Seriously, not a good thing, of course, as it reflects the increasing desperation of many homeowners who are resorting to selling their personal stuff -- and their kids' stuff -- just to keep up. According to The NY Times, garage sales are burgeoning inmany regions of the country -- finally, sadly, a U.S. growth industry! -- to the point that some towns have found the need to restrict their frequency, limit traffic, "crack down" generally on home thrift sales.

At least the "fundamentals of our economy our strong"...not. Not much humor in this trend. In fact, none. When large numbers of people are increasingly forced to sell their kids' toys and books and their own staples (clothing, basic appliances, etc.) all we can do is acknowledge it, find ways to offer help and hope that changes are coming to solve the problems that caused this.