Recently, I went to an auction, a very unusual auction. The village museum was closing and selling it’s entire contents. It was rather sad really as the entire stock was collected by one man throughout his lifetime, to preserve a little history for future generations. But sadly he died recently and now his daughter was selling the entire collection.
I was in heaven! I love old and unusual stuff and this place was overflowing with it. Every nook and cranny was packed and overflowing with treasure. From war medals, to tractors, this place had it all and more. I had a good old mooch around!
My catalogue began to become a mass of circled items I intended to bid for and I could feel the blood begining to rush to my head.
And so the auction finally began. The place was packed with punters, dealers and scrap metal merchants and the battles began. Initially I did badly, losing lot after lot to some specialist or other, but then I began picking up a few lots. Before I knew it I’d bought all sorts……Victorian watering cans, urns, fire pits, antique tools, antique items that had no name as no-one knew what they were….all in all about 60 bits and pieces.
The day was wearing on and I asked Hubs if he would go home and let the dogs out for a while, which he did. That’s when the trouble started! Really started!
The dinky toys, medals and match boxes finally got sold and we moved outside to the larger items.
I found myself in front of these old agricultural items. The scrap dealers were snapping them up, one after another to take straight to the scrap yard.
Nooooooooooo…..I heard myself screaming…..these are far too good for scrap and I couldn’t allow them all to be crushed could I????? So….suddenly, I heard myself bidding for the Wallace potato digger. It felt a little bit like an out of body experience, and…..I couldn’t stop. I HAD TO HAVE IT! And have it I did. [Only weighs half a ton!]
Next I came to an old groundsman’s barrow and a furnace barrow. I bought them too. I was off and away with the fairies!!!
I bought a set of heavy potato scales….then found myself stood in front of a set of old wooden stocks. I was feeling beautifully dreamy at this point, and I remember thinking that these would be great for raising money at the rescue fun days….i.e wet sponge throwing, so … YES. I bought them too!
Well……nearly £600 was spent by the time Hubs came back. I’d calmed down a little by this time and was looking at the size and weight of the stuff I’d bought, and I was horrified! Reality kicked in.
Daughter was with me so I got her to call Hubs to ….well….erm…warn him really, so he didn’t have a heart attack when he came back. That was a waste of time as he didn’t believe her. He just looked at me in abject horror with the colour draining out of his face and screamed something to the tune of, “You cannot be serious…” oh yes, and he threw in a few good old Anglo Saxon words for good measure. Finally he spluttered…
“And how are you going to get that lot home? EHHHHHH?????”
Good question. A very good question indeed. There was no delivery of course.
So, I’ll let you know the outcome in my next post.
They do lok rather splendid, Thanks Leigh-Ann.xxx
Thanks Scarlett. I think I’ll have to develop a little self control! Nice it’s saved from the scrap heap though!xxxxx
Amazing!! I would have got completely carried away had I of been there. The potato digger is so unique, I’m so glad it won’t be scrapped! xx
Sounds like you got a bit carried away! Looking forward to hear how you get it home!
The stocks look absolutely amazing…. you did the right thing to snap those up, blimey!!! all sounds as if you know exactly what you are going to do with everything really….. and as Shimon says… your hub has much patience and a heart of gold…..:))
what fun! I like the sound of the potatoe scales! xxxx
Lol….it’s funny but I knew you would approve! I have specs in mind for the big stuff….it’s the “I have no clue what they are things” I’m wondering about. Some smashin finds though.
The stocks do look sooooo groovy though…..lol …..at halloween I’ll light pumpkins and put a skeleton with tattered rags hanging off it in them for the local kids! xxxxxx
This auction would have left me somewhat overfaced I think. I rather like the look of the matchbox collection though. I look forward to reading the outcome of this fiasco.
Lol….I have to agree with the fiasco comment. Ah well, you live and learn I suppose, only I never seem to. Maybe it had a happy ending though!xxx
I got rather phazed out with that experience. Where on this earth are you intending to store certain rather bulky and heavy items, not to mention the slightly more manageable ‘others’?
On another front, I was rather glad you salvaged one or two items from the man’s collection that will not, in the foreseeable future metamorphose into anything else.
I have to admit to being a little phased out myself!!!!
I have very large gardens so the potato digger will sit in the meadow with maybe a plant or two on, the stocks are in situ leaning against two trees looking very gothic, the leaf barrow and furnace barrow are in the process of being painted up and shall sit under the windows looking glamourous ………having figured out where to place the pototo scales yet. All the other items will be painted up and most sold at art fairs along with some of my art.
I was pleased to save some of the pieces as it is sad to see historical items be sold for scrap. He was a smashin guy and had some amazing stuff.xxxxx
LOL…hahahahaha….Oh, God! Such a day! Poor hubs! I know how he possibly felt when he came across those things! I love such things. Take care D.
I love the ANVIL , BTW!
There you go….I Love such things too! It’s just Hubs who hates old junk. I thought the anvil was great but some guy out bid me and it went for scrap. You should see the stocks now though….look brill. I’ll post pics in my next post. xxxxxxxx
All I can say is, you’ve found yourself a man with a heart of gold and a lot of patience…
I certainly have. He has no patience but does have a heart of gold.xxxxxx
Wow! What an assortment…..From my ‘amateurish’ point ot view, you seem to have a few treasures here…..;) Hugs! :)xx
Treasures indeed, I don’t know what most of my purchases are though! lol xxxxx
:)) ha ha ha – you really did go to town!! Maybe Hubs will lock you up in the stocks 😉 But oh come on, who else owns THEIR VERY OWN STOCKS??????????????????
I’m SO glad you understand the lure of the stocks, and you know what….in the early stages of trying to sort delivery, I decided it might be best to try and sell them in situ. So I went on ebay and all sorts of places and there is not ONE set of old stocks for sale anywhere!!!!
And you should see them now….VERY gothic looking they are. Oh yes!!!! My next door neighbour was burgled a few days ago….maybe he can go in them!!!!! xxxxx