I am still doing the thrifting and yard sale-ing thing, but I've also added going to auctions as a regular gig. I've gotten comfortable with the way the auctioneers talk and I've also tried to introduce myself to them so they are aware I am deaf and try to make it clear to me what the price is currently at.
I must add that we went to an auction last weekend by someone new and he did the old school-style of auctioneer speak and I had the hardest time following him. Even Andrew had to struggle to hear where he was at on the pricing. I managed to win a few things for low bids, but the one I'm kicking myself over was for a really sweet enamel-topped table with chrome legs and I thought he was saying "eighty-eighty-eighty-eighty" in that really fast voice, which was over my budget, but then the next thing he says is "Sold! $5 to such and such" Agh!!! He was saying "eight!!!" I would have gone for it!! Ah well, I have no room for another table, but I could have easily taken that table and sold it for $100 or more.
On a happier note, we went to a yard sale not long ago that was advertised in the local paper for Friday only and located inside an old warehouse. The town we live outside of used to have several factories back in the 50s-80s, and most of them have closed down. One was a shoe factory and there were several clothing places, where women would sew outfits all day long. The warehouse the sale was held at used to be one of the sewing factories and someone bought the building and wanted it cleared out.
Anyway, we go and we pretty much were the only ones there, besides a bunch of guys responsible for getting the place cleaned up. It was a dream!! It was like going in and finding stuff that had been sitting there for years, unused, and then getting it all for cheap! I spotted about a hundred industrial metal chairs with wood seats that I immediately wanted to claim as my own, but where on earth would I put 100 chairs? And just how much were they gonna cost me? Imagine my delight when the price he quoted was reasonable and I bought 20!!
The guys there were even kind enough to help me sort through all the chairs so I could pick out the best ones, pulling out the chairs that were missing the feet or had names written on the seat in markers. Apparently, the women were pretty protective of their chairs and most had names written on the back on a piece of tape or a ribbon tied around the seat back.
I'm really pleased with these chairs and I can't wait to sell them on my own in my booth or elsewhere. It's been more than 2 weeks since I found these chairs and I am still floating from the high of the find! Just in time, too, since yard sales are ending and now I'm pretty much dependent on thrift stores and auctions. Hoping to set up at a big flea market next year where I'll sell these chairs and the other items we have found.
There's an auction tomorrow we might go to. Wish us luck!!
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