Sunday, May 17, 2015

ESTATE SALE FINDS

It is never too late to be what you might have been!  George Eliot

I found out about a couple of Estate Sales about an hour away from here and had to go! Never mind that I have our sale coming up next weekend and I should be marking and packing things for that sale. These sounded too good not to miss! And I wasn't disappointed!

I bought this petite armoire for myself at the first sale. I'm turning it into a linen closet. I love the drawer handles on top and it's the perfect size!


The second sale we went to  was at the home of a  lady who ( as the story was told ) had worked all her life and after her retirement, got up every morning and left home as if she were going to work but instead she went shopping! Her whole retirement was spent shopping all. day. long! And she loved antiques!! And also Scandinavian decor!! Both favorites of mine!! Perfect!!

Here are a few little treasures I bought. First up... some antiques that aren't  Scandinavian but very sweet nevertheless. Shown here are some "pretties" and some whimsical antique treasures. I also purchased some farmhouse wares and fun rustic treasures....coming in another post.

Ironstone...love the butter pats and the square ones are brown transferware.


This cork bottle topper bobble head. Pull the string and he bows his head while removing his hat.

                                             
                                               Some special vintage Easter treasures...



                                                            Blue and white platter


                                                             A set of 8 hen salt cellars. Though they may appear large here, they are as small as usual sized salt cellars, but with hen covers.


This antique "chef" string holder. See the hole in his mouth? The string comes through there.


At first I thought this was a bread board but I think it is more of a wooden "server" as it is thicker by the handle and narrows at the other end.

      
                                                 Shoe stretchers already tied in a neat little bow.


                                                         And a Hadley Christmas cup.


The Estate Sales people said it took months to sort and mark things and after a while they just gave up and left things unmarked. It was just so overwhelming! She apparently was a kind of hoarder. A neat and clean hoarder. Her house was filled with boxes of things neatly packed and very clean. They say she was so clean that she took her whole piano apart to clean it and then couldn't put it back together again. There was so much stuff in her house that there were only narrow pathways around her house in which to move around. The Estate company had to bring in three large storage pods in which  to put some of things while they sorted so they could move around. They ended up just leaving them in the pods and not even marking them! There was also a large tent in the backyard with five long tables full of boxes of things with more boxes under the tables and tons of things around the yard. The rest of the house was jam packed, in every room of the house including the garage. I've never heard so many people comment about the amount of stuff in a house before! And great stuff to boot!!

In most Estate Sales they begin by giving out numbers to let people in, in an orderly fashion. We heard that the first person in line who got the "number one" spot at this sale actually camped overnight in her yard! I would have liked to see what that first person in line purchased, as you usually assume  they get all the best stuff!!

I went to the sale with the goal of finding special treasures to sell at our vintage sale but I was so tempted to buy stuff for myself.  But then I was afraid I would just end up being another hoarder! I'm kind of embarrassed about having these "first world" problems. And yet I'll still probably keep a few things for myself, including the armoire. Aaakkkk! So I have to keep seeking that balance of simplifying my life while also enjoying adding beauty to my home.  I also promised my husband if I started to pile boxes of my treasures around the house making room for only a narrow pathway to get around I would give him permission for  cutting me off from keeping stuff for myself. So far so good. And I am selling an antique dresser that sat in the space where the armoire is now sitting. So as far as furniture goes, I'm staying "even".

6 comments:

  1. I think the concept of first world problems is so funny!
    LOVE that Hadley! I want more.

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    1. I love Hadley also but never started collecting it. Now I keep finding a few small pieces of it here and there and think maybe I should have been collecting it all along.

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  2. I think that bread board might be a pizza board.

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    1. I thought that also, Kim. Then they told me it was REALLY old. Did they make pizzas back in the day? LOL. But I think you're right!

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  3. oh my i would have loved loved loved to be at that sale with you! Your armoire is beautiful. By any chance do you still have the Easter goodies?

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    1. Actually I kept the Easter goodies for myself. ; )

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