Auction Time

It's been a long time since we attended an auction, but this weekend we decided it was time to get back into the bidding.

We started the weekend with a quick trip to a flea market that happens only once a month, one we've never managed to get to because it seems like every weekend that it's open, we've been busy. Only a few vendors were set up but I found some great deals on vintage glass.

Probably the most intriguing finds were these two paperweights. They are clearly tagged with old Blenko labels but I'd never seen any like them attributed to Blenko. I posted a photo of them to a Blenko group online, and those serious collectors had never seen any like them either--a nice score. I was also happy to find the MacBeth-Evans Monax cups and plates. And of course, I had to get the little coal carved owl.

Lots of great things for the booth, and a few to keep, like the old pitcher in front which will be added to my collection of Early American Pattern Glass pitchers.

The Friday night auction was at a place new to us, a nice drive out in the country. We took a route that took us across our county's only covered bridge, just because, you know, it's so cool to drive across it. When I was a substitute mail carrier, one of the routes I did included this road and I often stopped to eat my lunch beside the bridge, and walked across it, watching the water flow beneath and thinking about all the people, wagons, horses and so on that had been across those boards.

I saw a good reason to be at this auction on AuctionZip: amberina glass! Also known as tangerine if made by Blenko, this is probably my favorite color, and the online photos of items in the auction included some that just about stopped my heart. And I came home with most of it.

These, I think, are the most likely Blenko items with the exception of the. Don't you love the way this glass looks like fire in the light? I have identified two for sure as Blenko, but am still working on the others.

Both auctions yielded goodness:

A lovely old oak secretary that needs a little love to make it shine,

four split bottom chairs,

two old Eastlake style chairs that will be off to the upholsterers soon,

 A lovely little oak chest that needs only a couple knobs replaced,

an old treadle machine that will become a table, and the drawers sold separately,

a neat old vintage bike in almost pristine condition and a newer model box stove,

an oak Mission-style shelf that needs some cleaning to bring it back to life,

and all kinds of other amazing things. The tea cart in the photo below was a find from my trip to Buffalo, NY, and the coat tree and the tall lamp were purchases from a thrift shop but the rest was all from the auctions--

 like these McCoy planters, old crock, the cider jug and the chick feeder,

and these two awesome oak kitchen clocks complete with their keys and pendulums. There were also three Griswold skillets and lots of other assorted goodies--two Amish buggy lights, cast iron stirrups, etc.

Here's the base of the lamp. It's actually a jade green slag glass, darker than the photo appears. Larry put a new plug on it today and it works great.

Don't you love the stopper in this jug? These two crocks were also from one of the auctions.

It was fun to get back into bidding again. We got lots of nice things for our booths and even a few things to keep for our home, and we saw friends, met interesting people and had a great time.

Today I am back into the painting projects, and it feels good to be back to that work too. I'll post pics of the two pieces I'm working on now as soon as I get them done. Meantime, we're loading the van for some booth restocking later this week.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.