Auction Finds and Bench Inspiration

I did it.  I went to another auction.  Maybe I've turned a corner.  I bid more and won more.  The corner I turned may not be the best corner on the block.  I spent more on most of the items I won than I should have.  I came away with some things I like and a few things I plan to keep.

My first win of the night was another vintage wooden ironing board.  This is my fourth.  Now I have one that I actually use to iron, one for sale at Rockin' B, and two waiting on a small makeover.  This new one( the lightest colored one) is great shape.  Interestingly, all four of my ironing boards have different ways of opening and setting up.  I like the legs and opening mechanism of the newest one the best.  My first board (the medium colored one) is the widest and for actual ironing that's a big deal. The newest one has some sort of paper covering stuck to it.  I hope that comes off easily with water!

I am still in love with re-purposing vintage ironing boards.  If you haven't seen my post on ways to use them, please take a look!  If you like vintage things, then this may leave you in search of an old board for yourself.  The good news is, they are still fairly easy to find.

My next win was a tray of 4 bird figurines.  These are china or porcelain or pottery or something.  I fear I am really at a loss when there is no mark on the bottom to at least get me started on a little research.

 Only one of the pieces had a mark - Goldcastle Made in Japan.  After a little Googling, I found out that this piece was made in the 1950's or 60's.  I did a quick rinse on it at night, but after looking at these photos, it's obvious I need to go back and do a better job.

 I'll probably keep on or two of these pieces, at least for a while. My hubby seemed to like the brown speckled one that looks like a bird feeder. I'll keep it if I can figure out a good spot for it.  I'm also keeping one of the bird pairs.  It'll probably be the one without the babies, but I have to say those babies in the nest are adorable.  I generally don't like having a lot of knick-knacks around, but I'm having a hard time resisting bird things right now.  I hope I don't end up a little old lady living in a cluttered cottage surrounded by a million bird figurines!

I won a metal garden urn.  It's large - around 30 inches tall - and chippy in a perfect sort of way.  I saw it and fell in love.  It came with the  fake flower in a clay pot that you see in the photo.  I paid too much.  Apparently, someone else was also in love with it.  If I decided to sell it later, I might break even, but that's about all.  I don't plan to sell it anytime soon.  I'm picturing it with a lush red geranium inside.  Or maybe a purple trailing something or other.  Should it sit on the ground or be placed on top of a table?  I don't know, but I look forward to playing around with it.

I bought a wig stand.  Ordinarily, this might be a very odd thing for me to buy, but my mom has breast cancer and is going through chemo.  She's right in the midst of losing her hair and I must say she is handling all of that extraordinarily well.  We got her a wig (mostly for wearing to church) from the American Cancer Society.  The wig is beautiful but it looks really sad just laying down.  Now it will have a nicer spot to rest when it's not being used.  I was determined to win the stand.  Again, I had to battle it out with another determined person.

My largest item was a park bench. I fully intended to fix it up to sell, but I think I might keep this, too. (Oh dear. That's becoming a very bad habit!) 

Most benches like this have wood that's stained.  I want it to have some color. Maybe even a bright pop of color.  I was having trouble envisioning this bench painted, so I searched online for inspiration.  Truthfully, the cutest painted benches were all wood.  I did find a few painted park benches (cast iron and wood), but not as many good examples as I was hoping for.  Here are some of the painted benches I came across.  After lots of browsing, I think I'm leaning towards something in the blue family.

1. PhotoLori's Flickr site
2. My Crazy Container Garden - This wonderful gal has paint and isn't afraid to use it!
3. Country Living
4.  GreenCulture
5. Gates of Vienna - I got lost in this post and was completely sidetracked into the world of sonnets
6. Sixaguilar's Flickr site
7.  Coach O's Flickr site
8. Rosalind Creasy - You'll want to plant edibles all over your yard after visiting this site
9. How Did I Do It? see also Life in Sugar Hollow .

 

While searching, of course I was inspired by things other than color.

 Brittany, from Pretty Handy Girl, did a wonderful tutorial on turning a headboard into a bench.  I see these benches often at the store where I rent a booth.  Plus, I have one that I picked up at a yard sale.  

This bench from Eden Maker has a French poem verse written on the back.  

I would love to see a close up view.

I also came across a fun older post from Working Woman's Guide to Domestic Success about wishing she had a cottage by the lake.  She illustrates her dream with some really wonderful photos, all of which are wonderful. Here's one of my favorites.  It illustrates my love of having a totally unexpected color in a room.

 

I found the photo of a coatroom with a blue bench on CreateGirl.  The bench isn't anything like mine, but I love it.

Last, but certainly not least, I came across a wonderful post from Erin of  The Painted Garden.  Erin is a painter.  She creates her own inspiration in her garden.  She has been featured in tons of magazines.  This article was about her feature in the magazine, Container Gardens.  You know - I think I read that issue!

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  -

• Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl
• Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm
• Three or More Tuesdays at The Gypsy's Corner
• Junkin' Finds Friday at A La Carte 

An Evening at Bennett's Auction

Last night, I went to Bennett's Auction in Tyrone for the first time.  They were selling the contents of an 1840's farmhouse.  Oh my goodness.  They sold some fabulous pieces.

First, let me tell you about the owner/auctioneer.  He was wonderful.  He was there all day yesterday, talking to everyone as they came to preview the items.  He knew his stuff.  He was friendly and seemed to know everyone.  And he had a delicious sense of humor!  He was jolly and had a twinkle in his eye - just like Santa, except Mr. Bennett is slimmer and younger than Santa.  I love him!  Not that way - he's happily married.  In fact, everyone cracked up at one point in the auction when his wife bid on an eight and a half foot hall tree to go in their house which, as he pointed out to her, has eight foot ceilings.  They were really cute!  Don't you love seeing married people in love and having fun after many years together?  

Obviously, you can tell I must have drank from the Bennett's kool-aide - I'm addicted and will definitely go back.  They are selling lots of stuff from the barn of the 1840's farm at the next auction, so I feel sure my darling hubby (who I am mad in love with and also has a delicious sense of humor) will be there with me, too.  He loves old tools and anything barn-y.

Now, I'll talk about my crushing blow last night.  ...the item I didn't win that haunts me.  ...the thing I thought about and looked at lovingly and planned where I would put it at my house as I waited for it to come up for auction. The old farm bell. Sob.  I forget what it went for - I think 185 or was it 215.  Whatever. It was worth more than that I'm sure.  All I know is that my hand was down for good after about 125 (too low for such a fabulous piece), which by the way was more than I had promised myself I should spend on it, when I was rationally talking to myself as I waited.  At auctions, the key is to know what you are willing to spend and don't get caught up in the heat of the moment.  Ha. I was caught up in the heat of the moment, and was quickly rationalizing things in my  head as I went over and over my planned limit - it's priceless, I'll never find another like it, it would be perfect at our house, it could be my Christmas present, dangit, cuss, cuss, cuss!  But I saw my opponents (two of them) were determined and had more money to back their determination.  After the auction, the girl who won was right behind me in line to pay up.  I told her I hated her, but we quickly struck up a fun conversation and I guess the bell is going to a good home.  Sob. Wail!

photo from Bennett's Auction

Here's what I did win.  I feel sure that I won it because I was bidding with an open, loving  heart. I was buying it for someone else.  I won a yarn winder.  

When I saw it in the photos, I immediately knew I would try to win it to give to Judy.  Judy and I have been friends since high school.  We went to college together.  We've been through thick and thin together.  She's a city gal, living in a cool part of Atlanta - not the slick, socialite type of city gal.  She's the quirky kind of city gal who is into natural and creative things.  She's smart and funny and everyone who meets her falls in love.  That is not an exaggeration.  I adore her, but since I terrified of driving through the interstates of Atlanta, where you must do at least 105 mph to blend in with Nascar drivers on their cell phones, I don't see her much.  She moved into a new house ages ago and I haven't seen it yet.  I've had her on my mind a lot lately. I need to see her!!!

Judy is always giving me something.  She is a master knitter and I mean master.  She writes articles for knitting magazines and teaches classes in her spare time. She spins her yarn and dyes her wool.  She has made lots of socks for me (you can see my favorite pair here) and a hat for my hubby, which he wears constantly in cold weather.  Now, finally, I have something for her.  If she wants it.  

I often feel uncertain about my gifts and this is no exception.  So -  Judy, if you already have one or if you don't have room for it or whatever, no problem.    I know that even if you don't want/need it or can't use it, you will appreciate the gesture and feel all warm and fuzzy about the love behind it.  I won't be offended to have it turned down.  It would look cute as can be in my booth.  But, if you DO want it - it's yours, with love and kisses!!!!

The approximate size is 42.5 inches tall by 24 inches wide.  Yeah, it's big.  Oh mercy, I'm a lousy gift giver.  I broke a cardinal rule about getting someone a big awkward piece that will be hard to find a spot for. 

Be sure to check out the latest RE- Party!

We RE-do, RE-decorate, RE-organize, RE-pair,  RE-upholster,
RE-furbish, RE-finish, RE-purpose,  and of course, we love to RE-lax! 

This party celebrates the RE-'s in our lives!