ESTATE SALE EXTRORDINAIRE!!

I left my camera on the kitchen counter when I left quite early for the super Estate sale this past week-end. Instead I will leave you with photos of my "sock" bird feeder and my collection of birds, along with other shots related to birds down here in Tucson. This larger red toned finch just arrived and scattered the eight smaller finches that were enjoying an afternoon binge!

So, I left early Saturday morning quite excited about this estate sale in south Tucson. China, glassware, paintings, figurines and knick knacks galore in a very small home. A magnificent collector. It took 10 workers, 10 days to clear the house, clean, price, tag and organize the sale. So much stuff they had to display outside in the backyard and fenced side yard. Oh, Heaven! I had to use the navigator in the car, bless my husband for getting the extra package!, and drove for 40 minutes. I arrived 25 minutes early and was shocked that I had to walk a bit under a half mile to reach the sale, past all of the parked cars. This was at 7:30 AM!! Oregon sales start at 9:30 0r 10:00 because it's dark!!

Yes! I spot the tell tale flags! There are people everywhere with bags, baskets, buckets. I am not prepared for this adventure. Oh... get a number. I ran up to the front, no easy feat, and grabbed the next number #123! First, it is Eileen and my vendor number at our shows, second, I will never get into that house!! But I could watch human nature at work. My next favorite thing at estate sales. The first wave was split in two, half into the house, half to the back yard. The house could only hold 50 shoppers. Whoo-whee, I would make the second wave. One of the workers came out to announce that there would be no shoppers allowed into the house from the back yard until the house had cleared a bit. Wait your turn. And if you had an item written up on a sales receipt, it was yours, no putting things back as other shoppers may have wanted that item too. Wow, this was serious!

I did find a few things outside, an old spur for my collection in the "cowboy bedroom" here, and a very old hay hook for the same room. Beatrix Potter pieces for my grand daughter. I will start her collection now and then add to it on my trip to England this summer. Some very sweet china figurines that will be added to the website soon, a few linen pieces and very old aprons. The house was incredible, I don't know where the lady was able to sleep. There were many sets of china, silver ware sets, glass collections, expensive paintings, rows of lockers outside, chests piled high, clothes of all kinds, purses, tables and tables of purses and shoes. It was amazing. The line outside was probably 50 shoppers long. Very organized. My items were gently taken in the house, written up, bill given to me, while my items were wrapped and packed into boxes outside. Of course it was a bright sunny day. With rain, as in Oregon, this wouldn't work for many more months. It was a great time, of course I was missing my partner in crime, but we will have much to do when our products reach home!