Bargains At The Auction

Last month I went to an estate auction nearby which was held at the owner's home. There was a big tent that was set up because it was raining off and on. A lot of tools and machinery were being auctioned off in the yard while the furniture, and household goods were being auctioned off in the tent.

There was a lot of collectible glassware, china, and pottery to bid on. There were four tables set up with box lots on them, which they auctioned off first, waiting for a larger crowd. As they emptied the tables, they took them down to make room for more people. They had trays set on the tables full of odd china and glassware. I bid on and won a few items for a couple of dollars just because no one was bidding. I was interested in a few items that I was outbid on, but that was okay.

I also got a few nice shabby chic items, an antique white ironstone wash pitcher with a chip, an antique English stoneware wash bowl with a crack, and an antique Wood & Sons chamber pot with a crack. I got all of them for under $5!

I bid on a vintage Quebec hooked rug which had gotten damp from the rain that morning. Nobody was bidding on it because it was wet so I got it for $20, I think I got a good buy. Now that it is dried out, I noticed that there was a little bit of bleeding but it is in otherwise good condition. I think it may be from the early to mid-20th century.

I'm going to do some research on the design to see if I can narrow down the time frame. The rug was hooked on burlap, probably a sack. The border is sewn on by sewing machine, it must have been a heavy-duty one. The material used to hook the rug looks like a knit textile, usually seen in woven rugs. The black is not colourfast, at least, not the black that's around the outline of one of the flowers.

Next one

First Auction of the Year

There is an auction this Saturday  that I will be going to. My husband is going to be checking out the sports cards, he`s a collector and has thousands of them. I am going to see if I can get any good deals on Depression Glass

 

or collectible tins

 

maybe a jug or a crock,

 

or a piece of local history

and see what treasures are hiding in the box lots. There is also some primitive cupboards I would like to look at. I want to get  new (well, different) cupboards and the one there looks like it might fit in my galley kitchen.

 

I hope it goes for a reasonable price and I`m the winning bidder! I`ll let you know how it goes. 

Country Auctions - What's in the box?

I love going to country auctions and estate auctions, there are lots of bargains to be had at these auctions. Often there are 'box lots' which usually go for a buck or two. These are mostly overlooked and are full of surprises. A lot of times you will find odd dishes, nick-nacks, etc. suitable for yard sales but I have found a lot of treasures in them also. I bought one that had a vintage light fixture in it, got it home and researched it and found out it was worth about $200 restored. It was pictured in the Eaton's 1924 catalogue.
Another time I found an antique ginger beer bottle.
I have a Coltrock tobacco humidor that was in another one, that I found out was made by the Colt Manufacturing Company, Coltrock was the name given to the Bakelite it was made from, worth over $100 too.
So, next time you are at an auction don't be afraid to look into the boxes under the table, you may find a treasure of your own.