One of my most favorite things to do after an estate auction is to come home and go through the boxes of items that I've purchased. While I generally bid on items that I believe can be cleaned and or repaired for a decent resale price, I have to admit that I get great pleasure sorting through the many treasures that get tossed into these boxes.
I allow my imagination to wander and wonder as I divide them into assorted piles of well, stuff. My general piles end up loosely as sheer trash, things to donate, things to sell at yet another auction, items to be cleaned, repaired and sold, items that I like and want to keep and enjoy for an undetermined amount of time. Certain other items catch my attention and capture the imagination that has consumed part of my right brain since childhood.
I have to wonder why someone would carefully preserve and tuck away items that obviously had meaning to them. Taking my curiosity a step further, I wonder how such an item, precious to someone, ended up tossed into the bottom of an auction box for someone, completely detached from the family and those memories, to end up with it. 
Such is the case of this old watch. It is obviously very old and was worn for ages by an individual who appreciated it. 
The leather watchband is split at both ends, the watch crystal cracked across the face. Someone had written this bit of history on a little plastic box and kept it inside. 
I wonder how long it has been in this box? Who was Paul? I can only imagine that someone in the family who was detached from Paul but not from the person who put it in this box could not allow him or herself to throw it away but didn't know what to do with it. So, it got tossed in an auction box. My box.
And this tiny identification bracelet. I don't know when hospitals stopped putting these on the arms of newborn babies. I know that when my own babies were born in 1971 and 1978, I wanted to always preserve these sweet bracelets. Once home, I carefully removed the bracelets from their precious wrists and fastened them in baby books. 
This is obviously an item that brings back a torrential pouring of wonderful memories for me. So, who is this baby? Has the baby's mother been looking for this item? How sad she must be to know she lost it! Or, had the mother died in childbirth? How old is this bracelet? It was made with string and beads; the ones made for my children had a stretchy cord, so I'm guessing this baby was born before mine.
Finally, look at this little handmade potpourri bag. Someone carefully beaded the design of a butterfly on one side. The stitches are secure and straight. The details even include the tip of the butterfly antennae. The stitches that close the bag reveal a different story. 
The spacing is farther apart and much looser than in the rest of the item. Maybe a child stuffed the pocket and stitched it closed after Mom or Grandma did "her" part of it. Was it put together as a rainy day activity? Perhaps Grandma wanted to teach her grandchild some simple stitching techniques.
Oops, I've let the time get away from me. I need to start dinner! Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave a comment to get entered for this month's giftaway! I'll show you a "teaser pic" in a couple of days!
4 comments:
Sher, I have done that very same thing with garage sale things, etc. I got a box someplace, a wooden box with a lid, like a box you might keep treasures in. Someone had lined it with satin over cardboard or something. Between that and the box, I found a little picture of a man, a very old picture. I wonder to this day who that man was, no doubt he's gone. Someone who was loved by someone enough to put his picture in a little treasure box.
BTW, I had another thought on your frogs. You know, my first thought when I heard about them was that they were mating too. But what if we're reading it wrong? What if the big frog is on some exercise program to improve her health and has asked the little one to ride on her back so she can get strong? Perhaps she's spending part of the day doing push-ups with the extra weight on her back.
Just thought I'd toss in my thought there.
Love, Janet
Hello Sher! Those stuff are precious! I'm also wondering why they ended up in an auction. I have lots of items which bring back precious memories (of things that havezcome to pass) which can never be sold as cheap as how they're being sold in an auction. They're priceless. My kid's baby bracelets, umbilical cords, 1st nails cut, 1st hair cut, 1stbday dress,bday candles, old coins from grandma, pencils, stationeries in preschool, mom's bag, dad's loveletters, stamps, photos etc....i've got tons and for someone not as sentimental as me, they call them fire hazards...Most of the things I display in our house has a story of its own and I've decided to keep them for life. We can't hold back the hands of time but it's always nice to have something to refreshen our minds of the many journeys we've gone through....Thanks for being an inspiration to me! You never know how much you've touched my life in such a short time I've known you. Keep your light shining. God bless you!...Your cousin,Annabel.
tis so fun..and love your finds are GREAT
smiles, Deena
What sweet sentiments Sher. I used to feel "bad" at estate sales, but I don't any more. I realize that the person who had these things, used them loved them, and for some reason the family has the parts they want, and it's time for someone else to see their value and love them and cherish them again. You found the items, and see their beauty and value. I'm sure that is all that the makers, keepers could wish for. Truth be know, the person who saved the item is probably gone, and maybe even their children are gone, to the point of nobody knows who that watch belonged to etc. you gave it one last hoorah. Good for you.
Margo
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