Bronson Page is a screenwriter, art director, gay rodeo dude and keeper of LovesickBilly.com. Last year, I interviewed Bronson and his husband, Sam for our Ten Money Questions series. They’re hunky Hollywood types that know how to peddle their wares in a pinch. How hot is that? These are his words’¦

Sam and I had our long-anticipated everything-must-go yard sale last weekend.  Here’s what I learned:

1. Like water, we fill the space we occupy, with things we might not touch for years, like the dozens of books we sold ‘“ only the spines of which I ever read. $1 each.

2. Don’t sell anything for less than $1. If you’re trying to sell it for a quarter, it’s junk. You won’t have to carry around all those coins either.

3. It’s good to know I don’t ever have to see that miserable metal-legged desk I bought in Tijuana with Gerardo, 11 years ago, and that the woman who bought it will only have positive associations with it.

4. Most people buy DVDs to sell them. Don’t sell them for less than $2 each, before 2pm.  Then see what you’re left with and make ‘˜em $1.

5. My Spanish is pretty good, and of the dozen or so families I spoke to at length, only one woman tried to change my use of  ‘œesposo’ to ‘œesposa’ thinking I’d botched the gender. Even she was kind ‘“ surprised, but kind. They say that Latinos largely supported Prop 8.  Maybe they haven’t met that many of us.  We were happy ambassadors.

6. Craigslist is incredibly powerful. Making your listing stand out is key.  We chose ‘œHandsome Men Selling Great Stuff’ as our headline.  Hey, sex sells.  The iPhone app makes it extra handy to sell random things you unearth from your garage, on the fly, picture and all. I sold the old tonneau cover to my 2006 Honda S2000 to a kid who drove up from Orange County just for that. We also advertised on Twitter, Facebook and the Grindr iPhone app.

7. Push to sell stuff in lots. If you have 20 pieces of tiny porcelain trinkets, put them all in a box, and sell the lot to the first person who inquires about the price of one of the pieces.

8. Mexicans were the most aggressive bargain hunters, and it’s not that they don’t have the money. I single them out because over everyone else, it was more like a game they really enjoyed.  We could see the respectful grins on their faces when we played along, by standing our ground, or calling them on their game and pointing out how they’re already getting a good deal, in a friendly way.  More fun for us as well. Everyone ends up laughing.

9. Sam may grouse, but I’d rather get $1 or $5 for it than have to schlep it again, even for donation. Besides, chances are that if it’s not worth $20 or more, it’s only worth $5 or $1. Plus it makes it really easy to tally the stuff up when they pay.

10. A big yard sale like this is an incomparable way to see exactly what’s important in life. Most of this dreck that we accumulate just isn’t worth the space it occupies. It just weighs us down.

After the sale, I went to bed exhausted, and a little bit melancholy, but more than anything, I felt unencumbered, and that’s a feeling I haven’t had in a long, long time.

More about Bronson Page
Bronson Page is a screenwriter, art director, and rodeo enthusiast living in L.A. with his husband, Sam Page. His blog, LovesickBilly.com, is about sex, love, and relationships ‘“ as well as a window into his relationship and adventures with Sam. Currently, Bronson is putting together a deal to produce Damages for the screen and stage, a rock opera about his most painful childhood memories, told through 18 songs by Queen.