To Auction to auction to buy a fat pig ... then home again, home again ...

So its auction day in the small central Utah town of Payson.  Brad Silcox is our only remaining auctioneer, and he holds at least a monthly auction at the old Peteeneet school, which was built ten years after my historic home here in Payson, but was designed by the same architect! 

If you are wondering what an auction has to do with Reinventing things, then you can consider this picture a 'before' picture.  I found this fainting couch, which actually looks better in this picture than it does in person, at the auction for a mere $30!  My pleasant surprise of the day. After I 'reinvent' it, you won't recognize it.  It has great bones, but needs to be literally striped down to 'said' bones before it will be ready for it's new life!! 

Since the couch was a surprise, I wasn't prepared to take it home, and we all know transporting your finds at an auction is a must.  Luckily for me, my neighbor, seen here on the other end of the fainting couch, Dana, was on hand with his truck to be the white knight of the day.  Thanks Dana!!

Of course seeing auction and antiqueing friends, and in my case neighbors at an auction is one of the attractions for me.  This is Noel and Tom, both of whom are dealers at Treasures Antiques with me.  I actually sat between them for the first half of the auction, on the front row.  Its easy to get a good look at items you hadn't noticed in the preview, and the auction helpers will actually hand smaller items to you, while they are being auctioned, for a quick check over!!

These folks are good customers at the antique mall that we have come to appreciate over their years of patronage.  Its always fun to see them, and they are also good customers at the flea market I have been running for about 8 years now!!

This is my friend Marva (and distant relative, if you remember her from one of my baby shower blogs) and a friend of hers, all ready to put up their cards at the most opportune moment!!

This is my good friend and neighbor Brandy, with her next door neighbor Bev.  One great thing about going to a local auction, is seeing neighbors whom I adore, but despite the fact they live three blocks away, I rarely see.  I love these girls!!

And here is the crew.  Brad Silcox is the man in the hat.  He's been the very entertaining auctioneer here in town since before I moved here in 99.  His daughter is filling in as the clerk on the right.  Her name is Ashley and she is actually also a member of my congregation!!  The little guy, I believe, is one of Brad's Grandsons.  I took my foreign exchange student, Rui to the auction with me and she was delighted to see Ashley, who is a leader in our teen group at church!!  I am also sure she found Brad's quick quips to be very entertaining as well. 

A lot of people go to these auctions just for the laughs, its a fun and energetic way to spend the afternoon!  If you are interested in attending any Silcox Auctions this is the site.

http://silcoxauction.com/about.html

This was probably the funniest moment for me.  This little guy grabs this devise to be auctioned, he holds it up and turns to his grandpa, the auctioneer and asks him what it is.  Everyone laughed.  What 8 year old boy doesn't know what a pogo stick is?  Well, as it happens I took my own 8 year old, over the top energizer bunny type, grandson to a second hand store last fall where he found a hopped up modern version of a pogo stick, and he was fascinated with the 'brand new' idea for a toy!!  I hope he is still enjoying it!!   :-) Where else can a grandma buy a kid something for $5 that he loves and that makes his eyes light up like that?