While I do love my estate sale weekends, I wonder what is in our future of estate sales with a virus that seems to interrupt every facet of our lives? We already know we are mostly stepping into homes that have not been kept up. Items usually sit in an older home that might not have been cleaned in a while coupled with over worked estate sale personnel moving things about and then the buyers rolling out of bed to get inside early. It just makes for a bit of a smelly time. We know it’s going to be this way and most of us shower later after bringing treasures home. There is already a small fear of bringing home things like spiders and mites!
We shed our estate sale attire and get to see our goods outside on our front lawns and contemplate how we will re-purpose these items, re-sell them or make something new out of the wood and fabrics. Now, in the Spring of 2020 we find ourselves protecting against an unseen virus that might linger in the air along with our other smells. I’m wondering if the future of estate sales is going to change or not? Either way, we are all going to take better care of ourselves, neighbors, friends and family as this unseen virus has scared us into more protections but we also want to live our lives and enjoy life as well.
I distinctly remember one such sale last year. Old farm house – good. Off the beaten path – good. Seems organized with 3 days and then discounts at the end – good. Original tenants of over 60 years – good. These all make me want to stop in and look. This year I’ll have to keep in my car a special mask just for an estate sale opportunity with gloves and perhaps bring my own large plastic bags to carry things in – that’s always a good idea pandemic or not.
But that sale last year provided me the cutest matching table set from the 60’s. I saw one of them upstairs in a room full of creepy dolls (gasp!) – it was holding a white tv from the 70’s. Then in the barn there were hundreds of pictures in and out of frames, dining sets, cupboards (these folks might have owned an antique store at one time) and there in the back was the mate for the small table up in the bedroom in the main house. I felt like I was playing a large format game of concentration. A match! I took the one table up to the register outside and asked if I could combine it with the one in the house and offered a reasonable number for both. They said yes and sent an estate sale worker over to retrieve the other table. These are my favorite tables. Simple, 60’s style with tapered legs and cleaned up nicely. I move them around in my house and they seem to fit everywhere. You cannot say that about most bits of furniture.
Now, that house was very smelly. I am always polite entering homes as some of the estate workers are actually family members and they are eagle eyed against theft – rightly so – so my motto is to “get in, look around, get out.” I wonder what the future of estate sales will be if we will have to limit folks entering? I’m sure whatever arrangements are made, we’ll line up like troopers for our treasures. It’s the curious part about the hunt for treasures – my quest is not yours and that is such a thrill to see someone else walk by and item I want! Perhaps the mask situation will aid in my big smile being hidden now instead of hiding my joy of a great find!
It’s the thrill of the hunt after all. And, who knows? I might find an old gas mask in new condition.
Happy treasure hunting! – Jan