Memorable picking grounds

[tonyb]

This seems as good a forum as any to tell of the more, um, interesting(?) people, places, and circumstances you’ve encountered in your searches for vintage stuff.

A dozen or so years ago I arranged to meet a guy in Tacoma who had listed a bookcase for sale. I met him at his home, a craftsman style ****alow dating from the 1910s or ’20s, I’d guess.

He led me to another house much like it, directly across the alley, which served mostly as his storage unit. It was just crammed full of STUFF, furniture mostly. But crowded as it was, it wasn’t a haphazard array, and it wasn’t landfill fodder. The fellow knew what he had there, and where it was, and had stories of how it came into his possession.

I didn’t buy the bookcase, but I did buy a nice midcentury chair for 50 bucks, I think it was.

 

[So33]

I answered an ad for dining room set. House was nice mid century. Lady had good quality furniture sets to fit a few homes. Said she cleared her parents, her in-laws and aunts estates and couldn’t part with the Heirloom furniture. Unfortunately people want new stuff from Ikea or Costco instead of the real craftsman made in USA. On that subject last week I went with my Son-in-law to pick up an Ethan Allen wall unite she was buying for $180. Lady selling it had in drawer receipt from 1993 $5,326 purchase price.

 

[scotrace]

My then-mother-in-law once bought a small dresser at an upscale auction. Getting it home, she took the drawers out to clean it and found an envelope taped to the bottom of a drawer containing several hundred dollars.
"Always carefully search any old piece you buy," she told me and I always have, though without her good fortune. She was a fine woman, a good friend and teacher. We explored many estate sales together and I learned a lot.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

At one time estate sales at retirement communities was a great place to find vintage toys because they would often have them for their grandchildren to play with when visiting.