Saturday's adventure

Here's the advertisement for a sale I went to Saturday.

"Cleaning out old Antique Store. (vague address) One day only, Saturday, 6-19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everything from primitives, depression glass, furniture, books, toys, advertising, etc. Lots of great stuff but you will have to wipe away the dust and cobwebs."

Inviting as the sale may have sounded - and willing as I am to wipe away dust and cobwebs - I was not expecting much. I was somewhat familiar with the area, whose main claim to fame is a turkey processing plant. (In my food-writing days I toured the turkey processing plant, where I learned that no matter how bad a day I was having at the office, I was not working on the evisceration line at a poultry plant, and for that I could be grateful.)

From what I recalled of the area, I thought the tricky part might be figuring which of the abandoned buildings might be the old antique store. If you've read this far, you deserve a pretty picture. Here you go:

And indeed, although there were several paint-free structures in the area vaguely described by the ad, the site of the sale was clearly marked. In the front yard was a 1960s department store mannequin dressed in a flowered two-piece bathing suit, and she was posed rather awkwardly, as if she were a soldier marching in the vast army of a totalitarian nation. It seemed an unfortunate choice. There also was a sign that said "Antique sale - Better than Bouckville." Bouckville is a very large and much anticipated antique show around these parts, so that was quite a claim.

Time for another photo.

 
The interior of the store was indeed dusty and cobwebby, and it felt a little like a combination of a Eugene O'Neill play and an episode of "Hoarders." There were I think two elderly men - although they never seemed to appear at the same time, and they kind of looked the same, yet somehow different - and they smelled of stale tobacco. There was a woman fretting aloud about having enough money for gas to get home. And then there was the most beautiful young girl, just a shining penny, who seemed oblivious to her surroundings.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" the little girl asked pleasantly. She was all of 10 years old.

I asked her if there were any Christmas ornaments. "Yes, there are," she said, and glided over to a shelf where there were boxes upon boxes of ornaments. Some of them were plain balls, but some of them were lovely. I asked her if she knew how much they cost, and she said - I am not making this up - "Let me check with someone in customer service."

One of the elderly men appeared and quoted a price that seemed, given the fact we were in a building about to fall down and not a fine antique store, absurdly inflated. We were so far apart on price that I thought it best to put the ornaments back and prepare to walk away.
 
"OK if I look upstairs?" I asked.

"Go ahead," the man said. "It's a little dusty up there."

I was about halfway up the stairs when he added, almost as an afterthought, "Watch out for the dead birds."

That kind of nipped in the bud my inclination to look around. Suddenly the thought of returning to my not-creepy, not-cobwebby house was very inviting. "If I had $20 to spend on Christmas ornaments, how many could I get?" I asked him. I've never tried this as a negotiating technique, and I'm not necessarily recommending it, but at that moment, $20 seemed a fair price for making a graceful exit.

He mulled this over. We agreed on two boxes - 24 ornaments - and I could pick and choose whichever ones I wanted from any of the boxes. I've paid less for ornaments, but I've paid more, too.

And they are really beautiful. (And big, although you can't really tell from this photo.)

I handed the little girl a $20 bill. "Thank you, and come again," she said. She smiled and waved. Driving home, I felt as if I'd gone a long way and spent a lot of time for only two boxes of ornaments. Oddly, though, the morning felt like a success.

Comments

[Tina]

Cute story! The little girl is priceless, ornaments not bad, either! ;)

[Martha]

Okay....I am kind of disappointed that you didn't go into the dead bird space, but I'll get over it. The ornaments are lovely and I think I'd really like that funny, formal little girl.

[HeidiAnn]

Well, the ornaments certainly ARE beautiful - and it almost sounds like doing business with that delightful little girl might have nearly been worth the effort itself!

[glenda]

Mercy, how cute is that?
Three old musty people and a bright penny of a child...what a word picture you have woven...I love it..
I like your ornaments, too. I would grumble about the price, but you do what you can do.
Better than dealing with dead birds.
Watch for the dead birds, indeed.
I can see you doing that u-turn on the stairs now...lol
blessings,
glenda

[Linda @ A La Carte]

The ornaments are beautiful! The little girl, priceless!

[Jayme L.]

What a strange and wonderful story! I think those ornaments were worth the price, just for the experience alone. I'll be thinking about that little salesgirl today as I dig around the thrift stores.

[Tamera Wolfe]

Gorgeous ornaments!!
There is a antique/junk/collectible "store" just like that one here locally. Stuff is PILED to the ceiling with paths through it. FILTHY!!! The owner loks like a long-haired burnt out hippie. And the prices are ludicrous!!! Went through one time and felt like immersing myself in Purell--now I love a good hunt but the dead mouse and the dead roaches covering the pyrex were a bit much.

[Into Vintage]

Why do I feel like I just walked in and out of a David Lynch movie?

I'm with you on the ornaments - I've paid more and I've paid less. Who knows what fate might have awaited them if you hadn't brought them home...

[Carol @ Old Glory Cottage]

That little girl sounded rather Stepford Wife-ish! And I quite possibly would have taken a little tumble down those stairs after being told to watch out for the dead birds. I always heed that warning. That movie The Birds gave me nightmares as a child....

[Elaine Richardson]

Love the ornaments! Always fun to hear what is happening in Oodleville.

[Brenda Kula]

I don't know how you do it, or if you just have a sense about these things. But you find the GREATEST stuff!
Brenda

[CC]

I loved your story..I can see that sweet little girl in a dusty old store...and somehow rising above it all with grace. She will do well in life...and I would also have paid $20.00 for those scrumptious ornaments.
They are quite simply wonderful..

[countryshab]

Allright - I have a total picture of these 2 old men. Love it.

[nanette]

Very twilight zonish. I would go through that for christmas ornaments. oh yes I would.