When In Maine, Go to the Auction

Since Russ is working too much I am doing things I normally would not do. This morning Warren came and picked me up to go to the preview for Bruce Gamage’s auction. I have bought things from Bruce at his shop, but have not gone to his auctions.

There were plenty of things I was interested in. Since Russ was working and Warren was going to work I decided rather than leaving a bid I would come back to the auction this afternoon. So I put my name on a chair as all the dealers were doing. When I got back to the Elks lodge, where the auction was taking place, the parking lot was packed and the chairs were almost full. Thank goodness everyone honored the little name tags on chairs.

Well, almost everyone. There was one woman walking around looking for her name. She swore someone had taken it off her chair. She ended up sitting in the second row one seat away from me so it was not so bad. Ken, sat next to me. He was a widower spending his children’s inheritance he told me. Thankfully we were bidding on different things.

As a charity auctioneer I like to help out and bid things up if I like them. This put me in good standing with Bruce. I did win two lots. One a blue antique cupboard and one corner cupboard that was not antique, but fabulous and goes perfectly with my dining room furniture. I got one at less than half the estimate and the other for a fifth of the estimate. Good thing since I have to ship them. In my opinion the estimates were low.

Other things I wanted went much too high, such as antique Flip glasses. I had never heard of them but they were very large antique glasses that were very thin walled and therefore easy to break, making them rare.

I did not stay for the whole auction because after three hours I was tired of sitting and everything I was interested in had gone. If I had stayed I am certain I would have bid on more things because the prices fell as people left.

Now I have to go to Bruce’s store to look at what else he has while I arrange shipment home. Thankfully there are no more auctions while I am here. My house is full.