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Yesterday’s post by Suzanne Enoch about her collection made me to think about what I do when I’m not writing. Other than reading research books, my favorite thing to do is attend estate sales. Because this is Florida, most estate sales are living estate sales — the owners of the property are usually moving in with one of their children or into an assisted living center, and so they’re in the process of combining households or thinning out their possessions. Because of this, many of the sales consist of decorative items and collectibles.
I’ve purchased some very cool things at estate sales. A bracelet made entirely of coins from 1942, a number of Victorian and Edwardian era compacts, a set of brass opera glasses, a Turkish brazier, marble table lamps, antique scones, and even a mysterious large steamer trunk that took me about two days to break into. (FYI: The trunk hadn’t been opened since 1935 and held a huge amount of antique lace, some of it from Paris, and an old silk parasol with an ivory and wood handle that was evaluated as originating from early to mid-1800. A true treasure!)
But as cool as these things are, I don’t go to estate sales for the items. I could get those from any antique shop in the city. No, I go to estate sales for the stories I find.
For instance, in one house, hanging in the front hallway was a WWII aviator’s suit looking just like the ones you see in the movies, made of leather and lined with creamy fleece. I’d seen one of these in person, but it was in a museum and no one seemed to know who it belonged to. And I couldn’t see it up close, either, as they always display things far away, and often from behind a glass wall.
The aviator's suit
No uniform hanging behind a glass wall ever made me wonder about the man who’d worn it.
One sale I went to was a foreclosure. According to the woman running the sale, the owners had gotten wealthy very quickly over a three year span. They’d poured money into the house and, one year after it was built, they lost all of their money, and the house, too. It was a huge, overly ornate castle-looking house covered with dark stone masonry and decorated with a turret and horrible gargoyles. It looked more like a movie set than a real house. A corny and predictable movie set, at that.
Ornate, aren't they?
The woman running the sale told me that each tile had cost the owner over $2,500, and there were hundreds of them lining the floors. As I walked through the house, I tried to imagine the newly wealthy owners cooing over the details of their expensive decorations and colorful walls. How would it feel to be suddenly wealthy beyond one’s wildest dreams? How giddy would I be if that happened to me? Would I also ask for an ornate castle with Spanish chandeliers and French tiles? A two-story library with a mural on the ceiling? A marble pool with statues pouring water into a hot tub?
Where does one stop asking for more when there’s no limit? And how does one go back to living in normal-man-land after the breathless thrill of owning it all?
Snow White
Walking through that house, I had the distinct impression that they were a joyous couple, and that those walls had rung with laughter. The rabbi and the Disney princess. Tell me that’s not a story.
Have you ever been in a house or seen an artifact that ‘told’ a story? Have you ever visited an historic sight or someone’s home and discovered something about them from their decorations? What story do you think your decorations and collections tell?
57 Comments on “Pssst. Let me tell you a story.”
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To be honest if anyone saw my stuff they would be in all likelihood concerned about if I had a story to tell or not because it’s all eclectic and a real mish mash of different things that caught my attention.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:08 am.
Kelly, there’s probably more rhyme and reason that you think. Some of the houses are intriguing simply because it’s hard to define the personalities of people there, but little by little, you sort of figure it out.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:51 am.
I think your house should absolutely tell the story of you. My Eldest–17 and an expert on everything, just ask him–informed me that my decor did not match. I told him it absolutely matched me, from the Regency era framed prints to the botanical candles to the elephant plate. Everything has a story or has touched me in some way. it makes me happy. And that is enough.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:31 am.
Also, I really want to read the story of the rabbi and the princess!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:32 am.
Me, too!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:56 am.
Deb, I have a mish-mosh of historical and fun things, too. I love to mix antiques with mordern items. It updates them and freshens them, to avoid that ‘Is this a mortuary?’ feel that straight antiques can give a place.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:03 am.
I also think I’d buy a book titled The Rabbi and the Disney Princess.
We once went to caves in Missouri where the James Gang hid. Got a story out of that place!
My house seems to tell the story that I don’t decorate beyond family pictures. Which I guess tells its own story.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:05 am.
Oh, Lori, I’ve heard about those caves! I bet you got more than one story out of that place, too.
Lol about your house. But I bet there’s far more of a story there than you imagine!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:16 am.
Decorations totally tell a story about the person!! I think it’s a ton of fun to talk with my Grams and Great Aunts about what’s in their China hutches. They have a story about EVERY item, know where they got it, who gave it to them, why, etc.
It’s a ton of fun! Sometimes it makes me a bit sad–I feel that my generation is one that picks things that are completely expendable–sometimes it makes we wonder if we’ll keep what ever plastic or pressed board item that we bought to display later? Probably not–it’s cheap, expendable. So does that mean out China hutch will be empty? Or will it just be filled with more cheap stuff that has no meaning what so ever (that, my friends, is a scary glimpse in to my brain….).
In any case, I think the craziest place we’ve visited for a collection of “stuff” was the House on the Rock in Wisconsin. That place is INSANE….it really makes me wonder about the man who collected to excess.
Happy Thursday!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:14 am.
Haley, I used to do the same thing with my grandmother and great grandmother. And wow, did some of their items have stories.
I hope that our current generation venerates the items of our past. I know that my daughter drools over the family china and lovingly snuggles into the chair I inherited from my grandmother, so I hope there are some out there who do love a sense of history. Of course, since she was a two year old, she’s been sleeping in a bed that was purchased by her great grandmother in 1905, so maybe that helped.
I’m going to have to look up this House on the Rock. I’ve never heard of it, but what an intriguing name!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:26 am.
I would SO buy and read the story of the Rabbi and his Princess!! What a beautiful life story they must have had.
I love estate sales. I don’t come across too many, mostly your average ‘garage’ or ‘moving’ sale. I actually LOVE going to those. On the flip side though, I absolutely despise HAVING them.
I’m usually not too much of a bargainer when I go to them unless they have several things I like and I bundle them or they’re asking retail prices. When HAVING them, it drives me bananas when you are selling a pair of jeans in great condition for $2 or a kid’s bike for $10 and they want you to take less. Seriously???
I love going to all of the old Missions here in Texas. The most famous is the Alamo, of course, but there are so many other beautiful ones. There is one that I think are just amazing to tour in Goliad, Nuestra Señora de la Bahía del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga founded in 1722. In Texas history, what happened in Goliad is as famous as what happened at the Alamo and the memory of those massacres was a battle cry for the Texans in their fight for independence. Our history may not go back as far as some places across the pond, but it’s still pretty cool.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:28 am.
Oh and my house is every bit as eclectic as I am. I have a ton of books, warm and comfy decorations and furniture, and some whimsical and silly collections of knick-knacks and movies.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:30 am.
Sounds lovely!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:40 am.
Julie, ah, the art of the bargain. I love to haggle. I figure the worst thing that could happen is that they could tell me no, and then I’d pay full price, which (to be honest) I usually am.
I can see that I need to plan a Missions Tour of Texas. What a terrific place to go to touch history!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:38 am.
Karen, when you’d walk into my house, you’d probably think I’m a very disorganised person. As I don’t always find the time to clean up, things are laying around, like books, newspapers and magazines, a pullover in the middle of construction, …
But in my attic room I have some items with stories tied to them. There’s my great-grandfather’s Larousse Encyclopedia, which I inherited from my grandfather. It only goes to 1876, the year of the war with Prussia. My great-grandfather’s wife was Parisian, and she had gotten this encyclopedia from her own parents. Must be a collector’s item, I think, but I’ll never throw it away.
And there’s the handmade gun my eldest uncle made during Word War II (he was in the resistance) and the bayonet which my grandfather used in Word War One. Luckily there’s no blood on it…
I also like to visit historic places, and last year something funny happened. We were visiting the castle in Cardiff, and as there were practically no other visitors, we had time enough to look at everything. When in the library, we were looking at the old volumes and an elderly gentleman came over and asked us if we were interested in those. We talked for a rather long time about books, and he told us how the family had gotten by these books. When we met another guy later on, he asked us if he could help us or if we had any questions. We answered, no thanks, the other guy has explained everything already, and he grinned and said, ‘Oh, the duke. Did not know he was in the library.’
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:36 am.
Ohhhhhh, Nickie, what TREASURES!
And oh my gosh about the duke!!! How cool is that? Makes you wish you asked about the family ghosts, doesn’t it?
I need to go to Cardiff. Badly!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:26 pm.
My husband and I lived in Paris for a number of years and absolutely fell in love with the Impressionists. I did a large needlepoint replica of Renior’s “The Two Girls at the Piano” and one of Fragonard’s “The Young Girl Reading.” We also have other prints of the Impressionists. In addition, we loved visiting the Grand Canyon and other parks and have an unusual piece of copper on one wall and sandstone on another. My husband is a huge rock hound and we have large pieces of amethyst and other gemstones on tabletops and in the corner of one room. Someone may say it’s a big collection of mish mash, but it’s a reflection of the experiences of our lives and we love it.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:07 am.
Connie, wow, what lovely memories! It’s so nice to collect items from places you’ve been – each one sparks a memory, doesn’t it?
I think all good collections are mish-mashy. Otherwise, they’re predictable and no fun at all!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:30 pm.
What a delicious post! I loved hearing your spin on the observed details. And I’m jealous of that bracelet.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:12 am.
Thanks, Barbara! And it’s an beautiful bracelet as all of the coins are hammered into slightly dome-like curves. I get so many compliments on it — and I got it for $3! Not a bad deal!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:37 pm.
I’m so jealous! What fascinating people/treasures you’ve found!
My house tells the story of my life, of my parents’ lives, of my grandparents’ lives, of my husband’s family going back four generations. There is nothing in my house that lacks history or meaning. Everything else is just junk. If it doesn’t tell a story, it’s worthless (said the purger).
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:22 am.
Claudia, knowing your strong familial connections, I bet you have tons and tons and tons of history sitting about. And I love that ‘if it doesn’t tell a story, then it’s just junk’ theme. EXACTLY. I’m very careful what pieces I buy. They have to ‘fit.’
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:39 pm.
I think most things always have a story behind it, whether you look for it or ask about it is the question.
When I was young there was an elderly man who lived alone in his farmhouse, had a barn (you know the scary neighbor that always yelled and was the making of so many horror stories to the other children “Mr. Maine will get you”). When he passed, his family opened the house and barn for auction – the amazing collection from a victrola that looked and sounded new to a carousel in the barn that worked and lit up. All of these treasures hid within his home. I remember hearing that he was extremely wealthy and that on his children 25th birthday he gave each of them a million dollars – this is the same man that live in a farmhouse, who rarely ever came outside, and apparently had a lot of stories within his walls.
I often wonder about Graceland and what made a person decorate their home like Elvis did- Although I think Hemingway’s home in the Keys really speaks about the man and how he was.
My decorations and collections show I am eclectic, that I have taste, a passion for the beautiful and the arts. It would tell of my love for books and learning, that I have an eye for the rare. They would all tell their stories.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:27 am.
Carla, oh I know that neighbor. I’ve had two like that, one while growing up and one when my kiddos were young.
It sounds like you’re a treasure collector, too, and have found some amazing thing. Good for you! Maybe one day someone will walk through our houses and wonder about our lives and perhaps, if they’re lucky, figure out a few things about us.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:44 pm.
My house would say that I am the exhausted owner of an Australian Shepherd puppy with baby gates, all over the house, to prove it.
Every home tells the story of the homeowners. If it doesn’t then I am not sure I want to know them!
The Rabbi and the Disney Princess is a lovely title! I can’t wait to read it.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:38 am.
kez, lol! Oh, the puppy years. I remember those far too well. They do leave their mark — in more ways than one, too!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:21 pm.
I’m going to have to say that one of the most interesting houses I have been in was my grandparents’ house. My grandmother, Mimi Florence, was a HUGE circus fan so all throughout the house there was circus items and her office upstairs was The Circus Room. She had had striped fabric hung from the ceiling that made you feel like you were in a circus tent and there was a round table in the middle with a pole going up to the center of that fabric. There was a trapeze hanging in the corner and all sorts of memorabilia displayed: horse shoes, elephant bells, costumes, posters, etc.
Upon entering that room, you knew you were in for some good stories.
I think my house tells people I’m a little eclectic and like to travel… and that I have a fondness for Disney
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:54 am.
Sheridan, wow, a circus fan. Now that’s unusual. I know some people who collect old letter and they’re just now reading about a lady who, as a child, was stolen away by a circus performer and became a part of the act. Pretty interesting stuff!
I’ve always wanted a room hung with curtains like that. How cool!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:23 pm.
I have been to a lot of historic homes… But I have not been to any estate sales… I know a friend bought a beautiful ruby ring at one.. When she had it valued it was worth a few dollars more than she paid for it…
You have found some fascinating pieces.. good luck on your next hunt..
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:02 pm.
Thanks, Kathleen! I don’t try to make money off my finds. I just want them to be valuable to me interest-wise. I love historical baubles. They make me feel connected to the past and I find that fascinating!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:25 pm.
I love these stories!! They all have so much potential and are such a great study of the human condition.
Good Lord, my house probably says I am a nutcase! I have a collection of English bone china teacups – one for each of my contest finals.
I have BOOKS, BOOKS, and more BOOKS!! And there are whole bookcases devoted to different subjects – Native American studies, Ornithology, Zoology, pets and veterinary care, reptiles, Regency England, foreign languages, music and music history, needlework, voodoo and then of course and entire room of ROMANCE NOVELS !!
I have a small Christmas tree up all year round.
I have a collection of teddy bears.
I have a collection of chess sets – collected on my travels.
I have a collection of Mardi Gras masks.
I have no idea what that says about me, but everything I have definitely has a story behind it.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:22 pm.
Louisa, what a fascinating set of collections you have! Btw, I was in one house and they had over 3,000 stuffed bears. That was a little creepy – not the bears, but the sheer number of them. Three entire rooms packed with shelved stuffed with bears. A bit of overkill.
I love chess sets. If I had the room, I’d collect those, too.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:27 pm.
My house doesn’t say much about me right now. We purchased and moved into our new home right after my mother passed 2 years ago and I have yet to decorate. The thoughts that this place has to last me for the rest of my life and I don’t want my walls full of holes has stopped me from hanging my pictures. That and I’m not crazy about the frames I have and refuse to buy new ones until I can find what I like. My mom used to tell me “I heard the birdies”. (Because I am cheap, cheap, cheap.)
I’m not actually a “pack rat”, but others would say that I am. I say I like to recycle. If an item can be reused, I keep it. I have an entire room devoted strictly to my crafts. That collection includes 8 sewing machines, numerous tubs of fabrics, patterns, beads, buttons, cross stitch thread and patterns, etc. I also have massive amounts of clothes (my mothers, my grandmothers, etc.) that I cut up and made into quilt squares so that I can make memory quilts for family members.
The other end of the house is my library which consists of stacks and boxes of books. A friend of my husband was supposed to be designing me some custom book shelves. (I haven’t seen him in over a year.)
This is the year for all of that to change though. I actually hung a picture in my hall this weekend. now for the rest of the house!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:33 pm.
Cyndi, ah, the great picture question – where to hang, where to hang. I have only a few pictures hanging in my house. Like you, I’m picky about where I want them and once they’re up, I’m not moving them, so they have to go in the perfect place.
I’m glad you’re taking control of your space and making some decisions, though. You can’t enjoy your things if you can’t see them. I’m deciding on what to keep and what to store right now, too, and it’s tough, but I’m happy I’m thinning things out a bit.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:29 pm.
I remember going to Newport RI to tour all the “cottages”. You couldn’t help but imagine all the balls going on in the various ballrooms. The one house that stuck out for me was Belcourt Castle. One of the owners had a huge collection of suits of armor. It had me wondering who wore those suits and what battles they fought. The place was very gothic and unique. I hope to go back this summer, it’s a really fun getaway.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:56 pm.
SuzyQ, I’ve been dying to see the cottages in RI for the longest time! I’ll have to check out Belcourt Castle. That sounds like just my sort of place.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:30 pm.
I’ve been to the mansions in Newport, RI too and when we visited The Breakers you could listen to people who had actually lived/visited there talk about in on audio. Was the best part to hear their stories.
I wonder what my stuff says about me? I have a lot of antique furniture. I collect vintage wedding cake toppers and vintage French enamelware (from the 1900s-1920s)…not the kitchen stuff, but the boudoir pieces.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:08 pm.
Christie, what’s vintage French enamelware? The only enamelware that I know about it an old teapot of my grandmother’s, but it’s very Americana country in style.
I’m definitely going to have to visit the RI cottages now – I love hearing people-who-were-there tell the true version of the story.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:32 pm.
I live in the Mid Hudson Valley and my sister in RI so we tend to go to “The Mansions” all of the time.
Some of my favorites are Vanderbuilt Mansion, where you found out there was a secret hallway between Mr and Mrs Vandebuilt’s rooms for those nights where…you know they wanted to make like monkeys.
Morse House, home of Samuel Morse, the inventor of the Morse Code and one of the founders of the Hudson Valley School of Art.
Marble House..where Mrs. Vanderbuilt showed Mrs. Astor that her house was better than theirs….it was all so very civilized…in a cut throat kinda way….
Little bits of history, where people lived 6 weeks out of the year.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:09 pm.
Pesky, lol! Those monkey-like Vanderbilts!
Have you ever been to Jekyll Island, GA? It started as a hunting lodge, but then the women demanded to be included and, well, they built cottages there by the lodge. It’s a glorious place and I love, love, LOVE it. If you ever go to Savannah, take a side trip to Jekyll. It’s about a two hour drive, and you can spend the night in the historic hotel/lodge.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:35 pm.
I am soooo doing this!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:40 pm.
I collect candles & books, or maybe it’s just that I buy too many of them. I think the candles say that I’m a very warm person who likes to smell good & doesn’t like the dark. I think the books would say the obvious, that I am a lover of words & like to be transported to different places.
I also have a lot of religious stuff. I have been teaching religion for 33 years, so they show my deep faith in God.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:10 pm.
Maria, that’s exactly what I think candles say about a person, too.
I love religious artifacts, as well. At one house, I saw a Polish Madonna icon from the 15th century. AMAZING to see that on the table and be able to touch it – which I did with great care.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:37 pm.
I hardly ever go. But the one time I did, I picked up an Iris Johanssen romance set in ancient Egypt from the book pile. I read that book, and that was the moment I thought that maybe I could do this. Maybe I could write a book like that, and even if I couldn’t, I’d have fun trying. That started this incredible journey I’ve been on.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:11 pm.
Julia, what a fascinating connection to an estate sale! Now I feel happy that at my estate sale, there will be hundreds of book that will not only make readers happy, but might inspire the author in someone, as well. How cool is that?
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:38 pm.
The reason I love history is the stories and people that made it. Everywhere I go and see an old house or historic site I feel and see the people who lived there. I’m not imaginative enough to make up stories but I love reading the notes at places like the Pittock Mansion in Portland OR or Fort Stephens on the Oregon Coast. I would have spent days at the Natural History Museum in Victoria BC if my husband would have let me
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:29 pm.
Glittergirl, oh, I hear you. I’m glad Hot Cop loves history, too, or he’d be champing at the bit to leave while I linger staring longingly at libraries and wood carvings and curved grand staircases, and oh, a million little details that no longer grace our houses.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:42 pm.
Estate sales – my favorite Friday morning and occasionally Thursday morning activity! There are so many thing that I like about them – the stuff (although, few sales disappoint), the people you meet, and the people whose stuff you’re buying. Waiting in line to go in, it’s always fun to talk to the people waiting in line. You hear about which estate sale companies people like, which ones they hate, what they’re looking for, etc. Last year I found a pair of WWII dog tags in a garage and paid $1 for them. I’ve been trying to track down a family member to return them without much luck. I know ALL this stuff about their family, being an avid, amateur genealogist and historian. I just can’t find anyone living, today. I’m going to have to go old school, and get the December 1989 LA Times on microfilm for an obituary to find some family.
What my house says about me is: my favorite color is green; I like old things – china, pottery, linens, books, flatware, etc; I’m literate and so are the other people who live here because there are books in just about every room; I make jewelry (TONS of tools and supplies); family is important because of the pictures, family pottery, glass, and china, and the very important child art on display.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:57 pm.
Janae, I love the people who come, too – some of them collectors, some of them fellow historians of humanity, some of them curiosity seekers. An interesting mix and usually fun.
I can see that your house is all about art. That’s always a fun sort of house to visit!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:55 pm.
I think that history is one of the main reasons I love Savannah. Everywhere you look oozes history and paints pictures of lives way back then. You can almost see formal dances and courting, the romance that was that city then, and still is now.
Great story, Karen.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:59 pm.
Kelly, I love Savannah, too. Every step in those old town square just sings history — makes me shiver just walking the streets. And you’re right, there’s romance in that city. Lots.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:56 pm.
My mom and I visited a plantation on the James River in Virginia and enjoyed hearing all the family stories the guide shared with us. Our favorite story was about a particular window in the family parlor that had many long scratches in it. Each time a daughter got engaged, she tested the diamond she had received on that window. I couldn’t help but imagine what would have happened if one of those stones failed to make a mark!
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 3:42 pm.
Misty, lol! See? THAT’S the sort of what-if that begins many a good book. What a delicious story and an even more wonderful way to take it one step beyond.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:57 pm.
I love antique stores. So much history there in silver and lace. I inherited my great grandfather’s curio cabinet and filled it with antique stuff and new stuff. None of it worth a lot but all worth a great deal to me.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:18 pm.
Rachel, ah, silver and lace. I see a lot of that while I’m estate shopping. A. Lot.
I really think the value of an antique or collectible is what it means to the owner. I love those old things, but not always expensive old things. Funny how, as you get a wee bit older, that makes more sense.
Posted on March 8, 2013 at 2:35 pm.
Wow Karen, loved the stories you mentioned. I’ve went to yard sales where items were sold and some of the salers would tell stories about a given item(s). Last year I purchased some terra cotta pots with plants, trellis and it belonged to an elderly lady who had passed. I told her family that I would take good care of items that I purchased.
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:27 pm.
Ginger, how nice of you! I bet you brought that family such good thoughts. I love the idea of things being passed on to people who will love and use them. Nothing should be covered in dust and forgotten!
Posted on March 8, 2013 at 2:38 pm.