Collector

I have inherited the "collector gene" from my parents (who inherited it from their parents!)

My mom's main collection is egg plates and cookie jars.

My dad, well, we all know about my dad's collection habits, although, you may not know about the silver spoons or the brass bells...

I have grown up going to Finders Keepers, Yard Sales, The DI, The Swap Meet, Auctions, and any other place that sells "treasures". The best part is coming home and showing off your "goods" to whoever in the family decided not to go.

The saying in our house is "If it's free, it's for me!" When I was younger, if my grandparents took us to yard sales, they gave us $1. The game was to see what we could get or how far we could stretch it. Jackie (my littlest sister) has acquired the best technique for getting a bargain. In fact, my dad started taking her to auctions to bid for him. This started after he realized what an asset she was... At a school district auction she wanted Spelling books, so my dad told her to bid. She bid $1 and no one had the heart to bid against a cute little girl. From then on, at all of the auctions, she got whatever she wanted. She had all the guys wrapped around her little finger!

My favorite bargain I got at a Swap Meet was a set of porcelain Snow White and the Seven Dwarf figurines that still sit on top of my dresser. They wanted $10 for them, and I talked them down to $5!!

Sometimes you get lucky with a bargain, like the figurines... and other times, not so lucky, like an auction where my dad bid on and "won" 50 pairs of size 9 narrow army boots! (which we still have a few dozen of!)

Even now, I love going into charity shops, salvation armies, antique fairs, and I am hoping to start going to Car Boot Sales this summer. I get sooo excited at the deals I can find!

In fact, just Sunday, in my latest adventure, I walked into an Antique Fair and look at this little treasure I came away with. (Sorry the picture isn't great.) For only £1, this cool, metal thimble has a little man standing on top next to a light pole. The light has a crystal that looking straight on, it looks red and from the sides, clear. He is standing in front of two bags. The left one says "nuts", the right has indents (probably for the needle). On the front of the thimble, there is an engraving of a horse and carriage, and on the back a light pole is engraved.



Hmmmm, maybe I will have to start a thimble collection, this just might be my first of many! ;)