The Coolest Thing That I Have Picked

We went picking yesterday.  This is a tough time to pick here on the tundra because it is cold and snowy.  But we had a lead so we headed north.  A couple of weeks ago we had left a brochure with a guy.  He didn't have anything but that he would give it to his dad who had stuff.  Well, dad called and we were off to see his stuff.

Dad was about 8o years old,  He had worked for the railroad and his dad had been a superintendent for the railroad.  We strolled through the house negotiated and bought a number of items.  Searched the basement and bought some more.  Some railroad books, 2 caboose lanterns, a couple of signal lights, a huge 1880's blue transferware platter, an Oriental rug were put on the list.  We went outside to the shed and bought a few other items.  Then dad said there is something in the garage that you may want to see.

In the middle of the garage on the floor sat an intact locomotive headlight complete with the three glass engine number plaques.  Apparently he wasn't going to show us the headlight unless we passed the earlier tests in the house and shed.  Well we passed.

The headlight was from a steam locomotive.  It was a Mallet Yellowstone Locomotive built by Baldwin for the Duluth, Missabi & Iron Range Railway in 1943.  It was one of 8 Yellowstones that were the largest steam locomotives at that time and used to haul war essential iron ore from the iron ranges to Duluth and shipment to Pittsburgh.

We have never seen a fully dressed locomotive headlamp that was for sale.  We negotiated, we bargained, we feinted and we joked.  We bought the headlamp.  It is the coolest thing that we've found in the 2 years that I've been picking.

After the sale dad called one of his friends.  We visited Don and filled the truck with the picks from his garage.  We also made a date to visit again after New Years to scour more stuff from Don's stash.

All in all it was an excellent day for picking here on the tundra.

Mr. Flannery

Its 4 Days in November at Second Hand Rose

Our monthly 4 day event at Second Hand Rose in Buffalo, Minnesota will start next Thursday.  As is my wont I finished getting my space filled and all the exceptional junk priced today at the last possible minute.  I have my usual eclectic mish-mash of real antiques, homemade lamps and quirky "where and why" pieces.  A few photos of my space panning from east to west follow.

On the eastern edge is the curved galvanized metal cover from a large hog feeder, with skis, oak buffet parts and a rusty barbwire wreath.  Two big hanks of rope are at its feet.

The back wall include a homemade, folk art style, cupboard, and Al Mohler painting, 1940's duck prints and my homemade industrial style lamp on a small table.

A super 1914 plat map for an area on North Minneapolis sits next to an orange metal parts bin.

1930's Santa sits on a handpainted abstract table.  The metal tower is encircled with twinkle lights (and creating the white spots reflected on George.

 Lots of tables on tables and stools next to stools.  The rug is a 1930's Persian with wonderful rich colors.

This should be another great sale.  The rest of the shop looks fabulous and in Roses tradition, very color coordinated and Christmasy.

Mr. Flannery

More Treats than Tricks at Second Hand Rose

Well its occasional sale time in Buffalo, Minnesota.  I completed my monthly task of getting my  ten pounds of  hogs into my five pound space.  I took a different tack this time and I have upholstered pieces and lots of color.

 Starting on the East side of my space with an antique washbowl stand on top of a small size buffet.

 A small yellow settee sits on a big orange coffee table and next to antique oak center table that was painted a fashionable green 75 years ago.  The oil painting over the table adds chunks of color.

George sits above a pair of Victorian Eastlake upholstered chair that are on a giant library table with two huge drawers.

 Under the library table is an antique oak console table that has been reduced to coffee table height and a colorfully striped stool.

 Another green painted antique table, coffee table and airplane prop.

 A great big nut is in the center of the stretcher, with tons of framed items to sort through.

The chart is a colorful periodic table of elements printed on metal.

 The panoramic view of my space.

Here hoping for a good sale.  With our four days per month sales format we have only a small window to make our sales work.

Mr. Flannery

The Heaviest Thing That Isn't a Tractor

My penchant for attending an auction and buying the heaviest thing that isn't a tractor has been transferred to the online auction world.  I bought this fabulous 3 drawer library table online tonight.  It is massive, approximately 7 feet long by 3 1/2 feet wide with five massive fluted legs.  I have to pick it up and haul it home in the next couple of days.

Mr. Flannery

Update: I picked it up at the online auction site yesterday. It is BIGGER than I thought. It is 8 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. It is solid mahogany and each of the 5 legs must weigh 30 pounds. It would not fit through the doorways assembled, so I had to take it apart. That's OK because the auction people will not help you load and I was by myself. After a great deal of huffing and puffing and restings and sitting I got the pieces into my truck. This process finalize my plans for the piece.

It was going to rain and I could not unload this beast into my house by myself. I called Jami at Gypsy Lea's and asked her if she could take it at her shop. That worked, so I headed to Sauk Rapids. Luckily it was a one doorway path to installation and Jami really helped a lot with the lifting and tugging. It looks great but I have some cleaning and polishing to do before it will be ready for sale.

Now that the truck was empty - I headed for an auction. Oh my!

September 2014 at Second Hand Rose

Well its that time again.  The monthly sale at Second Hand Rose starts on Thursday, September 4th.  I have my space finished and ready for the hordes of customers that we hope will decend on the shop.

This is a shot of my entire space from across the aisle.

I like the classroom print of George and the school band gong stand.  They are sitting atop and next to 3 different coffee tables.

Two 1880's Victorian chairs are levitated above the tables.

A great Victorian gable end piece of fretwork seems to have the profile of a stealth bomber.

A handpainted Federalist America fireplace screen.

The screen sits on an elegant 1948 Zenith radio/phonograph.

A copper plated pot rack hangs infront of a nice kitchen cupboard with its original shelf paper.

The big primitive orange painted table is on the bottom.

A metal rolling medical/dental cabinet with a stainless steel top has a chrome plated snare drum used as a centerplace bowl  on it.

A green chippy painted scaffold stand (looks like a ladder) is behind a small oak lecturn.

The blue painted cubby with drawers sits on a rolling restaurant stainless steel cart.  There is a green painted metal tool box with a wood fitted interior on the lower shelf of the cart.

Its going to be another good sale at SHR and I will be working on Sunday.

Mr. Flannery

Dirt, Dust and a Little Mouse Poop Too

We went picking today. It was interesting because we had the truck filled before noon. First we stopped at a recycler. I bought the stand for a yard windmill. Kris wraps these in small X-mas lights and sells them in November and December. Chris, my fellow picker, brought a metal shipping casket. We figure that will do well in October. We dropped the windmill off at my parked truck and proceeded to freelance. Ultimately we found an old farm. The owner didn't have anything, then he was going to send me the neighbor to look at a plane collection. As we were driving off we spotted an old work bench and a metal sign in the garage. I went back to the house and the dealing was on.

The bench was a wonderful old carpenters bench from the turn of the 20th century. And it was gigantic. Over 8 1/2 feet long and two different screw vices. It was piled with 30-40 years of stuff. I dug it out and Chris and I finally separated the top from the base and grunted it into the truck. It hung out of the truck by a couple of feet. We then attacked the base. Along with the casket, it completely filled the truck. We strapped an old Schwin on top and we were done. I was completely exhausted and covered with sweat, dust and crap. It was a good day.