Truth?
Behind every yard sale find is a really good story.
You know.
The one where you find a piece of art that looks like a kindergartener painted it, and you plan on using the frame for something, so you pop the art out of the frame and discover a hidden masterpiece signed and dated by an artist everyone has heard about.
Or the one where you walk 2.5 miles backward through the snow to an abandoned farmhouse barn full of vintage finds, where the owner inherited the barn from his great uncle and wants to get rid of everything and prices it all for a quarter.
Or the one where you discover a shed that hasn’t been opened in 50 years, and the owners of the shed are selling everything for a song, and you gleefully run out of the shed with your arms full of finds and take them home and dust them off and swipe away the cobwebs and repurpose and reimagine them into treasures.
The dust might be done.
The cobwebs might be banished.
But the story remains.
Those stories aren’t mine. I’ve never found a famous artist’s work or an unopened shed, but what I have discovered?
Makes for the yard sale story of the century.
Especially when you are a yard saler, and you find THIS.
This dresser has a story.
Isn’t she the prettiest dresser you’ve ever seen?
Several years ago, a friend of mine called me and told me that a friend of her friend had just started working on a house in a small town about 45 minutes away from here. He was completely remodeling it from top to bottom, and it was full of bric-a-brac and knick-knacks and vintage finds and the occasional piece of furniture, and he was selling everything. He wanted it all gone.
Did I want to go see it with her?
Was I interested?
Umm.
Please, girl.
You had me bric-a-brac.
We drove together through the winding country roads.
Over hill.
Over dale.
Until at last we arrived at our destination.
The house was a little rough around the edges. As in—almost falling over. As in—the porch was almost gone. As in—I walked across a single beam over pieces of plywood and loose gaps and an open porch just to make it in the front door.
And oh, the sight that awaited my eyes inside the house.
Treasures.
EVERYWHERE.
It was the house that time forgot.
There were stacks of frames and boxes and old cabinets and mirrors and the most amazing butcher block kitchen island with industrial attachments.
And then?
I turned the corner of the front hallway, just in time to see this dresser.
I know, right?
Did you sigh a little when you saw that carving on the edges?
Oh, good. Me, too.
The dresser didn’t look like this when I found her. She was covered with Precious Moments. And old vases. And dried flowers. And boxes of ribbon and pieces of long-ago flyers and newspapers.
Could I take the dresser home?
Should I take the dresser home?
Tentatively, I approached the top of the dresser and swiped away the cobwebs with my elbow.
Then I reached out my hand and grabbed the door handle.
Slowly, carefully, with a little bit of tugging, I opened the door.
AND SOMETHING JUMPED OUT AT ME.
I SCREAMED.
AND JUMPED.
And backed away so far and so fast I almost brought the entire collection of Precious Moments down with me.
I don’t know what it was.
I don’t really care.
All I know is that there was a nest in the drawer made up of tiny pieces of paper and napkins and paper towels.
YIKES.
Something had leased space in the dresser drawer.
When he told me the price? Even that nest could NOT DETER me. We swiped out the remains of the nest and took the dresser and loaded it into the truck and drove it home, and cleaned every nook and cranny, and sanded it slightly and restored the finish with a stain and wiped it all down and buffed it all up.
Just in case you were wondering? I bleached the drawer, sanded it down, and removed any traces of its previous furry owners.
And now?
The dresser is closed for business.
And…
….it’s not renting drawers anymore. 🙂
PS Here’s one of my favorite yard sale finds of all time.
And look what I found in a yard sale drawer here.
PSS Do you have a yard sale story you want to share? Come sit by me.
KariAnne - I have lots of stories about shopping yard sales and vintage shops but my favourites are auction stories. Last year I won an auction lot that was mixed china (English) and silver plated pieces. Altogether 29 pieces, some antique, some vintage. I paid about $1.50 per piece. When I got the lot home I found in the bottom of the box a sterling silver candlestick! If the sterling had been noticed, I probably would have been outbid promptly. It was a wonderful surprise find that has been in use ever since.
That dresser is beautiful! I have so many stories through the years, we’d be chatting all day!
The dresser is gorgeous. I would have screamed when I opened it, too! Yikes!
It’s beautiful! I love stories like that! The journey and the hunt is the best part of the experience many times!
All I have to say is "You are Adorable with a capital "A". You bring joy to my heart. Thank you for brightening every morning for me. <3
We bought an old jug at a sale once that was pretty dirty. As I was washing it out there was debris coming out of the inside. I tipped it over and kept pulling stuff out of the inside and all of a sudden I had a dead mouse in my hand. Needless to say I screamed, threw my hand up in the air, and the mouse went sailing. Thankfully my husband had to suck it up and retrieve the dead mouse from the floor and put it outside in the trash.
It is a beautiful piece. I would have snatched it too. Im sure the renter was a mouse. I know they are little but between spiders and mice Im not sure which I am most afraid of. If you guessed snakes you are correct. Oh I guess that wasn't a choice but it should be. Lol. Love the story love the antique piece. Just gorgeous.
Funnily enough, years ago my sister actually bought the contents of an unopened shed for $25. Once she pried it open and could see the contents, she almost fainted! It was full of antiques in perfect condition, all sorts of old glass, a complete set of real silverware and a lot more valuable stuff! Everything had been lovingly wrapped and stored to protect it. She kept a few pieces and made a fortune reselling the rest of it. And when I was 19, in college and desperate for a car, I got lucky! I had stopped at a yard sale at a farm, and the nice man asked me if I was looking for anything special. I joked back that I really need a car, and his face lit up! Turns out he had a little Chevy convertible, almost like new, in his barn. The story behind it was heart breaking, too long to share here, but he sold it to me for $20. He said it healed his heart to see it go to someone who needed it.
I do have a story for you - I purchased a pen & ink drawing of a scene on Royal Street, New Orleans, done in the 60s and signed by the artist. After doing some research, I discovered the artist was still alive & living in Slidell (where I use to live). I wrote to her to ask if we could meet, as I was going to be visiting there for my former in-laws 65th anniversary. She wrote back, and we set a date. I met her at the senior center where she volunteered serving lunch. I had the framed art piece with me. We ended up spending three days together. Her name is Gypsy Lou Webb. She & her husband were part of the artists in NOLA in the 60s. She told me so many stories about her life. She was featured in a short documentary. The art is still hanging in my home today - in the desert of Southern New Mexico. Oh the stories yard sale finds can tell.
So glad you got past the residents and took it home. It’s a glorious find! I am waiting to hear about the other treasures that followed you home from there…
I truly believe you have yard sale angels on your shoulders that help with navigational skills and radar. No one can convince me otherwise. : ) xoxoxoxoxo
I love it! It's beautiful
Great piece of furniture. So pretty, they don't make them pretty like this anymore.
Gorgeous dresser- sorry about the nest in the drawer. I can relate as we have been having quite a time with rodents this year…. Love the dresser❤️
KariAnne- I love the dresser! Especially the carved wood design❣️ Old family pieces have brought me great joy & sweet memories. The story you shared about your dad moved me so much. I can’t imagine experiencing that. The suddenness & disbelief made it so much harder. I’m glad you’ve healed to the point of being able to share. Much love, 💕 Myra
One of the most beautiful dressers I have ever seen. Critter or not that HAD to come home with you. It is stunning.
Dear KariAnne, I inherited my mother’s large pine hutch which is a very unfortunate shade of dark brown. I dislike the stain. I was going to paint the piece but I keep thinking about how it was a 25th anniversary gift from all her friends and Mom had it made exactly as she wanted it. She would be mortified if I painted it. Should I paint it? I think it would look better. Please help! Also thank you for your posts. I really appreciate them.
KariAnne, you are the best storyteller, and that dresser was the best find! It looks lovely!