At the Auction

You never know what you'll find at an auction! Last time I was there, one of the the hot sellers was cast iron frying pans- I learned a lot about frying pans from the folks around me- old ones are far superior to new ones, even those in bad shape can be returned to almost new condition with some effort-and the old ones are signed by the makers- Griswold & Worrell were among those offered that night. If you haven't been- here's how it goes, from 2-5 on Auction Day, you can get a look at all the things that will be offered. You need to register at the back of the building for a number to be able to bid- you will need your driver's license to do this. At 5, the Auction begins with "Boxed Lots". These are collections of items that are similar- a box of creamers, glasses, whirligigs, figurines, tools. The bidding is a bit frenetic- and they go FAST- and CHEAP! There may only be one item that you want in the box- but you have to take the whole thing. There is a break in the action- and that is a good time to indulge in some of the best cake this side of the railroad tracks! At 6, the Auction settles down to business with small items- everything from the frying pans to porcelain to glass, vases to coins, then moves on to furniture. It takes a little time to get used to the Auctioneers cadence- but it is not impossible to follow the action- even for the amateur. A lot of items went for very reasonable prices- much to the auctioneers dismay- some are in pristeen condition- some are a great bargain if you're willing to put in a little work. I won a blanket chest for $3.50 that will need a new cushion and hinges- but for $3.50- what's a yard and a half of fabric and some hinges! At the end of the evening, buyers are invited to look through the remaining items- if there was something they wanted that had not been auctioned, you can choose it and put it on the table- the miinimum bid for these items is $5.00...so if there is something you just have to have- and nobody else does- you can get a great deal! If you've never been, I encourage you to go! Auctions are held every other Saturday- for August the dates are the 11th & 25th. You can check out the upcoming items during the week before the auction on the Brown & Thigpen website- the link is to the right- check out the terms & conditions- items have to be taken that night or on Sunday. See you at the auction!