We moved from the East coast some years ago and I still have some items in boxes. Oh, OK, I'll admit, lots of items in boxes. Some items I have decided no longer fit my decor and thinking of selling.
When he was a little boy, my son and I loved shopping yard sales almost every weekend. I can comfortably say we replaced almost every piece of poorly constructed furniture with sturdy well made antiques. Many pieces we still own.
Yard sales upstate NY were much different than ones in NYC and on our way home we'd make a quick stop at the farmer's market and fill our baskets with fresh fragant fruits, vegetables and warm blueberry pie fresh out of the oven. On one of those trips we made friends with a farmer's son, his name was Kenny. Turns out Kenny was a mechanic and worked on our car for years.
Some of those farmers got hit very hard recently due to Tropical Storm Irene.
The Gill Farms were one of those places we shopped.
Farmer's Markets in NYC were non existent back then. My son, who works in NYC shops them now, he gave me a cloth shopping bag from The Amish Market in NYC not too long ago. NYC Farmer's Markets will feel the effect of the storm. Sometimes we forget, or take for granted, how something that happens to someone so far is able to still affect us directly.
Going through one of the boxes recently I felt a familiar long cilindrical shape with a cobalt blue sphere at the top wrapped in paper & bubble wrap. I remembered the Art Deco shaker we found at one of our many yard sale jaunts. We couldnt have paid more than a couple of dollars for it. It would match an Art Deco sideboard we found only a couple of weeks prior for $20.00. The sideboard lives in my dining room today.
Where ever we lived we always displayed the shaker in a cabinet with the rest of the nicer glasses we only used when company came. Some of those glasses were from the Depression era.
I often wondered if the lone shaker belonged to a set.
It took me about 30 years to find out.
When I unwrapped the shaker I placed it on my coffee table thinking maybe to sell or donate. My son spotted it and asked if he could have it for his 'man cave.' He informed me he has been in search of a small Mid Century Buffet bar as well. The shaker would be the first item in his collection and of course I was so happy to let him have it and keep it in the family.
Here is a stunning image from the auction.
A close up of the mark at the bottom of the shaker.
The type of bar my son is in search of.
I saw one listed locally for a song some time ago! I contacted the seller for measurements but because I had no idea my son wanted one I passed on it, I just didnt have the room in my place. Talk about non buyer's regret!
I hope to find another.
At least trying to shop for him for Christmas or Birthdays will be more fun than shopping for sweaters, slippers or socks.
I still dont have the answer to the original question but I hope it is something we can pass down to our children and those who touch our lives.
