I'm off this morning to spend the day
in Connecticut with my best friend "T".
We're going to antique and hit all of my
favorite consignment stores. Who knows
what we might find but whatever it is,
it will be fabulous! For many years the
two of us have bagged more than our
share of hidden treasures. We both love
the finer things and while we (I) claim to
need less, we (I) keep buying more!
I love beautiful old things. For years I've dug through auctions, tag sales, consignment and antique shops. Furnishing my home (and others) with treasures found along the way.
It started years ago when I came upon a small auction house outside of Chicago. At that point, NOBODY in the Midwest wanted English or French antiques. Rather they were still enamoured with golden oak and Tiffany lamps. That meant that everything I treasured was unwanted and therefore accessible. And slowly... I started to pick up fabulous tidbits for virtually nothing.
One Saturday at a "household" auction I came across a Craftsman style oak bed frame. I got it for five dollars and loaded it into the car. Driving home I glanced back while waiting for the stoplight to change. All of a sudden, I spied a label that read "Stickley" and realized I not only purchased a new bed, but had acquired a major antique! That type of "find" is crack to a collector (addict) like me!
When "T" moved to Chicago, she found a fabulous gold coast coop.
A newlywed, she had to furnish it from scratch. A large estate of french antiques was about to be auctioned off. I trolled the preview and rushed to a phone booth (long before cell phones) to call "T". We agreed to meet at the upcoming auction to bid on this rococo jackpot!
Sunday arrived and the place was packed. As the auction began, "T" and her husband
had not arrived. A lovely Louis XVII bergere sold for nothing. Next up was a lovely pair of french bergeres that I knew suited "T" to a "t".
Bidding started at a ridiculously low price. I realized the perfect pair of bergeres were going to go for a a pittance. So, I bid and won them. With no sign of "T", I decided to GO FOR IT. Over the next half hour, I bid and won a plethora of pieces.
As bidding was about to end, "T" finally arrived. Fortunately she was thrilled with all of my ill gotten gain. Her husband (always the gambler) leapt in and bid on several more items. They ended up taking a truckload of french finery home!
Over the years "T" and I have found many lovely things as we dug through the debris. Loot aside, what I treasure most is our friendship and our many years of memories. Wonder what we'll find today?