Since January I’ve been doing a bit of scavenging. I am on the estatesales.net mailing list. I always check out anything local or within say 150 miles. Scouting the photos, I occasionally see something that peaks my interest. Such was the case on a cold February day. I noticed a sale that featured Redware, and some very good pieces of furniture. My house is filled so, the chances of me finding a new piece of furniture that I can accommodate, are slim to none. If I bring a piece home, two things need to happen. I need to know what it is going to replace, (that means selling something) and where it will land.

I got myself in gear, with heavy coat and gloves and prepared myself to stand in line in the freezing wind. Upon entering this split entry home I headed to the living, dining room and saw some great pieces. Blockfront chest I would have loved, an antique tilt top table that had a pretty patina, hmm? I then headed into the kitchen and I saw a glass bottle with a tax stamp, it was in a light green glass which I had never seen before, and another small bottle that was a hand blown bud vase. At 12 and 8 dollars I quickly grabbed them up.

Treasures in tow I headed down the stairs where there were more antiques. A nice bedwarmer, a great very long handled huge ladle, a nice 19th Century end table, some copper and the Redware.

In search of Redware, I found two small slab plates with sgraffito, a small bud vase and an interesting small bowl with a yellow glaze. Again 12.00 seemed to be the price of the day. Yes I will have those. Then I saw a lovely smallish copper mold. I had seen one several months ago in Bellevue, that I didn’t buy, and had been kicking myself. At $25.00 I had to have that too! Absolutely no will power. So not true!

Then the time for decisions came. What would I do about the tilt top table upstairs. I knew I didn’t want to pay its listed price of 195.00. Did I need this table NO. Did I want this table? You bet!!!

I went upstairs to pay my tab and look at the table again, and I walked away. Went home with my small treasures, very content to have something new to play with. But, that table kept speaking to me. I said to the husband, I’m thinking about making an offer on a table I saw at the sale. Of course knowing the situation in our home, the first words out of his mouth were, where are you going to put it. I explained to him that we could loose the TJ MAXX rope table down stairs, move the round tripod that is in the living room and put it there.

Then the antique tilt top could go in the corner by the Welsh Cupboard. I called, and put in an offer. At estate sales it has been my experience, that you have to put your offer in at a 40% under the price. Later that day I got a phone call stating that the table was mine. I brought the table home with its beautiful patina and quirks that antiques often have. It stayed in the corner by the Welsh Cupboard exactly one month. I never even got a picture of it in play. It looked so much better than the smaller table that was there.

A couple weeks later I was perusing the estate sales.net website and I found an amazing sale in midtown. Stuffed full with antiques and primitives. On that Monday I was doing my online sales at ALO and one of the members asked if I had been to the sale. I said I hadn’t, she informed me there were tons of telescopes and the house was filled to the gils. Did you say telescopes? It was funny because as I was finishing up the lower level refresh, I wished for a telescope to hang over one of my paintings. I decided to run over there for the last day of the sale.

Standing in line waiting my turn, I was analyzing this very humble home, with its wonky front porch and broken concrete stairs. In midtown this is a neighborhood that is on the cusp of great house. Amazing the difference a block or two can make. This one was quite run down but, the treasures within were remarkable. I have never seen so many antiques in a home in my life. More hoarder than by design. Every surface was packed. On the last day of the estate sale they usually will have 1/2 price day. This particular company does it on items less than 100.00. I asked where the telescopes were and was told, if there were any left they would be on the mantle. There was just one. A beautiful scope, brass with leather in nice condition. It was a 4 draw so quite big when extended. It would have been perfect for over my antique painting. Price 195.00 not bad but more than I was willing to spend. I asked if they would take an offer and he said he couldn’t do it, as they intended to have another sale. (Which I have seen no sign of.) They could easily have had 4 more sales and not dispersed all the stuff. Crocks, pewter, paintings, marvelous furniture, so much stuff. There had to have been 10’s of Thousands of items in this house. That day I went home empty handed and quite disappointed, but now I know I’m on the look out for a telescope.

About three weeks ago I was up at the Bernina Store. It is not on my usual path, as I travel about the city. I decided while I was up there that I would stop into Restore. You just never know. What’s this? A round pedestal chippendale style, tripod table with a a gallery around the nicely shaped top. Wow that’s lovely. Considerably beat up finish. Well, I don’t need one of those. Price 35.00. To bad!

But you know how it goes. I was being haunted. I didn’t go after it. For two weeks I thought about that table. Then I was at my sister’s house, telling her about this table. Yeah you guessed it, I caved! The next day I made my way up to Restore and said to myself if it was meant to be it will still be there. If not so be it.

When I walked in and started scoping out the situation, there was sooo much stuff. Just there, buried by other furniture sat the table. I had to weave, pull, and drag my way over to this table. Hmm, French bergere’ chairs sitting right next to it. Wish I had a client that could use those. I sat down in one to get to MY table so I could check it out.

Flipping the table over, I determined it was vintage not antique as the table was secured with Phillips screws. Phillips came out in 1932. Turns out Slotted screws have been around since the 15 Century. Who knew! Also on closer examination I noticed one of the legs was loose and appeared to have been badly glued. No worries I can fix this. You’re coming home with me!

My intension was to fix the leg and paint the table. When I placed it in the corner next to the Welsh Cupboard, I loved the scale and proportion, and actually liked the brown. I decided to live with it for a while. I may strip it and either do a raw wood look and just wax it, or go for a more walnut stain. I don’t know yet. Sometimes it’s better to take your time and move slowly. This is a great table though, and the ball and claw foot is something I never in a million years thought would grace my home.

So what did I do with the antique tilt top? Moved it into the bathroom. The table that I had there was always just a place sitter. I paid 22 dollars for it in a Columbus NE junk shop. The tilt top is sublime, and elevates the bathroom to something special. Which was always my intent with this tiny space. The old square table will get sold, I hope. If not it will go to Restore.

It is amazing the difference a simple 2″ can make in a piece of furniture. The tilt top was 28″ and the smaller tripod now downstairs was only 24″. The Chippendale is 30″ and fills the corner by the Welsh Cupboard nicely. So what do you think? Would you have brought home these two tables? Let me know in comments.

Thanks for stopping

Shelley