Auction Treasures...

Another winter Saturday, another fantastic Crowther and Brayley auction.  I purchased this amazing piece for our living room - it has wonderful signs of wear and is so beautifully made.  I absolutely love going to auctions.  It's an entertaining way to spend part of a weekend, you see the most unusual objects, learn about all kinds of different things, get glimpses into people's lives, and see the things they treasured and collected.  You also learn first-hand how wasteful we can be, and how much we value new over almost everything else.  I'm not deliberately bashing places like Ikea (I have a few pieces in my house too... sometimes it's the right thing) but why spend your hard-earned money at a place like that, to buy the same thing everyone else has, for something factory-made and shipped half-way around the world?  Sure it seems like a good price but what are you really paying for?  At this auction, they practically gave away a beautiful dining table and 8 matching chairs.  There is no where you can buy a dining set new for $100.  Absolutely no way.  It was sad to watch for two reasons: one, someone paid a lot of money for that at one time, and carefully looked after it.  It was of real value to them.  And two, that we don't respect the things we collectively have - things that are already made, and still have a lot of life to live.  Before we buy new, we should use our imaginations, delay gratification a little, see what's out there and take care of what we have.  And if it's not exactly what you want, be creative and make it your own.  Whether it's auctions, Kijiji, yard sales... I'll always take character over that comes in a box, with assembly required.

[ This beauty was a real steal, and is going in the guest room! ]