Auctions, Art, and Ritaluck

Several weeks ago, I was having my usual FABULOUS SATURDAY -- junking around with my friend Bert. You know the drill. We start off with breakfast, and download our respective weeks...then, we could go in several different directions.

Sometimes, we end up strolling through thrift stores or antique malls...

Our FAVORITE thing to do is spend the day at an auction...

Our favorite auctioneers, the GMB team, recently retired from auctioneering. It is SUCH A BIG JOB...all that moving truckloads of merchandise. Soooo much heavy lifting...WE ARE REALLY GOING TO MISS THEM. Their auctions were so well organized, the audience understood where to sit, and in what order the room would be sold...

The DeWitt Fairgrounds is a great place to set up an auction...but we were worried about the "new guys" -- and the auction was very disorganized.

They had two auction rings going on at the same time...and nobody was sitting on the bleachers, so it was hard to see what was being sold. They would move down a table, then turn and go sell some random lamps. It was very difficult to know when to when to go where...

I bought a nice refrigerator for Elliott's garage for $100...

But I was trying to keep my eye on this large painting. There was some very interesting art. LOTS of art. Some of it was still wrapped in paper -- so it was hard to see what you were actually bidding on....(and you were afraid to take off the paper because then maybe everybody else would see what they were bidding on, too!)

When the day began, this large painting was wrapped -- both front and back...eventually, people tore bits of the front paper away...kinda...

From what I could see -- there were three women in this picture...maybe drinking coffee or reading a book?? I loved the colors -- and the topic made me happy. Women friends...

After a couple of hours, the auctioneer finally got to the painting...and I bid. But I quit at $40. (I know -- I am sooo cheap). The painting sold for way more than that...

So -- if I quit bidding -- how did the painting get into the trunk of my car??

Bert went over to get the painting. I didn't even realize she was bidding. I was happy she won the bid. Then -- she pushed the painting across the room....When she got to me -- she said, "Happy Birthday, Rita..."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

Yes, I know how lucky I am...