My dear husband, Studly Doright, doesn’t quite get my fascination with estate sales. Or rather, he doesn’t understand my non-competitive attitude toward them.
I don’t arise at the crack of dawn to go pawing through the belongings of some recently deceased dowager in order to find items of value. No, I’m quite content to wander through homes looking for books and/or small objets d’art to add to my collection. Now, should I happen onto a rare first edition hardcover in mint condition, or a unique piece of jewelry, I’d likely snap it up; however, there’s a whole different mentality involved in the search for pieces of that nature.
I see these people at every sale. They arrive even before the doors open and walk around with a no-nonsense air about them. They block the bookshelves until they’ve examined every vintage book, and their bags are filled with promising finds to list on eBay.
On the other hand I wander through rooms picking up nonsensical items and looking for the next book in the Harry Potter series (currently I need book 4). This isn’t to say I never find anything that’s been overlooked by a more avid shopper, but my goal isn’t to turn a profit.
This past weekend I discovered a couple of fun items in addition to The Prisoner of Azkaban. One was a small piece of art that I thought was interesting:
The other was this book of fairy tales by Oscar Wilde.
Neither is worth much, but I couldn’t leave without them. I pictured both probably going to a Goodwill shop somewhere, and thought surely Doright Manor could provide a better home for them.
Of course at some point my kids are going to have to go through my stuff and decide how to deal with my treasures. At least I won’t be around to see how they are disposed of. I hope they’ll be treated kindly.
Peace, people.
Praying for Eyebrowz 
Excellent finds. WP won’t register that I Like this
LikeLiked by 1 person
WP has its glitches sometimes!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s always fun to look. Much like wandering around the antique stores that are in abundance around here. I always wonder if that little ridiculous looking item sitting on the shelf I just passed has real value? Most of what I see just looks like junk to me, but I could be missing something great!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure I walk by real gems everyday, but if an object doesn’t appeal to me esthetically or intellectually then I don’t spend much time on it. And then there’s the money issue. There are many things I’d love to buy, but then I remember that Studly would like to retire at some point.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My inner nagging voice is very good at talking me out of buying things. That and my promise to never fill my small home with things that others will have to deal with after I’m gone. I’ve done that chore myself many times…I don’t wish it on others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I honestly keep thinking I’ll start purging my possessions one of these days. I’ve even participated in a month long endeavor to get rid of stuff in a methodical way. (1 item on day one, two on day two…), but I’ve probably undone any good I did back then. Honestly, though, if I didn’t have these estate sales I’d likely drink myself into oblivion. They’re my coping mechanism.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You do what you have to do…
LikeLiked by 1 person
At some point in my life, and I’m not sure it was ever a single moment, I stopped wanting stuff. Not that I don’t want anything, just not the stuff that sits and doesn’t have much purpose other than for something to look at. It feels kind of weird because I still absolutely love the look of a really nicely decorated and accessorized house or things that just appeal to me, but I just don’t want it anymore. Probably because I hate to dust it all and the more I get the more I have to dust and that tends to take a lot of the joy out of those things for me.
I spent a summer working in an antique shop on the weekends when I was in my 20’s. I got paid in merchandise. I would have taken half the store if I’d worked long enough, there were just way too many things that I fell in love with.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s a healthy way to live. I honestly don’t NEED a darned thing, but I love to hunt for things I find interesting. I need to emulate you more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Find an obsessive hate with dusting. It will help push you that direction. lol!
Honestly, I think a big part of this ended up being emotional. After the drama in my family a few years ago, even a lot of sentimental things lost their importance to me. Top that with the fact that the things I find important or interesting aren’t that for my kids because they don’t have the same memories or feelings attached to them that I do and I know that all of that stuff won’t go on and continue to be loved once I’m done with it. It was kind of sad and sobering, but it meant changing how I thought of stuff.
I think it is awesome that you have this thing that you go out and do for yourself. It is your little ritual that brings you joy so you should absolutely keep doing it as long as you keep getting that joy. If you hate the dusting as much as I do, maybe on your next trip you can find a made to go along with your treasures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a housekeeper who cleans twice a month, plus we don’t get a lot of dust here in the Florida panhandle. That might explain why I don’t mind accumulating more stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, that would be so nice! With 3 pets and tons of dust (in part because of construction in the area), things are ALWAYS dusty around here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I grew up in west Texas where dusting was a daily chore. Now? Maybe once every couple of months works. It’s HEAVEN! Heaven is the place where you don’t have to dust.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would love even a fraction of that heaven right now. I dust and a hour later there is already a fine coating of on everything. And why I still don’t do it nearly as often as I should. I’ve learned to live with it to an extent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have a gift for making me laugh. Thank you! I tease my daughter over my ‘collection’ . I was trying to work out whether your lady in the first picture had a black eye and the guy a sheepish look or is that just my imagination?
LikeLiked by 1 person
She’s winking, I think. Although, now that you mention it I’m not certain that she isn’t sporting a black eye. The title of the drawing is “vestidos y alborotados”. I knew that vestidos was dress in Spanish, and I thought maybe alborotados meant suit. But no! It translates to ruffles. That doesn’t help at all.
It is signed and numbered 15/300. The artist isn’t at all familiar to me either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
dresses and upsets, dresses and ruffles, dresses and rowdiness mmm I feel it could be a shiner! How funny as it looks like such a nice little scene…but then domestic violence often does I suppose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So interesting! And there could be some meaning behind the ruffles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never read any Oscar Wilde before. I just read The Happy Prince. It is a devotional story. I never realised. Ah I am being educated nananoyz, many thanks again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLike
Love the art . Oscar’s fairy tales is a fav book of mine. Right to this day
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool! I got all giggly when I found it.
LikeLike
I used to read them to my girls. The last bit of The Happy Prince–the tattered copy of which is still in a bedroom here, I had to stop at.. I just got too emotional. The worst bit? I already knew what was coming –having read them years before — and I seldom get choked, but there. As for the Selfish Giant? I thought don’t even try to read that one. I used to think his best one in terms of trying to read aloud and not start greeting buckets was The Remarkable Rocket. Nicely sarcastic, espesh the bit about bunions and selfish folks. xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so excited to have this! I’ll read it to the youngest granddaughter when I see her this weekend.
LikeLike
Make sure you have a hanky handy. Seriously xxxxxxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will do!
LikeLike