|
by Rosemary Lee Potter
Special to Tropical Breeze
It wasn't really warm, but it wasn't
really cool. It was mildly sunny, the perfect day to do, say, nine
or ten garage, driveway or estate sales to see what could be found!
Before heading out, I'd stopped by my favorite Greek shoemaker,
Nick, to get my leather purse strap sewn back on. Can't have a
purse quitting en route.
I asked Nick if he had anything "old." He
said no and I found I was $1 short of what he asked for the repair.
I told him I'd be right back.
He said, "Next time." I left for my garage
sailing.
The next couple hours were a casual cruise
around Clearwater -- apparently lots of other people also thought
it a good morning to sail around looking for great finds and
practical treasures -- great ol' collectibles, maybe even a few
authentic antiques.
I was looking for goodies too, but more so
treasured collecting stories. For example, there was the young
woman dealer who with a sigh, for 25¢ finally parted with a
little wooden plaque showing a young boy and girl about to kiss,
and entitled "Practice Makes Perfect!"
Story? It was a gift from her high school
sweetheart whom she later married -- parting with that plaque now,
having also parted with the fellow.
At another house and driveway, backyard
also full of tables of goods, there were two busy, but hospitable
sisters, professional women, their mom, the cashier, their friends
very helpfully also showing and selling things.
There was this appealing seagrass basket
fashioned with bent branches for handles, there was a dainty, gold
embossed Asian teacup, and a tarnished cutwork silver-plated basket
with a mark with an WR (possibly William Rogers). I was encouraged
to take a picture of these items. And, oh yes, I bought the $5
basket plus two packages of homemade chocolate chip cookies, ala a
hosting sister, for a cookie total of $1. I've often found
garage-sailing involves snacking too. I had water in the car.
At another house there was a lovely little
lined box with a Scottie on top -- perfect (25¢). Hey, I can
put lots of my little Scottie earrings and pins in it. Still
another place I saw a complete set of Wyndham china from Japan and
a cobalt blue glass snack set from West Germany.
My last stop of the day was at an estate
sale. As usual, I was told of all I'd missed that was already
sold. Yet, here I found a very special adventure -- all because the
very elderly lady who lived there had taken the trouble to leave
some very good provenance or background story for those of us who
came to view and perhaps buy her things.
After I talked with the lady who was
running the sale, as is often the case, when the family of the
owner arranges it to be carried out by a professional group, I
realized there were very unique items remaining. First, there was a
handmade straight back chair with a reed seat which had been
created by the grandfather of the owner in the 1890s. We spotted a
honey jar, in which the owner had left a note that it had belonged
to several of her relatives in the early 20th century. There was
also a hand-painted tile -- a bit cracked -- but signed and also
identified with a strip of tape on the back -- the original
property of the owner's mom's mom and an auntie! There was also a
large Children's Bible, but it was in poor condition.
About the honey jar. $1. When I was
arranging it for the photo -- the amiable seller laughingly told me
that earlier in the day (one of those ha! ha! you should have been
here to see it statements) she'd sold a large pottery vessel with
a wooden lid. She quoted the 85-year-old owner as saying it was "my
dad's honey jar," but actually his "moonshine jar."
About that tile. Signed Coutant, I did buy
it for 25¢, but I have not yet found the artist online. I'll
keep looking. The tile shows a lone woman out in a misty forest.
Was the tile for hot dishes or for the wall or what? Collecting
mystery!
I'd earlier stopped by an ATM to buy my
this-and-that. So I dropped back by my Greek shoemaker over on
Gulf-to-Bay near Belcher with that dollar. He was excited to see
me, but not because I brought him the money. He grinned, jumped up
and brought out a grimy little cup -- I think it was the lid off a
shoe shine spray can -- and dumped its contents on the counter.
There it was -- still another collecting adventure. What was all
this old stuff?
As Nick's radio aired celebratory Greek
music, we looked over his findings -- coins, a single wire earring,
various other small metal pieces. One by one we read the words on
the metal items he'd found over the years, he said, in shoes or
old pocketbooks. Not worth much except this really wonderful
sharing. He insisted on giving me his little cache. Let's see: a
1987 Canadian penny; a 1983 Asian? penny; a 1991 Polish 10 cent (?)
piece; a 1995 Chucky Cheese token; a Whitman Toy Coin (10); and a
SONY battery cover for some device.
A few years ago friends in my neighborhood
on Saturdays often used to load up a couple of vans with garage
"sailors." We'd sometimes hit as many as 19 garage sales in one
morning before retreating to a restaurant for lunch! We thought
(and I still think) the real fun of it all is the fact that you
never know just what you are going to see and with whom you will
share the adventure. I never fail to talk with someone en route who
really is involved in a collecting adventure.
So you can go it alone, if you want. Folks
are really willing to talk. Have fun! Hoist your sails to Saturday
sales!
© 2008 Rosemary Lee Potter. All
Rights Reserved.
Rosemary Lee Potter is a confirmed victim
of the collecting bug and can be reached by e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or write to her in care of Tropical Breeze,
P.O. Box 585, Safety Harbor, FL 34695.
|
Front Page 
Columns 
