ADDICTION: Country Auctions

DAP · Feb 20, 2004

When we moved into our old homestead, we initially furnished 4 rooms with our favorite auction house purchases. Here is perhaps our best bargain.

The sunny side of my life only had to refabricate the wood grill over the door glass and the rest was clean up. For interested antiquers, we clean almost ALL of our acquistions (wood ones that is) with a mixture of linseed oil and mineral spirits applied with fine steel wool pads. A 1 to 1 ratio is used to start. If the grime and or old bubbled varnish resists, we kick up the mineral spirts part so as to be more aggressive without the steel wool damaging the wood fibers. Works like a charm.

This piece was $25 (+ 10% buyer's premium - $2.50).

The biggest drawback? After introducing the CEO to these hudson valley estate auctions, she's a total addict and KNOWS her mission in life is to acquire every item in the catalog lot, usually over 400 items. I usually miss the entire affair as I must continually administer to our financial well being and remind her that only so much can fit in a 6 ft. pick-up bed!

DAP · Feb 20, 2004

Another view. Sorry for the bad angle/light.

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TimSullivan · Feb 22, 2004

I posted this several months ago but here it is again. My wife and I love the old country auctions. She always is looking for something to "save" and use.

The china cabinet that is in the attachment was in an old barn and was covered in cheap white paint. Some of the glass was gone and its last use was for nesting chickens. The wood was in good shape under the paint and the walnut turned out well.

Our home has many auction finds. One of our latest are four 30 inch by 60 inch four draw units from an old dry goods store. They were used to hold the jeans and other cloths. They are beasts and sold for a dollar each. No one else wanted to haul them I guess. They now hold my wife's sewing material.

Auctions are a great place to buy it you are patient.

DAP · Feb 22, 2004

Tim, that piece cleaned up nice. Hope ya got a good deal on it.

Patience at auctions, so true. Actually, we find ourselves attending as often as possible especically during the hottest and coldest months of the year. Reason? The antique dealers are out en masse it seems. I don't mind their competition, but they have a different bottom line than I do. ESPECIALLY here in the hudson valley where they can and do take a piece, mark it up 400% and usually sell it in a shop or show somewhere. Se la vie.

And your right, some of the best pieces and stuff are the large bulky one that the folks who show up at the auctions with their touring sedans can't fit into!

TimSullivan · Feb 23, 2004

We did get a good deal, the striper cost us more than the cabinet.

In Western New York the prices on furniture are not bad. If it needs work, it usually goes cheap. The farther East you go the more the prices go up. We just love to rummage around in the rows of stuff at these old farm auctions and see what we find. There is a large equipment consignment auction five minutes from my home and I have picked up some great decorator items, old wooden shoves, huge wooden block and tackle, and on and on.

My wife never knows what I will bring home next. Strange after we get them cleaned up then other people want them. most people cannot see past the dirt and old paint.