Just a Norwegian Auction

I went to an auction on a family farm just outside of Willmar Minnesota yesterday. It was an estate auction selling out the decades of accumulation of a guy named Fostervold. So I was assuming that it was just another Norwegian immigrant (a couple generations removed from the old country) farm auction.

As is my wont I was about an hour late in getting there and of course I had my valet parking spot about 100 feet from the auction site. Mike and Kris were already there, standing dead center about 10 feet in front of the auctioneer. They already had a mound of junk piled in front of them. Kris was so excited, this was the family farm, the guy was her father's cousin. And there was a trunk made by her father, on the lawn in front of the house. She WAS going to get it. So now this was more than some Norwegian farm auction, this was family.

Kris' story of the auction is here:
http://secondhandrosebuffalo.blogspot.com/2010/05/story-of-kris-and-her-dad.html

I filled the truck with some good buys. A two piece kitchen cupboard, an oak hanging cupboard with mouse chewing on the bottom, two initialed immigrant trunks, Fiesta dishes, 2 Red Wing blue stoneware pie plates, 1920's steering wheel knobs and 1950-70's license plates.

I bought three Sioux brand steel drawers at a garage sale on the way home from the auction.

The mixing bowl is cracked and well used, with lots of crazing and stains. (Much like Mr. Flannery himself, I might add).

I bought a stack of more recent license plates. These are not the real collectible plates, but they are for years that should match the birth years of our customers at Gypsy Lea's.

It was a fun time and watching Kris tear up when talking about the trunk, other family items and long lost family re-encountered, made it a special day.

Mr. Flannery