Food shoved in the car, Calum insisted that they went into the "bargain" shop next door to look at the reindeers! One snowman, two reindeers, a dancing dog, Christmas tree lights, Christmas crackers, Christmas tree flashing reindeer lights and some mad baubles later, they got back in the car.
All of these will now require transporting to the other house along with the million and one other things that still need to go. Hmmmm.
Home, furries fed lunch. Shopping unpacked. Calum and Baggy fed lunch, an over-excited Calum decided that they should go to the auction to see if they'd won anything. Baggy's back was so bad by now that she could barely move, but when Clever Bird said that Baggy needed to rest, Calum's face was a very sad little furry-look. Baggy struggled up. They went to the auction with Clever Bird muttering, "We haven't had a text so we haven't won anything". Wrong again Clever Bird.
"You've won three lots".
"Oh, which ones?"
"Dining chairs, a necklace, two boxes with pictures and advertising tins in".
"Can I ask what the ones we lost went for?" asked Clever Bird then rapidly wished she hadn't when she realised they had missed out on all three by between £2 and £10. But actually, it's as well, as knowing Calum and Baggy they'd have got into a bidding war, and in any case they got the three lots that they really needed/wanted.
A set of six dining chairs for the holiday cottage dining table. Two boxes of brilliant stuff for Creative Clara's Etsy shop. A stunning necklace that will be Baggy's Christmas present from Calum, that she adores. Baggy was sad that she didn't get the stunning picture she loved, but they met the chap who did and Hormonal Hannah was happy it was going to a loving home.
This evening Creative Clara has started to go through her boxes of bits for her shop. Clever Bird didn't really look too closely at them before she put in a high bid, quite a bit over the top estimate. That was because she knew that there were more than enough good things in there for her shop and a quick totting up of the souvenir items and advertising tins meant that she knew there was a good profit to be made.
She went through the thirty little tins first. Looked at the slightly creepy, French hand-carved wooden mask, spotted a hand-blown vase, a Wedgwood bowl, a Greek(?) lidded dish. She was about to start unwrapping all the china when she decided to list the three miniature pictures which were described first in the catalogue listing. She had dismissed these as worthless at the viewing as it was everything else that Clara was interested in, and these appeared to be repro. or nothing special. Firstly a hand-carved cork picture; quite well done, but with a damaged frame. Secondly a repro oil. Thirdly a print in a repro frame. Now bloggees, hold a thought while you read this, "Baggy has collected portrait miniatures and old hand-coloured prints for thirty years, so she is reasonably knowledgeable about them". Thought held? Right. So first Clara looks at the cork picture - it is very well executed and the frame just needs re-taping. Secondly the repro oil painting, that's stapled to a modern wooden frame. Closer inspection has her wondering if actually it is really an oil, but she's no expert, all she does know is that it's definitely not printed and it's signed and dated. The signature is illegible but it's dated 1862. More research required. The third picture, well!! Yes Baggy collects portrait miniatures, all painted on ivory in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. She doesn't have many as they are few and far between and expensive. She had glanced at the picture in the box. It is a seriously well executed painting in a repro. looking frame. The Lot estimate was £40-£60, so no way could it be an original. This evening she looked at it under a light and began to wonder. Then she got a glass on it - Baggy's heart rate shot up. It appears to be an original. "It can't be", muttered Clever Bird. She had a look at the repro. frame - it too appears to be original.
"Calum look at this". He looked. He used a glass. "The back is sealed with wax".
"Ooooo, so it is. It hasn't been opened either".
More light required. Baggy looked again. Now she will need to have a better look in daylight, but she is currently eighty-percent certain that it is an original portrait miniature painted on either ivory or possibly glass. And it is superb AND it is signed! Baggy's reference books are at the other house, so she can't do much more research at present, but it would seem that this one picture will be worth at least five times what she paid for the whole Lot! Yep, Baggy loves auctions! Back to the box to see what else is hidden in there........
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