Fair warning. I tell LONG stories… and this post is no exception. Just scroll to the bottom if you’re on the hunt for pics!

I decided to check out a local auction this afternoon. Let me tell you – I was NERVOUS. I haven’t been to an auction since I was a kid… and my Dad was there to bid on things for me. For the first time I had to be a big girl and do it myself. Eek! They were already a half hour into it when I got there so I grabbed a number and joined the crowd. I watched packed flat-bed trailers full of small boxes be auctioned off for about 2 hours before they got to the things I was interested in.

The auctioneer moved to a small trailer loaded with linens. I happened to thumb through a box right in front of me and WHAT! Hidden a couple pieces down was a GRAIN SACK! The bids ran up to $7 and the winner took her choice of boxes. Whew… not the one I wanted. They took bids again and this time it ended at $4 for choice of boxes…. still no one took the box I wanted. Could it have been the HIDEOUS dishcloth on top that scared them off?  The third time around the bids stopped at $3 and I jumped in at this price. I ended up ditching everything else in my box and walked away grinning from ear to ear with my grain sack!

After linens they moved on to tables full of home decor, knick knacks, antiques and plenty of Man-Schtuff (hunting, camo, tools, etc). I threw a couple bids up for some crocks but never won. FINALLY I won a porcelain pot and tub for 2 bucks total. I’ll take that!

Then I saw a quirky “port hole” mirror. I wasn’t sure what I would do with it, but I thought what the heck. It has working hardware and actually opens! It was grouped in a lot with some other bits of nothingness (old thermometer, some weird mini-sewing cubby piece and some lead for pencils). Keep in mind, I’m really not even sure what the bid is… because the guy talks WAY too fast. I raise my hand and apparently win… for $3. I ditched the sewing “cabinet” and stuffed everything else in a box.

I sat back for a while and watched as they auctioned about 5 more tables off. Wait… WHAT IS THAT. Right in front of me was a box of wooden balls with numbers… basically like small pool table balls. Be still my heart! The box also included the woven corner pockets. I tried to play it cool… and watched as they moved closer to the box I was after. Are you ready for this?  I snagged those balls in a lot with some other junk for $3!!!  I’m pretty sure I shreaked when they said SOLD! (…and the laughing people around me would probably verify that).  I ditched everything else in the lot and added the balls and pockets to my stash. At left is the sneak peek picture I texted to my sister to brag. I tossed the balls in the porcelain pot and snapped away.

Next up…. Man schtuff.  Seemed like a good time for me to make a run to the car… and move it CLOSER!  By now the crowd was dwindling. I made it back just in time to snag a potato masher and crock bowl for another $3. I almost paid $12 for a masher just a couple months ago in a shop. I think they’re fun, but never want to pay the price.  I can definitely handle $3!

After about a 45 min lull in bidding for me, I jumped in on an oak chair just as they were adding a children’s rocker into the mix. Whoops! I really only wanted the chair… but I ended up winning the chair AND the rocker for $2. Yikes!  Time for ANOTHER trip to the car!

Finally we were moving on to the furniture. By this time, we were down to about 50 people watching/bidding. I liked my odds.

Have I mentioned the sun? BEATING down on me all day. I’m pale… and I DO NOT tan. (sigh)  I could feel my skin sizzling but I wasn’t about to give up. Furniture was selling for CHEAP. I’m talking dressers for $1-3 sort of cheap. Granted they weren’t fancy… and they were out-dated. But c’mon! $1!

I tried to win a bench for my sister, but she said she’d pay up to $15. Would you believe that one bench sold for $17? .. right after watching an entire bedroom set go for $35. Whowouldathunkit.  Sorry Christy! I tried! I even had some ladies next to me cheering me on as I ran the bids up without batting an eye.

I had my eye on an old blue tool box. (or is it a tackle box?)  While running to my car to put my now D.E.A.D. phone on the charger, they passed right over the tool box without taking bids. Yikes! I casually moved it over to the seat of a pair of green chairs I was eyeing up. Hopefully they’d auction it as a lot! ……another 30 mins later they FINALLY got to my chairs/box. They ended up lumping FIVE CHAIRS, a plant stand/table thingamajig, my tool box and an old basket together. I won at $12… which made me wince. And then I laughed when I looked back to see just how much they had included. I ended up selling one of the chairs for a dollar to a lady that had bid against me… and left 2 of the other chairs for someone else to take home. They weren’t my style and I was running out of space quickly!

Headed to the trailer to settle up….. My grand total. $28.  Minus the $1 chair I sold on the side…. $27 TOTAL for the day. Woop! oh and a BONUS Farmer’s Tan!  …or should I say farmer’s BURN.  My arms are tingling as I type. Singed red. Note to self – sunscreen next time.

Above: 2 chairs I purchased with the large lot. Port hole mirror (oh yeah, I broke the mirror. Wuh oh!). Thermometer. Box o’ lead. Tater masher. Bowl of wooden numbered balls. Tool Box. Random plant stand thing. Grain Sack!

Someone took the time to carefully cut and line the toolbox (or tackle box) with cork!

This is the oak chair and children’s rocker I snagged for $2.  The porcelain pot and pan were also a $2 lot.

 

Wait.  You’re still reading?  Wow!  By now my family would have come up with an excuse to get off the phone. Karen, I’m talking about YOU!  All in all… I’m VERY happy I put my big girl pants on and went to the auction solo. It’s probably a good thing I have a small SUV though. Lord knows what all I would have brought home if I had a bigger vehicle!

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