Estate Sale Plunder and the "Truth" about Wanda

Estate Sale Plunder

I have been waiting for inspiration to tell the tale of Wanda and my Estate Sale Adventures from last Friday. Her post that I just read was inspiration enough. First of all, let me say, Wanda and I have been "junkin" together for 10 years. We have a system. If I drive she pays for food and snacks, and if she drives the reverse is true. She has a 4 door sedan with a GPS and a back seat that lets down and I have an SUV with only one rear door that opens due to a wreck. What vehicle we take seems to depend on how much money we have and if we hope to find "big" stuff. (Mine's for big). Whoever drives puts their drink in the first drink holder, passenger in the second. This is an important part of our system as one of us is "funny" about drinking after someone else. We both carry estate sale "bags" which are large totes so we can load up fast. We both tend to go to the basement first, but always go in opposite directions. We do not follow one another around. We enter the premises at the same time. I have long legs and am a fast looker. Wanda has short legs and takes her time. After a few initial misunderstandings I have learned not to push her down and rush in first.

Now you know how we operate let me tell you how my friend, Wise Wonderful Wanda really operates. Now I've read in her blog about how she was shy as a child etc., but when she is on the trail of vintage plunder a whole new side of her character is revealed. She can toss that strawberry blonde hair and cut those cat green eyes to charm many a male seller into letting her into "that old shed in the back"... or bringing down "the things from the attic that were going to be dealt with another day".

I, on the other hand have short, kinky dirty blonde hair and am 7 years older. Her 4'11" height is much cuter than my 5'5" fluffy physique. So who did I send to ask the "hot" young policeman directions for this estate sale that had eluded us, why Wanda of course!. She claims not to have noticed what a cutie he was , but as you can see fron the picture she sure was smiling about something!!! Maybe she liked his pistol.OOps, Trashy Lena coming out.



Wise Wonderful Wanda and the Policeman

We did find the sale from the map Birmingham's finest had drawn for her, and I scored some good junk. The sale was being held by two middle aged brothers who were trying to pay off their deceased Mother's QVC bill and the expense of her cremation. They were making a fortune, they said, on Ebay, selling Jadeite Restaurantware to the Japanese. I distracted Wanda by getting her to help them with their use of Auctiva, while I gathered up all the good stuff.(Don't tell her my trick.) I got them down to half price on the English "biscuit" tin (cookies to us Americans)which is for me to keep. Wanda had done really well at the first sale and grabbed a planter right out of my hands. I hand my revenge!



Biscuit Tin, Celluloid Clock,Vintage Books and Chippy Aqua HLC Bowl

At the first sale I got some vintage books on banking, law and accounting. Nice for someone's library. I also got an autobiography of Warren Buffet autographed by the author. There was a wonderful box of love letters written to a young lady during WW 2.I asked the woman conducting the sale how much she wanted for the entire box, thinking $3-5 would be a price worth paying. She very laboriously counted each letter and then said 103. I said 103 what? She said letters and dollars. They are one dollar a piece. I thought to myself that there was an easier way to have done this, but being Southern born and Southern bred, I said no thank you sweetly and bought other more realistically priced junk.

The highlight of the day was the lunch break we took at Savage's Bakery in Homewood, Alabama. The Reuben sandwich was tasty as was the hot tea. We had a pastry or two from the delicious selection and we were fortified to continue our quest for treasures. I love the thrill of the hunt but I love the comraderie of a good junkin' buddy just as much.


Savage's Bakery - What a selection!


The sales in my booth are going gangbusters and I can make my rent for next month!! I am so encouraged. Well, that's all for now. Check back again soon. Tomorrow is Estate Sale Friday and I've got some money to spend.
Cheers, Lena

A Neat Shabby Green Lamp (Soon to become a Candle Holder)


I made a "shabby" chenile shade for this vintage lamp.
(Soon to be on Sale at White Cat Antiques)