Shopping Spree...

Yesterday's meeting was at my friend Sue's house.  We have known each other for about 30 years.
She has decided to sell a lot of her miniatures.  Downsizing little things...

She let me go over early and select some things to buy from her collection.

It was like a kid in a candy store kind of situation...I was sad to see her not wanting to collect any more, but she offered because she is going to sell them at a kind of mini swap meet at the local mini store.

The first photo is of all Warren Dick minis that I got.  Spice chest, tavern table and two tavern stools, and a really nice trundle bed with a headboard of Birdseye Maple.  That is probably the piece that I am most excited about...It means making a couple of mattresses and lots of bedding...Right up my alley.

The second photo is of other furniture by various artists.  There are three unmarked pieces.  The settle is from England.  The reading stand and Bombay chest are commercial pieces. The rest are signed and dated.

I already had one of the writer's chairs that you see at the left, but the one that I have gets moved around quite a bit, because it is one of my favorite pieces. Now I won't have to move it quite as much.

I went through her "extras" and found a bunch of accessories.  I especially like the English sugar nipper at the left.  Long ago, sugar came in one big lump and you had to have a way to get chunks of it.  This is the tool that they used.

All of the pottery and glass is real. So is the copper.

Being an Arizonan, I had to have the miner's pick and the gold pans.  I remember doing that when I was a kid.  My dad actually found a few pieces when we went out to do it.  Not anything to make us rich, but he could say that he found gold.

Now.  The important part.  Tessie and Zar were anxiously waiting as I snapped the photos.  After I finished, I let them look....

See the thin silver chain?  That was the first thing that Tessie grabbed.  As she did, she announced, "OK  Everything on this side of the chain is mine.  Everything on that side is yours.  Then she proceeded to string it across the tray, leaving one corner big enough for Zar to sit on. 

She generously gave him a wooden fishing tackle box all of the glass ware and the miner's pick and pans. 

I know that there is going to be a long, loud argument as to whom gets what...I left the room...I won't be back until I hear total silence.  I do hope that everyone gets through it without a scratch...We shall see.

Meanwhile, I have to vacuum the living room.  April and Amare are due any minute.

See you tomorrow.