billjustbill
Bronze Member
Following the Friday the 13th good luck finds, the next day, "Saturday The 14th", I stumbled upon a silver mine of more Silver Holloware...... I can't seem to find this silversmith's pattern name, even with the number stamped on the bottom. Here's yesterday's adventure....
It was at a community sale. We were early, so we started in the back streets of the housing addition. The people had moved in less than six months ago and had an interesting amount of things at the end of their drive way. When my wife and I are early, we remember to always ask, "MAY we come look?" Most sellers appreciate being asked before strangers invade their property.
The late 50's couple were busy and the Mister was using his pickup to load from the garage door and simply let it roll down the slanted driveway to the tables at the end. When you do that, just remember the power brakes are not Power Brakes if the motor's not running, so it takes much more push on the brake pedal. After a skip or two of my heartbeat, he did stop the truck before splitting apart the long plastic tables that were angled inward and a like event normally seen in the local bowling alley's "Big 4 Split"... Following that moment of excitement, the nice lady said, "Well that was close!" as she pointed back to the garage and continued, "There's a few more boxes of things just inside the garage door. Ya'll can go on up there and look. It's probably safer up there..."
One other buyer, apparently a young mother, was in an even dead heat to get to the garage at the same time. As we dug through the boxes, she said she was looking for young children's clothing as my hands opened the last box. A large 20"x20" by 16" deep box had yellowed crinkled newspaper sticking out the folded box top. Inside, it was more pressed and molded over the exposed edges of metal pans.... She walked toward the now arriving garage sale lady asking about children's clothing and shoes....Whew! As they talked, I dug.
The first piece was an eye-catching squatter than normal silver teapot. I quickly cleared the yellow newspaper away and turned it over to see the bottom.... The bottom was fairly clear of black oxidation and the first word I saw was "Sterling". Suddenly, the air became thin and my chest felt heavy. The next thing I unwrapped was another teapot. Same design, but larger and the word: "Sterling". The air was even thinner and now an 80lb. bag of Maximizer concrete mix weighted on top of my chest. The owner lady came over, so I managed to ask, "What would you take for the whole box?"
She paused. Then she said, "I'll take 80 dollars."...
Now, not knowing what else might or might not be in there, I stayed kneeled on what was now one numb kneecap and said, "I don't know how much or what pieces of silver plate are in there. Would you take $60 dollars?"
An even longer pause she took, and I caught myself realizing I hadn't breathed since I ended my offer. She said firmly, "I have to have $65 dollars for the whole box!"
My mind raced with the background sound of the "Bionic Man", then I inhaled as I slowly raised my knee off the floor to stand up with the creaking and popping sounds of a "67 year OLD Man" and reached for my wallet. I thanked her as I handed her the money and paid her. As the correct change passed between hands, I felt a rush of Adrenalin. My heartbeat would have gotten a speeding ticket on the Autobahn!
Rearranging the metal pieces I scooped up the large dusty and dry box. It was inwardly funny to remember how quiet the three $20 dollar bills and one $5 dollar bill were passing between hands compared to the now clanking, rustling, and rattling noise come from inside this bulky box all the way down the steep driveway!
Spread out on a table after getting home, all the pieces in the front row photo are made by "Bailey, Banks, and Biddle". The front row is solid Sterling. One teapot is stamped "Two Pints", and weighs 14.89 troy ounces, the other teapot is stamped "Three Pints" and weighs 23.87 oz.t. The pics show the rest of the weights. Behind the front row are rows of Weighted Sterling.
It's been a great Spring season for Garage Sales, but it appears as if my "Overhead Costs" are going up.... If it gets any better, I guess I'm going to have buy a "Life Alert" tag necklace, portable Oxygen tank, and a portable De-Fib machine.
Bill
It was at a community sale. We were early, so we started in the back streets of the housing addition. The people had moved in less than six months ago and had an interesting amount of things at the end of their drive way. When my wife and I are early, we remember to always ask, "MAY we come look?" Most sellers appreciate being asked before strangers invade their property.
The late 50's couple were busy and the Mister was using his pickup to load from the garage door and simply let it roll down the slanted driveway to the tables at the end. When you do that, just remember the power brakes are not Power Brakes if the motor's not running, so it takes much more push on the brake pedal. After a skip or two of my heartbeat, he did stop the truck before splitting apart the long plastic tables that were angled inward and a like event normally seen in the local bowling alley's "Big 4 Split"... Following that moment of excitement, the nice lady said, "Well that was close!" as she pointed back to the garage and continued, "There's a few more boxes of things just inside the garage door. Ya'll can go on up there and look. It's probably safer up there..."
One other buyer, apparently a young mother, was in an even dead heat to get to the garage at the same time. As we dug through the boxes, she said she was looking for young children's clothing as my hands opened the last box. A large 20"x20" by 16" deep box had yellowed crinkled newspaper sticking out the folded box top. Inside, it was more pressed and molded over the exposed edges of metal pans.... She walked toward the now arriving garage sale lady asking about children's clothing and shoes....Whew! As they talked, I dug.
The first piece was an eye-catching squatter than normal silver teapot. I quickly cleared the yellow newspaper away and turned it over to see the bottom.... The bottom was fairly clear of black oxidation and the first word I saw was "Sterling". Suddenly, the air became thin and my chest felt heavy. The next thing I unwrapped was another teapot. Same design, but larger and the word: "Sterling". The air was even thinner and now an 80lb. bag of Maximizer concrete mix weighted on top of my chest. The owner lady came over, so I managed to ask, "What would you take for the whole box?"
She paused. Then she said, "I'll take 80 dollars."...
Now, not knowing what else might or might not be in there, I stayed kneeled on what was now one numb kneecap and said, "I don't know how much or what pieces of silver plate are in there. Would you take $60 dollars?"
An even longer pause she took, and I caught myself realizing I hadn't breathed since I ended my offer. She said firmly, "I have to have $65 dollars for the whole box!"
My mind raced with the background sound of the "Bionic Man", then I inhaled as I slowly raised my knee off the floor to stand up with the creaking and popping sounds of a "67 year OLD Man" and reached for my wallet. I thanked her as I handed her the money and paid her. As the correct change passed between hands, I felt a rush of Adrenalin. My heartbeat would have gotten a speeding ticket on the Autobahn!
Rearranging the metal pieces I scooped up the large dusty and dry box. It was inwardly funny to remember how quiet the three $20 dollar bills and one $5 dollar bill were passing between hands compared to the now clanking, rustling, and rattling noise come from inside this bulky box all the way down the steep driveway!
Spread out on a table after getting home, all the pieces in the front row photo are made by "Bailey, Banks, and Biddle". The front row is solid Sterling. One teapot is stamped "Two Pints", and weighs 14.89 troy ounces, the other teapot is stamped "Three Pints" and weighs 23.87 oz.t. The pics show the rest of the weights. Behind the front row are rows of Weighted Sterling.
It's been a great Spring season for Garage Sales, but it appears as if my "Overhead Costs" are going up.... If it gets any better, I guess I'm going to have buy a "Life Alert" tag necklace, portable Oxygen tank, and a portable De-Fib machine.
Bill
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