[ARMAND BRODEUR]

FYI, bakki is South African for pick-up truck, although Hilux is a give away. I drive a second-hand Toyota Corolla. it serves me well, and parts and service are readily available, even here in Las Tablas. Recently, Panama was described to me as “Costa Rica with infrastructure” and most roads here are good. The “OK” roads work, you just have to drive at a speed where you don’t beat yourself to death. There are a few places where you need a high clearance 4×4. When I buy new, I look for a dealership with service. This is important here in the rural areas. Beware of makes sold by selling dealers only. Getting service, particularly warranty service, can be problematic. For used cars the “shade tree” mechanics are very good, and inexpensive. I took the Tonosi to Venao road twice in the last few weeks, once in a Hyundai Accent and then in a Nissan one ton cattle truck. The cattle truck was smoother. Both got me there. There are a few places, like some of the beaches at Pedasi in the rainy season, where you really need a 4×4. If you stay in Panama City you can get whatever is sold there. In the “Interior” I recommend Toyota or Nissan, but the “shade tree” guys are keeping a lot of things on the road. However, I am more comfortable if there is a dealership with a service facility nearby. Here in Las Tablas, that means Chitré.

[ARMAND BRODEUR]

My wife and I had long term plans so we enjoyed the luxury of time. Before selling anything we checked with my children and gave them what they wanted. First, you must be prepared to accept much less than your estimation of the value and certainly the “new” cost of your items. We had fourteen garage sales one spring and summer. It was a pain at first, but we got it down and started having fun with it. We developed a following of regulars. We met a woman with an eBay store who sold our more expensive and unique items. She did very well for us and made a fair profit for herself. We had a neighbor buy some of our big things and were happy to see him get a good deal. I found that I knew people who were interested in certain things like firearms and WWII memorabilia. Certain things were donated to museums and Goodwill got what was left. Note: once the item is sold, it is gone so you must be prepared to do without it (beds, chairs, etc.) Things like the appliances and entertainment systems were sold with the house.

I think that an estate sale is a good idea. We had bad luck with our estate sale lady, although she came well recommended. Fortunately she was too stupid to be an effective crook. She brought items belonging to others to our home for sale, putting our things in the back. Also, she had “friends” show up early to cherry pick the good stuff. You want to be sure to prevent this. We did, but it was a hassle for several days. We attended the sale, although she didn’t want us to. This is why things weren’t worse. The only benefit is that she had trucks and people to deliver big items immediately; but any good agent should be able to do this. Estate sale specialists can be an excellent way to dispose of a lot of big and small things quickly. Our problem was a bad agent not the concept. Start looking early and don’t totally rely on a recommendation. Plan ahead and attend a sale or two before engaging someone. If you cannot easily find their sales, without asking, hire their competitor. Look for professional signs, effective advertising and getting the word out about how to find YOUR sale, and a quality following. Pickers is a fun TV program, but these are not the buyers that you want at your big sale. (They are for your garage sales) In the end her accounting was primitive, but accurate. Had she been as professional as represented we would have done better.

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