stained pillow that reeks of cigarette smoke is priced at $10 without every realizing 1)the market won’t bear that and 2)if you’re not selling anything, your time would be better spent elsewhere–is just stupidity, plain and simple. The market reality right now is that the supply of used goods, gentle and otherwise, is way way WAY outpacing the desire for such.

We’ve had a few homes in our neighborhood vacate in the last few months. Suddenly the entire house is on the front lawn and for sale, so you know it’s not good. I feel for them (and realize I could be in the same boat in an instant), and notice that those with the nicer homes have the nicer things, and that they care for them equally, even if that means a little sweat to haul them back inside each night over the duration of the one to two weekend sale.

Geez, whatever happened to pride of ownership? Or even pride of rentalship?

Come on down to the south-of-Market area! Sounds like you’d be really close to us. Good neighbors — unfortunately, we are close enough to the hood that they sometimes run through our streets and steal car stereos and lawn ornaments.