POKER SET -- World Poker set value $450

POKER SET -- World Poker set value $450 best offer / trade / swap. 207.843.6096.

Page D3 of the June 30 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: OK, more of a question: What could he possibly want to swap? I'm going to place a bet and say he went to a World Series of Poker tournament. I wrote an article once about a student who did, maybe it's Max. I'll bet he has just decided to give up on betting. Maybe his wife nags him saying he's addicted to gambling and spends more time playing computer poker than with her. Maybe he realized she's right, he's too old for this. Maybe he'd like to take up something new ... I should give him the bongo girl's number.

After many calls it almost came time to give up. It's an unwritten rule that I stop calling at 7 p.m. so I don't disturb people more than necessary. Also, three hours is enough time obsessing over why people don't pick up my calls.

It was 6:40 p.m. and the movie at cheap seats' $1 movie night was about to start.

"One more call," I yelled at my friends over the riot of Guitar Hero and air hockey. They went on without me.

I sat in the photo booth and pressed redial -- that photo booth you sit with your friends in and make faces at then have one printout of five silly faces which you look bad in, but have to argue with your friends nonetheless to even get one fifth of the stupid print out so you don't forget being silly and looking dumb in the booth that one time at dollar movie night. Yeah, that one. I sat there, alone on my cell phone.

He picked up. I had about two minutes before the movie started, so I asked just two questions.

How did you get the chips?

"I won the lottery."

(Follow-up: Which lottery?) "The Maine State Lottery."

What do you hope to trade them for?

"Something of value."

Not sure if he was pulling my leg or not (which I totally deserve, by the way) I left it at that. A mystery with a not-so-playful ad placer. He won the lottery. That was better than any preconceived notion I might have had.

Also, I'll admit my infidelity -- there was a help wanted ad today that read, "Attendant FUNERAL SERVICE -- TRAINEE-- Call 947-9675. Will handle & transport deceased. E-1, #255, $185, Valid driver's license." I'd much rather have called that one, but it wasn't in the Bargain Hunter's Basement.

HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE LAMP

HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE LAMP/NIGHT LIGHT $40. Call 942-5675

Page D3 of the June 29 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions:This person was in a biking gang, but then got pregnant, had to abandon her gang and gave her small child this lamp so he wouldn't be afraid of the dark, or rather, would be afraid of the dark still, but have this light to wield away the dark. The child is now too old for this lamp. Or perhaps the child is the seller, all grown up with a new lamp that is a reflection of himself, not his mother's greasy past.

Multiple calls were made to no avail. If it's any consolation, the man's voice on the answering machine sounded young and kind.

BONGOS-New

BONGOS-New - 6&7" rawhide heads. 9/32" diameter. Pd. $80 - $50. 1-781-799-5241.

Page C10 in June 26 Bangor Daily News

Preconceived notions: This person is from out of state (Boston) and is making bongos to sell around the area.

Tanya does not make the bongos. She doesn't even like them. The young woman is from Massachusetts and hasn't changed her phone number to a 207 yet.

"My aunt bought them for me a long time ago and I never used them," she said. "They were just sitting in my basement."

1939 FORD STD. COUPE

1939 FORD STD. COUPE - front & rear fenders, grille, doors. $500. 207-848-3976

Page D3 of the June 25 edition of the Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: Perhaps it is just the fenders, grille and door for sale? Also, it probably doesn't look anything like the attached picture I found online of another 1939 Ford standard coupe.

The old man made it clear "It's only parts."

He doesn't have his 39 Coupe anymore, but he did. He'd drive it around plenty. He loved that car. He sold it anyway.

Then, like all my other calls so far: "If you're not interested in buying the parts, I have to go."

Before he hung up on me I asked him "Did yours have flames?" I had to repeat this question multiple times, citing a picture I found online of a 1939 Coupe with flames. It didn't.

As a side note, I had yesterday off and therefore did not post. Don't worry, I don't have another day off until July 16.

200 Egg Cartons

200 EGG CARTONS cardboard $30.00; (207)483-9639.

Honestly, I left my paper at the office, so I stole this from the Bangor Daily News online, but it was the same ad I circled.

Preconceived notions: This person lives on a farm ... with chickens.

I called at least 15 times, all times after 5:10 p.m. were busy ... until 6:51 p.m. when Terry picked up.

Terry's family and friends knows she has 23 chickens. Knowing this, they, over time, gave her 200 (unneeded) egg cartons.

"We have a lot of chickens so they save them for us," she said.

Terry sells the eggs and gets angry when bloggers call her without any interest in actually purchasing her $30 egg cartons. Sorry, Terry.

Danielle Steele Hardcover Books

Danielle Steele Hardcover Books (77 total). $150. Exc. cond. 469-7655.

Page D3, Bangor Daily News, June 22

Preconceived notion: This person shows 77 books worth of love and one hateful typo. (Did this person have a literacy-epiphany?)

So, I called Mrs. Gray at 5:40 p.m. It wasn't as exciting as you might think.

"I collected all of them. They're just sitting here doing nothing and I just got tired of saving stuff. I'm getting old and I'm tired of it," she said.

She is not the least bit sad she is getting rid of them. She has read each of the 77 and loves them all.