Electra Glide in Blue

Damn I hate the weather here in Minnesota. I attended a good looking auction on Sunday. It rained, it snowed, the winds blew hard. There was a good size crowd and apparently they liked 1930's walnut furniture. 3 piece bedroom sets that generally sell in the $100 range sold for $500 and $625. A 1930's oak parsons dining table with 6 chairs, usually selling in the $80-100 range, made $375. One of the auctioneers said to me "furniture seems to be doing well today". I ended up buying some lamp shades and parts and some old door hardware.

The bigger injustice occurred on the way to the auction. I was driving into a small town area just before the auction site. I was doing 42 mph slowing from the 45 mph zone that preceded the town. There sat the police. It was 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning. And apparently the limit had just lowered to 30 mph. The lights went on, I pulled over on the shoulder and out she stepped. Like Robert Blake in Electra Glide in Blue there she was, 5 foot nothing and maybe 100 pounds with her entire bat utility belt included. If I was carding her, I would have questioned whether she was old enough to drive, let alone carry a gun. I don't know if its my genial attitude or my snow white hair, but she told me to slow down and have fun at the auction. No ticket, no warning, no nothing. What an angel of a little girl.

Mr. Flannery

The Hog's Pen at Kari's

I set up my small space at the Kari's Red Barn Minnesota last night. The sale is in a real barn, what better place for my hogs? The first 5 photos are of the Hog pen. Not a garland, snowman or cute saying painted on old wood to be seen anywhere. Some of the other more elaborate, stylish and saleable spaces, decorated for the fall and well coordinated with the shopper's tastes are shown in the other photos.

The Hog Pen





The Roses




I just hope that Kari's sale is as successful as Gypsy Lea's sale was last week.

Mr. Flannery

The Dining Room Box Looked Great

I painted the convertible buffet/dining table a nice satin black from Walmart. I think that it looks great.

I brought the piece into Gypsy Lea's for the October occasional sale. Fortunately at least one customer thought the item looked great too. The sale was the best since we started in May. By Sunday morning we had sold so much furniture that there was enough bare space to hold a dance. I was planning on hauling some of my unsold pieces to Kari's Red Barn Minnesota sale this week in Maple Lake. The bad news was that I didn't have much inventory ready for Kari's, the good news was it was unavailable because it sold at Gypsy Lea's last week.

Mr. Flannery

Cats in the Sack

It seems that the many cats who are still at my house think that sleeping on my bed is a good thing. My cat, Gracie, is the tri-color on the right.

Mr. Flannery

Dining Room in a Box

Its been a long time since I updated this blog. Sorry but it seems that real work and real life caught up to Mr. Flannery for a while. That and a lack of inspiration and general malaise related to economic and political issues that seem to be overwhelming my outside activities. Anyway I am going to try to post to the blog more often.

I have a wonderful piece of furniture that I have decided to call a dining room in a box. It is a Duncan Phyffe style buffet with a china cabinet at the bottom surmounted by a felt lined silverware drawer. Then a pull out table and 4 additional leaves. The table will pull out in one section as a small desk or out all five leaves to almost 8 feet long.

Unfortunately the top is badly scratched and the front is sun faded. I am going to paint it black and send it to Gypsy Lea's for next week's monthly sale.

Mr. Flannery