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Saturday, August 25, 2012

Auction Fail



After a couple of very successful auctions . . .
if by "successful"  we mean, getting
great stuff cheap . . . I got to thinking that all
auctions would be as, well, successful.


Turns out, they are not.


On Saturday, Howard and I got up long before breakfast,
and trekked for 3 hours along the wilds of the Merritt Parkway
and I-91 to an auction house in Windsor, Connecticut.  

Where they had some gorgeous things up for grabs.


Some of which we bid on, raising our bids to what we thought were
reasonable levels.  And found out that in Connecticut,
they speak a different language.
Reasonable there means really really expensive!

Can't you see Professor Higgins lounging in this easy chair?

 There was period furniture, a ba-zillion old clocks,
piles and piles of lovely old silver that's probably
going to be melted down and sold for its weight, and china.

Lamps, figurines, and some jars.  Like these.
 
One bidder asked if the guy in the picture was included in the lot.  Umm . . . no.  Sorry.

I loved this Empire chest with its wonderful
Sandwich glass knobs.
But someone else loved it more.  :-(


 One of the few bargains of the day was this armoire, below,
from Lillian August.  A copy of a French antique.
It bears its original price tag inside:
more than 14-thousand dollars.  Yeah.  Gasp!

 But there's not much market for giant armoires, and we could not
fit it into the red minivan . . . so one bidder got it.
For a hundred bucks.  Sigh.  One bargain, and it didn't go to me!

Live and learn.  Or, maybe, bid and learn! 
We are staying overnight in Windsor, and I'm using the hotel
wi-fi to share my tale of woe, but tomorrow it's back to the 
Land Of Craigslist and Cheap-o Auctions:  Good Ol' Jersey.
Sleep well, my friends!  Cass

The images in this post were taken from
the website of Nadeau Auctions in Windsor, CT,
from its online auction catalog.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Cass - I guess this is a tale illustrating that the grass isn't always greener...A good experience tho cause now you will be even more happy when you get a steal! J

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  2. You poor, poor girl! I have NEVER found a bargain anything in Connecticut. xo Diana

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  3. Sorry it didnt work out ! have a great weekend

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  4. Love, love, LOVE that giant armoire, though how I would get it home to Central Wisconsin or where in the WORLD I would put it if I did I know not.

    But at that price - - - I'll take two, please.

    ;-)

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  5. Originally more than $14,000 ?!?! - No Way ! At $100 - I would have done my best to get it home.:-D Sorry you did not have better luck at the auction. I have been to a few auctions, but prefer going to a sale where I can see a price tag. If not what I want to spend, I ask is that your best price - if still out of my range - I move on.
    Hope you have better luck at the next sale.
    Enjoy your weekend.
    Glenda

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  6. Cass, I've enjoyed catching up on recent posts tonight. You've got some good auction stories and beautiful pieces. Have a fun day tomorrow.

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  7. Perhaps I need to go antiquing in New Jersey! I did find that actually on our trek last year the prices were not all that different than what they are in the Midwest! But you do have some lovely things there that we don't have here!

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  8. Visit Linderhof -- there's a surprise!

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  9. It's been ages since I was at an auction. Most of the stuff in our house came from auctions up and down the Main Line, especially in Chester County. The odd piece was an import from New Jersey!

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