Shopaholic kicks habit with big garage sale

Diane Hagarty is selling off half her clothes and shoes this weekend – 200 pairs of shoes, 20 Coach purses and more than 400 dresses, suits and tops.

“This is my drug of choice – shopping,” said Diane Hagarty, 51, Cedar Rapids.

Shopping was a powerful drug, so powerful it filled her 6,000 square-foot home.

“You can see this is a walk-in closet, but you can't walk in,” said Diane as she pulled the door open. It's just one of at least five other closets in her home. All, at one point, were full.

When you're only hobby is shopping, you end up having a lot to show for it.

“The thrill is in the hunt,” said Diane.

She has plenty of trophies – like a pile of Coach purses with original tags still attached.

“You'll see I have the exact same purse in black, dark brown and saddle brown because I couldn't decide which color I like the best. So I bought all three,” said Diane.

Diane put an ad in Craigslist for a garage sale this weekend. We saw the ad and called her. While most women call the tradition a garage sale, Diane is calling it a self-imposed intervention.

“I'm sitting here saying to myself why didn't my husband put his foot down and he say, ‘You still have clothes with the tags on them you don't need anymore shoes or clothes,'” said Diane.

She doesn't blame her husband. Although, she said in retrospect, it might have been a good thing for the occasional pressure.

Bob, 63, Cedar Rapids, never said no, “Nope. Never. Never did.”

Bob said the shopping never put them in debt or even made money tight, so he just accepted it. He said many times he helped hold clothes in the stores, “”I just want her to be happy, and this made her happy.”

Bob said he knew she was using shopping as therapy, and he didn't mind. He said at least she had something to show for it. However, all the stuff she had to show for that therapy ended up being too much when these empty-nesters ran out of storage in their 6,000-square-foot home.

What will make her happy now, is getting rid of it.

“Oh we'll get rid of a lot. But there's too much to get rid of in one weekend. We'll have to do it again,” said Bob. “You haven't see all her 200 sweaters.”

She's hoping the sale will bring in enough money to build onto their house, and they're still asking garage-sale prices for the stuff.

When – Friday, July 9th from 4 – 7 p.m. and on Saturday, July 10th from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Where – 6910 Bowman Lane NE, Cedar Rapids, IA.