A Trip To The Auction

Derek and I are becoming regulars at these weekly Saturday auctions at Villiard’s. Just the week before we had been there and seen part of what would be at this week’s auction, which included more salt and pepper shakers than I had ever seen in one auction before.

More than intrigued, we decided to come again this weekend and this time we brought along the girls.

We had discussed how the auctions worked with the girls, and they have attended other auctions with us before (as well as have been to countless rummage sales, made numerous trips to thrift shops, etc.) but I doubt they were really prepared for what they would see for this was a very large auction day indeed.

The number of shakers at that early preview likely added to the increased number of folks at this auction, but there was also a greater number of high end items. In fact there was more than one estate or owner involved and so much stuff that they had two auction rings going at the same time. (Maybe it’s because Derek wrote about it here too. lol)

All of this meant a very large, noisy crowd and more chaos than usual.

We had about a half an hour for the viewing, and took in as much as we could of all the items.

This auction had lots of ‘girly stuff’ — more than usual, I thought. Lots of figurines, angels, garden ornaments, linens, vases, paintings, tapestries, lamps and home decor etc.

Of course there were old banks, advertising items, clocks, vintage pens, and collectible cars (always a staple in this town).

And there was more furniture than usual as well. Antique armoirs and secretary desk sets as well as retro kitchen tables and vintage bedroom sets.
(Furniture is always a heartbreak area for me as it always goes cheaply but is still more than my disposable income and house space will allow. But I just hate to see such lovely old pieces go for less than a cheap Target piece does. I dig my nails into Derek’s leg whenever it goes so cheaply that I fear I will bid — he prefers the marks to paying for all the furniture.)

Allie quickly picked out a collectible figurine of a woman in a flowing blue dress, so Destiny decided she wanted another woman from that series in a black dress (siblings :sigh:).

Derek and I both fancied this large antique oil painting of a pretty woman. Very large, especially when you consider that we do not have any wall space in our home, but it’s an auction — who knows what will happen?

I spotted a set of vintage posters from a costume maker, with their original mailing tube. Even though they were in black & white, this table also included vintage move posters, and I figured based on the number of people standing about and looking at them all, that they’d go too high for my pocketbook.

Derek had his eye on a few boxes of photographic equipment.

There were fewer boxes of ephemera and photos than usual, but since these are his favorites, he found them quickly.

I was smitten with an old chalkware vase, with a classic Grecian relief design. It was pretty, but not in the best of shape with chipped paint, a few cracks, and one arm broken off. I didn’t care; it just added to the authenticity and charm of an old piece. Derek too liked it. At first he thought it might date from the 1870′s, then considering the resurgence of such designs, perhaps from the 1920′s or 30′s. (I say it feels like the 1800′s, but then I just loved it.) Either way, it’s ‘old.’ We both thought given it’s less than perfect state we just might have a shot at it — at least on any other week, but with this many people it was a long-shot.

Since there were two rings, Derek and I each got our own paper biding ticket (each with the same number) so that we could split up. The boxes Derek had his eye on were on the tables with some boxes of odds and ends (which he thought not only might be of more interest to the girls but which would be more affordable for them), so he and the girls started at the secondary auction ring in the back and I kept our seats and focused on the main ring with the ‘higher end’ items. This main ring included that chalkware vase.

In fact, that vase was in my line of sight for most of the auction for our seats were just 3 rows from that front display table. Such proximity made me anxious — the more you look at something, the more you love it and start to imagine it in your home, the more stupidly your bidding goes. I kept trying not to look at it.

The large lady oil painting came up early. The auctioneer recounted that when he had sold this painting to this family before, it had gone for over $300. He pointed out the tear which had been in existence at that time, but had not worsened, and tried to start the bidding at $300. No takers, so he went to $200. Then $100. I started to sweat… He tried to start bids at $50… Eventually at $25 he had a bidder. I wondered what to do… I was dying to bid but was too aware that I had no idea what Derek would think or what he may have already spent. I looked over toward Derek but his back was to me as he face the other auctioneer — and there sure wasn’t enough time for me to get there and back, this was a live auction. I kept my arm down and I know I flushed crimson when the painting sold for $25 — I was so ashamed I had not bid. (Derek later confirmed my sorrow over the ‘loss’ but we both agreed that we had no reason to believe that the bidder wouldn’t have gone over our budget anyway.)

Anxious myself with all the noise from all the people and the distractions of two auctioneers, I wonder how Derek and the girls are doing so I turn to look at them. Even though the auctioneer is still running the first area I see them walk to the next set of tables — they leave what they think is ‘junk’ and seek good positions for the next round. I hear that auctioneer say, “Who wants in for a dollar?” and I see the roll of costume posters & so I scoot over.

“Are these available?” I ask. “Yup.” I hold up my number, “I’ll take ‘em,” I say. I walk back to our seats to deposit my posters and their original mailing tube in our box and two ladies say, “Hey, those are cool posters.” Without thinking I gleefully say, “And only a dollar!” You should have seen their faces! (I don’t have a photo of that, but if you look in the dictionary you can see one next to the word “jealous.”)

After an hour or so, the girls returned to the seats to watch from a more comfortable position. Not long after, Derek returned as well — with one box of the photo equipment he had wanted. He went back, won another box of old photos, and then returned to watch the main ring with me for ‘his’ auctioneer had finished up with the tables of vintage items and moved onto more household stuff and other items we aren’t usually interested in.

The figurines the girls wanted came up. The larger one in a blue dress sold for $15, $5 more than Allie had said she’s spend. The smaller one in black sold for $45, way over Destiny’s $6. Destiny also ‘lost’ a vintage fuzzy bobble-head horse (sold for $8 when she said $6).

But the girls got over their disappointment when Allie won a Willow Tree ornament for $5 and Destiny won a pair of license plates for $1.
Also of note, a large framed Pletan painting (I didn’t remember his name, but I instantly recognized those deer and sent Derek to look for the signature) sold for $30 (as we recall).

The crowds had started to thin a bit. The front tables were down to very little and one of the auction workers was busy putting items together in lots.

It looked like the vase I was interested in was going to go into a lot auction which isn’t a very good thing because then I end up bidding against others who want other item(s) in that box and things can get nutty. So I went and asked the lady if she’d put that vase up on it’s own. She said, “Sure,” and a few items later, there it was, on the auction block.

It was go time.

I don’t know at what amount the auction started. I don’t know what my first bid was. I’d like to say I was in a zone, but now it’s all a blur. I know I put my number up and bid. I know I sat fixated staring at the auctioneer and nodded instantly everytime he came back to look at me. I know I nodded/bid $20, $25 and again at $30. I know this because my limit was $30 (that’s all we had left by then). I know that there was one other bidder because he or she was doing $22.50 and $27.50.

But I don’t remember anything else but going for it and concentrating not to nod once it was over $30…

But I won it at $30!

I’d like to believe that my style of unwavering nodding/bidding intimidated the other bidder into quitting, but I’ll never know.

All I know is I won and I am thrilled to add this grand old plaster vase not just to my collection, but put it in my home where I can look at it and love it.

And whenever I look at it, I’ll always remember our family day at the auction.