Pages

▼

January 25, 2011

Auction and Estate Sale Finds

I am not a cut-throat, every man for himself thrifter.  My motto is more like, "It's not business, it's personal.  So when people I know are at an auction with me, I generally can't bid normally against them.  I have come home from the last few auctions feeling very frustrated.  This weekend was the most frustrating of all.  I only came home with a few small items.  Nothing big.  A number of things I would have liked to have bid on were snagged by friends and fellow booth renters.  It's not their fault.  It's my own.  I haven't quite developed my "auction code of ethics". Just how far am I willing to go for a deal?  Apparently, not far enough to make a deal at all! I don't think of myself as a wimp, but I've been acting like one.

After being so frustrated from the auction, I made a snap decision that I just wasn't going to go to any more auctions where I was apt to see people I knew. Now that I've calmed down, I've reversed that decision.  But, Sunday, I was convinced I just needed to find more remote places to bargain hunt in the winter.  Auctions or estate sales or flea markets much further away.  Sunday afternoon I went to a very picked over estate sale further away from my normal zone.

On Monday, I unpacked my weekend finds and began the task of sorting, researching and pricing.  I discovered I actually had some interesting things from both the auction and the estate sale. None of it will make me rich, but nonetheless, they are interesting.

This ironstone plate dates back to the late 1800's.  Only a few companies had permission to use the royal coat of arms.  Burgess and Goddard were one of those.  Most of the B and G pieces I could find online had a stamp that did not include the top header, "Prince of Wales".  I can't find whether that header is more  important or less.  This plate wouldn't garner much attention in my booth or on Ebay.  On Ebay, the ironstone pieces that get the most attention are pitchers and tureens.  A single, very plain ironstone plate with a good bit of light crazing wouldn't sell for much at all or, more likely, wouldn't even be noticed. Dear hubby thinks we should just keep it and I agree. Who else would appreciate this old plate the way we would?   Are we on the verge of becoming hoarders?  

 At the auction, sometimes they sell a whole shelf of small things together.  I got a shelf-full for next to nothing.  The B and G plate was on it and so were these glasses.  After tons of Googling, I found that these glasses are by Colony - Color Crown pattern # 77 in blue.  The line is discontinued.  I can't find when it was made. I got 10 pieces in all - 5 wine glasses and 5 champagne / sherbet goblets. The wine glasses sell for 8.99 each on Replacements.com and the goblets sell for 6.99 each.  I'll put them in my booth for much less.  I'll make a small profit and somebody will get a good deal.


I like to think of my booth items going to a good home where they will be loved and cared for and enjoyed.  I guess I'm not a ruthless business person.  Don't get me wrong - I would like to make money. But it's about so much more than that.  I guess I'm a sentimental fool.




The biggest purchase of the weekend was a toy.  A 1956 Tonka firetruck.  Dear Hubby collects old Tonkas.  It takes him back to his childhood.  He has two firetrucks already so I thought I'd be able to sell this one, but noooooooooooo.  He took a look and decided it was a keeper.  It needs a couple of replacement parts, which are rather easy to come by, and then it will be in really decent shape.  It has never been restored, yet it still has the stickers intact.  I could have made a nice profit off this purchase.  Oh, well.  Not only am I a sentimental fool, but I'm married to one as well. I knew full well what would become of it when I bid.  And let me tell you, it was the most assertive bidding I did all night!




I found a small collection of silver and silver plate items.  My fav is an old basket with a hinged handle and lots of detail. I found a home for it on my hutch shelf.  One of the birds I bought at another recent auction fit perfectly inside. Too bad I'm keeping it.  It would be great to put in the booth for either Valentine's or Easter.

I'm definitely keeping the two very heavy cement pots in the photo above.  The green one is perfect as is, but the brown one with great bones needs a paint job, preferably in some other color. I found two pottery pitchers with blue lines.  I'm sure they have a name and I really do need to research them more.  I had a larger one already.  The two smaller ones are going to stay with me awhile. A group of three looks nice.  One day, however, I'll likely sell all three. 

I came across two very old seed packets at the auction - they were part of the shelf lot.  They are quite pretty.  The pillow made from a quilt is fairly charming.  The lace needs a minor repair.  Then, I'm thinking, it might look nice on the chair I slipcovered last week.  It's still not the perfect pillow, but it's more suitable than what I'm using.

There's another auction this weekend.  Same place.  They're calling this their cleanup auction.  Dealers are invited to bring in things, too.  Will I go?  I don't know.  If I do, I will need to be a bit more assertive, otherwise, I might as well stay home.  Maybe I can bid and not look around the room to see who's bidding against me. :-D

Be sure to check out the latest RE- Party!
We RE-do, RE-decorate, RE-organize, RE-pair,  RE-upholster,  
RE-member, RE-finish, RE-purpose, and of course, we love to RE-lax!   
This party celebrates ALL the RE-'s in our lives!  

I'm linking this post with  -