Sunday, February 22, 2009

On the Road - Slip Sliding Away

Kris, Mike and I traveled together to an auction in Windom, Minnesota. Windom is about 180 miles south of here. It snowed the night before and there was white out level blowing snow in a few spots on our route. I drove in 4 wheel drive the entire trip because it was slippery enough to push us sideways in 2 wheel drive. Of course when I reached 80 mph, the side slip was diminished.

The auction was in a small, WWII army surplus Quonset hut turned dance hall. And the goods for sale were no better than the photos in the bill and kinda disappointing. The best piece was a primitive corner cabinet in old crackled paint. I had decided that I would bid as much as $400 for it. Well it was sold near the end of the auction. Prior to that time I bought a box of old gas station maps, nice vintage but mostly dirty and torn, for $5 and a lithograph tin 1930's world globe bank for $9. Then came piles and pieces of junk that were neither interesting enough to consider nor cheap enough to buy.

The rows of 1970's furniture and overbid occasional tables and coat hangers with hearts occupied the auctioneers for about an hour. Then they got to my cupboard. I pulled myself out of the swivel rocker recliner that had induced a near television watching haze in my head. The auctioneer asked for $300. No takers. Finally it opened at $100. Then, with my arm poised to bid, 4-6-8 hundred before I could even react to the $100 start. I never even got a bid in. The damn thing sold for $1450. Which is about twice what I considered I could get for it retail at Gypsy Lea's.

Kris and Mike bought a few things. We were happy that we had not bothered to drag the trailer with us for all the furniture we were going to buy.

We stopped at the Indian casino on the Upper Sioux Reservation on the way home. We had a wonderful buffet dinner and slip slided the rest of the way to Flannery Bay. Another nice trip, good company and rotten auction with Kris and Mike.

Mr. Flannery

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