vintage finds wednesday...

The auction last weekend.  Oh to say it was hot would not do it justice.  It was over 100 degrees outside and we had some humidity on top of it all.  The auction was in a crowded building with no air conditioning.  People were dripping with heat, it was rolling off us in sticky smelly droplets - double icko.  It was a great auction just bursting with treasures but I was miserable and I only lasted about 4 hours.  The brave warriors who outlasted me reaped their rewards.  I bid higher than I've ever bid at the auction last week - $900 on just one piece.  It was a very special Lalique dish that I knew was worth about $3,000 but I got nervous when it hit $1,000 and I bowed out.  Was exciting for a while though.

Seemed to be a ring day for me.  I was taken with some Native American beauties and the more expensive gold and gemstone variety.  This is what I brought home for my shop...

I often bid on "flats" of things.  A box top filled with various items or a jewelry box brimming with broken pieces mixed in with good finds.  Lots of times I end up with odd bits and bobs just to get a few items on the tray I wanted.  The sorting, sifting, untangling, cleaning etc. is time consuming but fun.  I end up with strange little things like this...

and jewelry boxes like this...

The bulk of items from last week waiting to be tended to and put in my shop...

see those flats on the floor?  Those are way cool padlocks that are going to take some serious time to clean and research but it's all part of my job and at least I can do it at home in my air conditioned studio (and Andrew Henry does lots of the cleaning/repairing for me I must admit).

I really love what I get to do!  I hope you love what you do too.