Cat Turd Hunting.

Today I'm going to press the rewind button on my memories and press play from the May 2010 archives. As some of you may recall from a previous blog post I absolutely adore antiques. If it's old then it has history, it has a story, and one of my few pleasures in life is looking at, admiring, and coveting many antique items from over the years. Unfortunately, I'm not at a place financially to afford many of the items I desire, but I have been fortunate enough to gain a few items through donation or the occasional estate sale. Today I am avoiding bad news of incoming severe thunderstorms, with tornado watch attached, to reflect on a few of the items I have the pleasure of now owning.

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Cherry Mirror

I attended my very first estate sale in May of last year. The estate sale was special because it was the estate of my late great-great aunt. I adore my family and I am very sentimental when it comes to "stuff." When I think of family heirlooms I don't automatically think of items with a grandiose air. Anything, even the smallest of items, can harbor feelings of sentiment with me. Whether it be a book, a quilt, or even a toy from my childhood... if it evokes a pleasant memory then it's priceless to me. My great-great aunt had many beautiful items. She had a secretary and two hall trees I desperately wanted, but other auction patrons wanted them as desperately as me and they had the money to buy them with. I did not walk away empty handed however. I left the auction the proud owner of my great-great aunt's decorative cherry mirror and an oil lamp. There were many things I wish I had walked away with, but I was happy to have salvaged a small part of my own family history and that I would be able to give a new life to some of my great-great aunt's possessions. Isn't that really the point of family heirlooms and antiques? Keeping those items alive for more generations to enjoy. I can only hope that whoever purchased her other belongings enjoy them as much as I enjoy the ones I won. I hope they are taking good care of her things. It always worries me that someone will not properly appreciate an estate sale item.

Oil Lamp.

Shortly after my first estate sale my boyfriend's mom used the term "cat turd hunting." The term intrigues everyone that hears it and while she offered no clear definition I have determined one of my own. In order to properly "cat turd hunt" one must sort through the crap (pun heavily intended) to get to the gems that may be buried underneath. I no longer refer to antique shopping as picking or yard selling or auctioning... it will forever, and lovingly, be known as "cat turd hunting."

Blue Goblets

Although the first estate sale I attended had special meaning to me because it involved family I was instantly hooked to the thrill of the auction itself and I found myself online looking for upcoming auctions. A few weeks after the first sale my boyfriend, his parents, and his aunt and uncle loaded up and traveled nearly two hours for a promising estate sale we had found online. The lady that had once lived in the home where the estate sale was held had everything known to man. I don't think she ever threw out anything and I couldn't believe all the items in the yard had once been packed into the modest brick home. There was a gorgeous carnival glass punch bowl that caught my eye early, but unfortunately the bidding went beyond what I had allotted to spend. I was feeling a little defeated until my boyfriend won a bid on a set of lovely blue goblets. After that he won a small McCoy planter. It has a few nicks, but it is still quite lovely and we are always looking for McCoy pottery pieces. By the time the auction moved inside the home many people had already left. The lady had a lot of Longaberger baskets that were early coveted items and some women came specifically for those baskets and many left after they were auctioned off early in the sale. I admired, as always, several large furniture pieces, but alas, my budget was quite small.

McCoy Planter.

When the auction moved inside and I eyed a stack of original Foxfire books thrown in a corner. The minute I saw them I knew they had to be mine. I remembered discussing them in an Appalachian Studies class I had in college and I knew they were the best "how-to" books around. I stayed beside that dusty stack of books until the auctioneer made his way into the room. A woman ducked inside and said, "I'll give you 4 dollars for the books," to which I replied, "I'll give you five." The lady conceded and the Foxfire books were mine. I was tickled.

Foxfire Books

Whatnot Shelf.

While I was pleased with the small haul we had taken in thus far into the sale nothing could have prepared for what happened next. Although it was only May, it was a very hot and humid day. People were sweating outside and once the sale moved indoors the heat became too unbearable for many. Very few dared brave the inside portion of the sale. In the same room as the Foxfire books there was a piano. A mattress and box spring set was leaning against the piano and a few interested people peeked behind the mattress for a glimpse at the piano that had been mentioned in the ad flier. As I was gathering up my Foxfire books the auctioneer began bids on the piano. I heard the bid go down and it began very low. I heard my boyfriend Todd say, "Twenty dollars." I did not anticipate Todd winning a piano for $20.00 so I began to make my way out of the room with my books in tow.... then it happened. No one else was bidding. "Twenty... going once.... going twice... sold." It took a moment for the reality to set in. Todd had just won us a piano, a real piano, for $20.00. I took my books outside. I called my mom, "Mom, do you know anyone that wants a piano? Maybe Bobbie Sue?" Mom said, "I want a piano!" I was still in shock when Todd came out of the house carrying an antique whatnot shelf, a slightly more modern wall shadowbox, and a 24 inch television. In all we spent about 60 dollars and walked away with a few treasures... including a piano. Now here's the kicker... we had rode to the sale with Todd's family. His uncle's truck was already loaded to the brim with estate sale finds and the piano was not fitting in his parents Malibu. I called mom again. "What's Dal doing? Do you think he can travel 2+ hours to pick up our piano?" Our new rule of thumb... always make sure you have proper room and transportation for your estate sale purchases. Luckily my step dad was free and he and mom made the trek down state to pick up the $20.00 piano we'd won. To this day I'm still shocked that we won a piano for $20.00. After some research we determined it's a very nice brand and that it's actually a player piano, which is slightly more coveted, and it's from the early 20th century. We had a nice antique on our hands, but no place to put it. Our apartment is small. I'm talking downtown NYC small, but located in Eastern Kentucky and with substantially lower rent. We couldn't determine a way to get the piano into my mom's house, although she desperately wanted it, so it's being stored at my boyfriend's parents. The nieces and nephews get a kick out of it and I wish I could play it, but it may come down to us one day selling it. Who knows what may come of the piano, but it will be a story to tell for the ages and so far it's been our greatest "cat turd hunting" success. I also believe it's going to be the one find that's hard to top, but I certainly hope to have fun trying.

Howard by Baldwin Piano.