Who’s gonna let a little ol’ cold keep ’em in two days in a row? Certainly not me! Last night, I took some Advil and some Sominex (so when I woke up in the middle of the night realizing how sore my throat was and started swallowing and couldn’t stop, maybe I could actually go back to sleep quickly) and got up this morning with no fever. Woohoo! I actually felt like getting out! So, I swallowed a couple of Advil, just in case, and took off. A little discombobulated, but out there.
The first was in a neighboring neighborhood. It was supposed to be a yard/estate sale. I sort of knew the people having the sale. Knew as in the man’s sister married my first cousin and surely I’ve met them some time in my life, but I don’t recognize them when I see them nor they me. I still can’t figure out whose estate it should have been, but I sure hope it was the dredges. Honestly, it looked they went to a crummy thrift store and bought the cheapest dollar store junk they had. I bought a round, Plexiglass top for those cheap, put together round tables we all have. I have one at the store that needs a top over the tablecloth so I’ll have something to dust, so that was OK. But I sure hoped that wasn’t a sign of the day. Hold on, estate sales in Birmingham! I’m a comin’!
Have I told y’all that Birmingham has the best sales? While I’ve done well at times at the regular yard sales locally, I don’t really like going to them here. They are hit or miss. The toughest competition gets out before daylight and gets people out of bed. I won’t do that. Plus I’d rather not buy things locally that are going into the shop. Don’t want people stopping in and seeing something I bought from them. It’s just weird. And some people take offense that it was marked up more than double. They don’t understand. The exception to that, for me, is estate sales. I will go to them here.
The first sale in Bumingham-town was small, but had impact. I think this might be a fun time to let you inside my head. To hear the voice in my head when I’m at a sale. And yes, I do talk to myself in complete sentences sometimes.
The GPS system guided me through a neighborhood and told me my destination was ahead. Then she said I’d arrived at my destination. The voice in my head: Where? Is this it? Part of the number’s on the mailbox. Oh, there’s stuff under the carport. I reached for my checkbook and its not there! Dang! I left the checkbook on the chest. How much money do I have. OK. I’ll go to the ATM if I have to. I walked up and spotted….. oh, I’d better not tell that because it’s a present for Lena. I picked up the xxxxx and moved on. Looked at some jewelry, picked out a few pieces, got a couple of lampshades, then realized there are no other shoppers there. Am I the first one here?? Surely not! I’m right on time, maybe a little early, but they didn’t act like I was first. It’s beginning to dawn on me that the sale was run by family. That’s often very good. I went into the utility room. Hey! Look at that vase on that shelf! Can I reach that? I guess I can climb on the washing machine, but let’s see…….I can reach it! Oooo! I like that!
On into the house. I turn toward the dining room. Oops. This is the dining room. I never go this way first. Should I turn around and go to the den? Nah. I’m here. Might as well see what…..WOW! Really?! Am I dreaming? Yes, I literally asked myself that. There’re still no other shoppers. Is that the McCoy vase I saw in completed highest priced auctions the other day? I don’t know. Maybe. But for that price, I can take a chance. OK. I’m not leaving my stuff to go to the ATM, so I better choose wisely. I passed on a lot of stuff I’d have bought if I had a check. That made me sad. I continued on.
Oh, that’s too plain. It’s pottery, but probably nothing.
Well, go ahead and look at the bottom.
Whoa! Those handles look like Roseville! Nothing on the bottom and awfully plain, but for that price…….. Hey! Look at that mirror! Do I have enough money? I don’t know. I’ll just pile it up and figure out then what to put back.
I didn’t go through the whole head conversation. That would take half an hour. I ended up putting back a neat, tole waste can, the jewelry and some fancy scissors. When I got home, I saw that the lamp shades I thought were 25¢ each and told the fellow taking the money that’s what they were, were really marked $3.00 each. It was an honest mistake, but I feel bad about that.
Here are pictures of some of the stuff bought there and the two other sales I attended.
The blue vase on the right. Camark, possibly? It was on the utility room shelf. The vase on the left could be McCoy Onyx? Or something else? I’m having trouble identifying the pottery bought today.
A red, Hoosier drawer insert – wood, girl, potholder hanger thing – old, tin house numbers – an early century or maybe late 19th century Pike’s Peak brochure – a book of poems with florals, a Dionne Quints ink blotter – an old literary club card and the mirror.
A tole chandelier – after a trip to the ATM.
And after another trip to the ATM……Large, lighted Santa that might come to my house, I haven’t decided that, yet. Old, flocked, Night Before Christmas book – little Santa match holder – Gurley candles – old Christmas Scotch Tape that you can’t tell anything about in the picture – three large, net stockings and one small – a candy cane quarter saver and four little condiment boxes.
At the sale with all the Christmas stuff, I was toting around a porcelain angel, dropped her and her head and wings broke off. I was such a wicked warmit. I put her on a bottom shelf in a closet. Shhhh. Don’t tell anybody.
Whew! Sorry about the dissertation! I’ve just been so deprived of sales lately. But are you like me and think you got so, so much, and when you actually get it all out and look at it think, “Is this it?? Is this all there is?” “I thought it was a lot more than that.”
I’d really like to go back to one sale tomorrow for half price day, but don’t know if I will or not. I’m afraid the things I passed on will still be more than I want to pay even at half price.
