It's a good month for auctions...

I had the good fortune to be able to attend another estate auction yesterday. I had glanced at the email from the auctioneer, and didn't really see anything that made me yearn to attend, but so often the real treasures are the hidden ones. I always wonder how people decide what to include when they turn an estate over for auction, sometimes I think there's literally nothing held back. It turned out to be that sort of sale. It wasn't quite everything and the kitchen sink, but they did have the bathroom sink...two of them, in fact.

Two brand new pedestal sinks were the first things I saw when I came through the doors of the auction site. There were like new kitchen appliances, a huge mishmash of furniture items, and dozens of tables of assorted household items, collectibles, jewelry, as well as coins and currency and dozens of curiosities. For me, a curiosity is anything that I can't immediately put a name to. There were eight boxes of household linens, and my hopes were dashed when i couldn't find a single tablecloth, much less a vintage one. I did find a treasure... a whole box of vintage Christmas ornaments, carefully wrapped singly in layers of tissue and newsprint. I was a little disappointed when i unwrapped a few ornaments and found just plain colored glass balls, but then I started seeing vintage Shiny Brites, both flocked and different indents and shapes. Quickly I rewrapped them, placing the plain ones back on top.

Another thing that always catches my eye is wicker. Of course, the fact that this wicker was painted peach made it even more, uh... eye-catching. Not in a good way, either. There was a desk and matching stool, two book cases and a huge basket. The pieces were all in great condition, making me flag them in the "potential" column in my mental list, despite their fruit-hued cover. I saw a couple of really nice sets of TV trays that looked interesting, too.

There were a few pieces of pottery that made my mental short list: some Roseville, a few primitive pieces of yellowware, and a very old set of nested bowls. There was one piece of Fiesta: a Post86 covered casserole. Everything else would just depend on how the prices ran during the sale. Sometimes, nearly everything is expensive. Sometimes the auctioneer practically has to give it away.

So... what did I come home with? All the peach wicker, for a very very good price. Even if I factor in how much paint it's going to take to cover up the peach, it was a good price. I also bought a nice La-Z-boy recliner ($20) and a food dehydrator ($1) for my mom, a 1930's roast pan and accessories in like new condition ($5), and a truly delicious bowl of banana pudding from the food vendor.

Oh, and my ornaments? Did I win the real treasure of the day? No, I did not. They disappeared before they could come up for auction. I guess someone else realized what a treasure they were, and did the five fingered mambo out the door with them. It nearly ruined my day, until I saw how pleased my mom was with her treasures. Best of all, there's going to be a whopper of a sale NEXT week. I can't wait.