Auctions

 I've been going to some estate sales lately and having a wonderful time.  Some friends of mine in Burlington have been taking me to them over the past few weeks.  It's not only nice to get out of the house more, but it's nice to have people to do things like this with.  Also, it's a whole lot of fun to see inside some of these houses and how they are laid out.  In some ways it does feel like you're trespassing and rifling through people's personal belongings.  Well, that's pretty much what you're doing only it's legal.  Ah, well.

Anyway, going to these sales and the thrift stores and the antiques stores has made me really miss live auctions.  I haven't been to one in years.  I went to my first auction as a young teenager.  It was either the summer of 87 or 88, I can't remember which.  Some friends of ours, the Glenns, had opened up an auction house and invited us to one of their sales.  It turns out that the items being sold were from the estate of a cousin of ours, Isabel Wolfe.  Isabel's will and estate were shady deals and no one in the family was told about this auction.  We only found out because of the Glenns.  But we went and I was hooked.

I loved being able to peruse the items before the sale.  Pouring over the tables of collectibles, I found exactly what I wanted to bid on.  It was a silver Victorian butter dish.  It didn't have its insert anymore but I loved its shape and I became determined to have it.  And, when it came up, I bid and eventually won it for $30.  It was the first auction purchase I'd ever make...but certainly not the last.  Mom bought her great grandfather's walnut desk at that auction as well.  It was a good day for us.

We started going to auctions regularly, both at the Glenn's and at a place in Indian Trail called Lilly's Auction.  Lilly's was more upscale because they had a good following nationwide, but you could still find bargains if you knew what you were looking for.  I bought a brass banquet lamp there once for $18.  It's nothing fine, but I still love it and use it on my buffet these days.  Sometimes Grandmother went with us to these.  Sometimes our good friend Bobbie Yandle went with us.  It was always fun and I miss that.  You started seeing lots of the same people at these auctions and there was a sense of community about it.

While Ebay is nice, it's not the same.  But, both with online and real time auctions, I do give myself a limit and make sure that I stick to it.  Otherwise I'd max out my credit card.  But it would be fun to go to a real live auction again.  Any bidders?