I’ve been out of commission this past month–taking a much-dreaded speech course in pursuit of my associates degree, remodeling our house with new floors and fresh paint, and chasing after two hellions–one who recently learned the word NO and the other who has it mastered.
That being said, I haven’t had much opportunity to fire up my new Makro Racer. I’m hoping that once this heat dissipates and I put the public speaking torture to rest, I’ll find some time to hit my newest permission–an abandoned house in the woods that was once the Fickel House.
Now, from creeping around in the detecting groups on Facebook, I’ve realized that I’m not the only one hanging up the detector for a while. I noticed that a lot of hobbyists take the summer off to avoid the heat. I totally get that. Even now as I sit in the comfort of my climate-controlled living room and watch my husband breaking-a-sweat over some silly yard work–I totally get that.
So, you might ask yourself… how does a treasure hunter cope? I’ll tell you how I’ve been coping–weekly trips to the Salvation Army, that’s how. Not only is the place air conditioned, but there is SO much treasure to be plucked off the shelves–you just have to know what to look for.
As most of you know, my love for metal detecting stems from a desire to find treasure. I’ve always been a treasure hunter–dump digging, architectural salvaging, metal detecting, and picking. I love picking…
I love picking so much that I spent almost every lunch break last week at the Salvation Army. As I’m scanning the shelves, I go by a simple rule–I buy anything that I’ve never seen before. (Disclaimer: Not everyone should follow this rule….) I’ve seen a lot of doodads and thingumabobbers in my picking rounds, so when I come across something I’ve never seen before… I know I’ve got something special.
Last week, I was strolling the aisles and immersing myself in the cultural experience that is Salvation Army–I locked eyes with a petite gentleman across the store. He wore a painted tuxedo and neatly fastened bow-tie. I could tell by his ensemble that this man was out of his element. Regardless of his appearance, this man was my kind of man.
I moved towards him across the store, pushing through the gauntlet of dysfunctional carts, shouldering through a mob of half-off-Wednesday groupies, and dodging some unattended children.
When I finally reached this immaculate specimen… I discovered that his name was James. He was a butler. His formal title was, “James the Butler.”
I lifted him carefully into my cart and proceeded through the store–ignoring the strange looks from shoppers as I wheeled him towards the checkout line.
Within four hours, I had him listed on eBay. Within twenty-four hours, I had him sold for $125.
I’m sentimental with a lot of my finds, but selling is a part of picking and I’ve come to except that–despite my garage being packed full. The truth is, I’m going to miss my Sweet James but picker logic goes as follows…
I like this rug, but it costs $125. I’ll by this James the Butler for $19.99 and sell him for $125. Therefore, I only paid $19.99 for this wicked rug for my living room. ft S
I’ll leave you with a few more treasures from last week…
Vintage Pyrex Cinderella Mixing Bowls in Amish Butternut Pattern. Paid $15. Valued $90.
1940s Closet Organizer with Bakelite Handles. Paid $6.99. Valued $120.
Not your typical bentwood rocker… Paid $24.99. Valued… It looks too good in my living room.
Fostoria Contrast Iced Tea Goblets. Paid $6.99. Valued $200.