Does it Need Paint?

I bought this center island(?) cart on wheels last Thursday at Miller's Auction. It is in reasonably good shape and has been cleaned up?

So the question is: can I put it right into the shop or does it need to be painted first?

Mr. Flannery

Command Center V 3.1

I fired up all the components of my office last night to get a good after dark photo of my command center.

There are 3 HD TVs, 2 CRT TVs, 2 computers with 4 monitors plus 2 printers and numerous drives and other accessories. Its all connected and working. I think that I am ready to for a NASA launch.

Mr. Flannery

He's Out -- Why Doesn't He Keep Going?

Mr. Flannery

I May Be Getting Desperate

I may be getting desperate. The auctions have been few and far between and each is stuffed with other dealers and auctionholics in need of inventory. The pickin's have been pretty slim and most of the "good" stuff has been selling for prices that are higher than my retail sales point.

Last night I may have purchased clear evidence of my desperation. I bought this umbrella stand. I think that it is Weller pottery. but I haven't done any research on that yet. As you can see, it has a few minor chips.

The whole damn thing is poorly glued together. Oh my! As I said, I may be getting desperate.

Mr. Flannery

ARGHHHHHHH!!!!

Yesterday was the first full day of Spring. The snow had all melted (except where it had been piled from clearing the driveway). The mud was caking to Babe's gigantic Labrador webbed feet. And I was contemplating actually doing some Gypsy Lea furniture projects outside on the driveway.

Then there was last night. Six inches of the damn stuff. And its everywhere. damn, daMN, DAMN!!! And here, in the theater of seasons, 3-4 more inches today and tonight.

Mr. Flannery

I Found an Auction Today

I went to a Johnson Auction at Block's near Spicer today. It was very crowded when I got there and anything decent was going for more than retail. Now I attend a lot of Johnson's auctions, but he is slow. I was about an hour late, so I missed the first 15 items. The auction started at Noon and I left there all loaded at about 6:30 PM. It was still daylight when I got home, so that is a nice sign of Spring. I am ready for the outside auction season and the farm auctions to begin. Right now there are too few auctions and too many dealers hungry for merchandise to make the auctions a good place for me to shop.

I bought my usual eclectic range of items, some will be brought into Gypsy Lea's tomorrow, some will need a little work and a couple will go on eBay.

These are Doc Martens shoes, brand new and ready for eBay. They are a kind of combat sandals as best I can figure.

This is a little 1950's jewelry or make-up case.

I may have paid too much for this cast iron base scale, but it is pretty cool.

The two metal things are chimney sweep brushes. I think that I am going to make them into a couple of hanging light fixtures.

There were two of these lodge chairs that I liked a lot. They sold for $310 each which I think is more than I can retail them for. They did not come home with me, but another dealer, who must have a much richer clientele, bought them.

I got this oil on canvas for a good price.

And this corner cupboard is mine too.

I didn't buy this chair but I put the picture here to see if I could scare Gypsy thinking that I was going to bring it into the shop.

Mr. Flannery

UPDATE: The Doc Martens are size 8. I just put them at Gypsy Lea's on Monday morning.

Some Auction Finds

I went to the Miller auction tonight. I bought a bunch of interesting junk. Mostly old and metal and heavy. My favorite piece is this Jacuzzi access panel. I'm not sure what I'll do with it but it makes me smile when I see it.

These bronze owl andiron fronts are very cool. Maybe I'll use them as the front legs on an old trunk.

Mr. Flannery

Oh My! Gypsy Lea's Opens Tomorrow

One day before the opening for the March sale. And we have a ton of stuff to get done. Kris has been sick, I have been AWOL, Gypsy has been struggling with the other dealers to get things in place. I finally showed up yesterday, mostly to watch Dona, Katie, Kris and Gypsy bust their butts to get things in place. Things look good, but they will look great before Thursday.

Here are some photos of the preliminary set up for March:

Mr. Flannery

It was a Hot Time in the Old Town

My mailing address is in a small town named South Haven, current population 202. The town was a booming railroad city in the 1920's at a crew change point. It had almost 1200 people, banks, a newspaper, hospital, lumber yard and other accoutrements of civilization. It is now is a vestigial city with empty and derelict buildings, the post office, a gas station and the municipal liquor store.

Last night while returning from a trip to Gypsy Lea's in Sauk Rapids and Italian dinner in St. Cloud, we saw a giant pillar of black smoke. We encountered a large number of fire trucks and County Sheriff's squads all a glitter when we entered the town. A derelict old building on Custer Street (named when the town was organized in 1880), the two block long main drag, was fully engulfed in flames and smoke. Firefighters from South Haven, Kimball, Watkins and Annandale were pumping water and saving the post office. (The white building to the left of the fire.)

This was the most excitement in town since the 2 block long parade last summer. Even the inhabitants of the muni were out on the street, beer glasses firmly in hand, watching the building blaze.

Mr. Flannery