Why I Like Auctions

Roger and I headed up north to a couple of auctions on Saturday. We weren't sure which one we wanted to actually attend, so we arrived in town early so we could preview both of them. The first one was in a motel conference room. It was COLD and a little dark. It was full of all the vintage kitschy stuff that I like - stationery, kitchen stuff, Christmas decorations, that sort of thing. We were tempted, but decided we better check out the other one first.

We drove across town to the second auction. It was held indoors, too, and wasn't as cold! :) It was set up very nicely and there really wasn't any "junk". Everything was neat and clean and tidy. We decided to stay.

Within the first 15 minutes, I was pretty sure we were out of our league. Everything was going for big money and this one dude kept buying ALL the glassware. It was so weird, because he was paying at least retail, so we weren't sure if he was a collector or a dealer who would be happy if he was able to make a dollar profit on each item! After a little bit, it got downright annoying! All morning, we managed to buy about three things, and I felt like I'd overpaid for all of it.

Shortly after noon, I was feeling itchy, so I left Roger there and went back to the motel auction. Most of the good stuff had already been sold. I picked up a few good items and only spent $9.50. Unfortunately, one of my $2 purchases was a clean-up, and I managed to fill the back of the van with a bunch of CRAP! Seriously. I wanted one thing, and got a van load. (That's NOT what I love about auctions!)

I was bored and decided it would be more fun to hang out with Roger. When I got back, the auction was getting better. Crazy dude was still buying a ton of stuff, but other bidders were finally getting in on the action and winning a few things. We came away with a few more bargains. Probably my favorite purchase of the day was the Little Red Spinning Wheel. Cute, huh? (Sorry I don't have more pictures this week. We have company coming this week, so we had to get everything packed away, fast!)

And, this is what I love about auctions. When you go every weekend, you start to see the same people over and over again. You know what they bid on, you chat with them, you joke with them. Next thing you know, you have auction friends! I don't know their names, but I know their faces, and they're a fun group! Our little group on Saturday had a pretty good time watching in shock and bemusement as that guy bought all that glassware. I'm still wondering if his check will clear the bank this morning! One of my buddies said, "That's what you call 'stupid money'."

Oh yeah! And I got hit on. Twice. Once directly and once indirectly. A guy at the motel auction asked me if I'd ever been on tv. No. "Are you a movie star?" No. "Well, you look like one!"

A guy at the second auction told Roger that I have a great smile and that he has a beautiful wife. Okay, so both of these guys were probably in their 60s. So what? I can survive on compliments like those for a week!

I'm linking up with Her Library Adventures.