Tuesday, April 16, 2013

My First Estate Sale

Saturday morning I noticed a man putting up neon yellow estate sale signs in my neighborhood, and I decided I would give it a try later in the afternoon.  I am 99 percent sure I have never been to an estate sale, at least I have never been to something like this!  This was a whole new experience. 

I arrived about five minutes before it was to open, at 9:00, and I found the yard full of people.  I took my number, 18, and got in line with several people who were angry they had to stand in the grass.  At about 9:02 they all started yelling at the front door that it was time to open.  Nice. Then they all started to talk about the lady who had died that lived in that house.  Nice again. 

People went nuts, like Wal-Mart on Black Friday nuts, when the doors opened, and I just stood back.  Maybe they knew something I did not, but I was not that eager.  Inside, there was a lot of cute antique furniture.  In the kitchen several people were unloading all of the contents of the kitchen cabinets into their baskets saying "I guess this is what it comes to, your life as a yard sale.  It is a shame."  The sentiment was not slowing them down from loading up with $1 vintage Pyrex . . .

I finally escaped the vaguely creepy house and found the freestanding garage in the back yard.  That is where the interesting stuff was, including a HUGE antique, hand crank ice-cream machine that someone had already picked up for $30.  I picked up the fan for $5!


I wish my picture of how dirty it was turned out.  It was GROSS!  Looking online, I am guessing it is from the 1950's.  It is Westinghouse "Made in the USA."

I did plug it in, and lets just say that was an electrifying experience.  It is just for looks!  Maybe one day I will open it up and fix the wiring.  I am guessing there are exposed wires in the motor. 

1 comment:

  1. That fan is totally fabulous! I bet you would pay a ton for a knockoff version at a store like PB or Restoration Hardware. Amazing find!
    Krista @thehappyhousie

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