Sometimes when you are out picking you have to be flexible. Last weekend was such a time.
Being the weekend before Christmas there we not many sales. The professionals here in the Seattle area tend to stop hosting sales from mid December. Once we hit the new year the Estate sales return.
Anyway, there were a couple of sales so we decided to venture out. The first place we wanted to go to we arrived late (only 1/2 hour before the start). When we arrived we saw a long line of people filling the street in front of the house. So while I tried to find a parking spot my partner; Dany went to sign us up. Turns out we were 75 and 76 on the list.
What we saw in the preview of the sale didn’t prepare us to see such a large group of buyers at this sale. There was great stuff, to be sure – but the crowd seemed extra large for the size of the property. I think it may have been partly due to the fact it was the only sale starting that early on Saturday. (Normally there are several to choose from).
We decided not to wait – at 75 & 76 we might as well come back the next day on half price day. Let the folks who were there at 2:00 a.m. to start the list have it – we needed to move on.
The change in plans meant we could go across town and check out another sale. When we arrived there was hardly anyone there and we managed to get our names on the list at 6 &7. Yeah! I love being one of the first ten in. It seemed all the regulars were still in line at the first sale. LOL>
The sale was a very last minute affair – the sellers were asked to put it on just a couple of days before – so it was a bit of what we call ‘a digger’. Most items were not cleaned or priced and the items were found just where the homeowner left them. No rows of neatly displayed items on tables, etc. Just tour the house and look through the yard & garage. Just the way I like it.
This RCA box has accordion trays that fold out you can see it here
The owners are in their 90’s and moving to assisted living. During his years of employment, he was a TV & Radio Repairman. I love finding boxes and suitcases, so this sale was a delight. Dany and I went straight to the repairman cases.
This Zenith Repairman Case is made of wood by the Knickerbocker Case Corp – for sale here
Of course, once the work the repairman’s work is completed it’s the time to pay. Pre-mobile this was done using an Moore Register.
This More Portable Register still has invoices inside. It’s for sale here.
Another find was this great Fidelitone display case. What a great piece of vintage advertising for the record or phonograph collector. It was designed to be used on the counter of a store to display needles.
A great display piece, for sale here