I'm not sure why I find this sort of stuff so engaging, but I do. The history? The wonder at times past, ways gone, ways of seeing that are different to what we do now? The stories it could tell and in its own way, does?
I picked up something from this market to furnish the (as yet unprogressed) studio, and I'm convinced from some thoughtful market research at op shops and junk shops that if I can't obtain most of what I'll need in terms of storage/tables etc from such sources, I'm not trying. It's greener, too. And I'll enjoy the quirkiness of it, this goes with that Because I Said So.
In one shop I visited today, I recently saw something I'd never seen before (of course, that can often happen, but this was particularly different) - a low trolley, a thick metal tube formed into a round-cornered rectangle. And the label said, "Piano Samson". I'd never heard this phrase, but isn't it logical? Piano moving is a specialist art, pianos are heavy beasts, and who better to name a specialist piano-moving trolley after than the biblical strong man, Samson?
Vintage things left behind today that I'd loved to have bought: a double Adirondack chair (sofa?) painted white, the paint now wearing a bit ($95); a green painted round table, kinda Arts and Crafts, solid and a handy size (36in diameter, 24in high) ($20); several terrific mid-twentieth century curved triple-fronted wardrobes, with a lick of paint and some shelves they'd be great studio storage (all under $100); two vintage dollhouses, needing cleaning up and a little work (under $30 each); several sturdy, steady four-seater wooden tables (between $50 and $100), some tin canisters with porcelain handles and lovely labels for tea and sago and suchlike ($48)...
I saved a fortune (but I do regret that round green table, it just wouldn't fit in the car - next car's got to be a station wagon!).
If you click on the mosaic, you'll be taken to a larger version so you can see details more clearly.
1 comment:
I love old stuff and trolling around for it. My husband and I have a booth in an antique store which allows us to keep shopping and not overload our very small home.
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