Auction: SCORE!

There was a big estate auction last Saturday. Steve got hired to work the two days beforehand, picking and sorting. There's a lot he can do from a chair. He let me know some of what was going to be sold. I stopped by and looked it over. We made lists, set budgets per item, put in absentee bids, one of the best ways to avoid missing something important when you're busy doing your own job at the same time.

How did we do? Does it say anything that I called Paul to take one load home in his car at the end of the auction, loaded another box plus in the back of my car among and between the two disassembled scooters and Steve, and made three trips (two by a friend in her nice big SUV) on Sunday to finish hauling stuff home? (Did I mention this auction was 50 miles away from home, and an hour each way?)

Her two trips were for a glass display case and a hutch, both for the living/dining area in Arizona. My second was for a lawyers bookcase, the kind with glass doors that lift up and slide back in. A pair of boat anchors went on the passenger floor of my car as well, forgotten the day before in the chaos.

Paul took home a pair of totes, one with a wok and an electric heater inside, the other with a collection of Louis L'Amour paperbacks. He also took home an electric dryer, since the house has a washer but no dryer. I suspect we'll need to hire an electrician to make it usable. I think the last one was gas down there. They threw in a laundry basket and a covered wastebasket with the dryer, so those went in his car as well. We can always use another.

The box in the back of my car was full of cooking pots and pans: two full sets, both non-stick, nearly new, glass tops. Plus a colander, one honking huge kitchen knife, and a flour sifter.

I almost got a wet tile saw. They had ten of them, boxed. However a kindly little bird put a bug in my ear: these were store returns, and if ten of them, all identical, came back, they must have had some issues. I'd likely be throwing my money away on one. So, even with three rooms to tile eventually, I passed on those. Maybe we'll plan to rent one when the day comes. Maybe there'll be another auction with tools.

Right now the big items are out on the screen porch, covered by a tarp which never quite made it to the top of the RV this last winter and got repurposed. The pots are packed in the two totes and have joined the stacks of stuff accumulating in the living room. Steve's reading his books. The anchors wait for a ride up north to go on Steve's boat, sitting at one of his son's houses.

Are we broke? Let's just say Steve came home ahead, salary vs. spending. I managed to spend less than $70 over my one-day salary. Well, unless you count paying towards gas for the trips to haul it all home and paying for us all having a nice dinner together at the end of the day. But still, well worth it.

Next auction is in two weeks....

Might be time to dig through stuff and find more to sell. Hey, unless somebody comes up with a waterbed frame. Or just the right color recliner in my size. Or maybe....