I have always had a love for antiques. I love the history that they contain and that there’s a story behind them. I actively began buying antiques when I was a teenager but even as a young child I had a fascination with them. By no means am I buying expensive antiques. In fact I prefer items that show that they were used and loved. Today I thought I would share with you some of my favorites and the stories behind them!
The Wardrobe
The Wardrobe
This is the first antique I bought when I was 16 years old. I bought it from a resale shop for $50. It was plain wood at the time and in semi-rough shape. I brought it home and restained and varnished it. It is a big, cumbersome piece and traveled with me to all my apartments and houses. My Dad hated this thing. He would spit and swear under his breath every time he had to help me move. My first house had a steep stairway leading upstairs and a narrow landing. In order to get it up to my bedroom this had to be hoisted up over the landing at such an angle. It got dropped once. My Dad said he would never move this thing again! It now resides in my daughter’s room and my Mom painted it for me.
The Iron Bed
The Iron Bed
I love old iron beds but could never afford one. They can be quite pricey. I spotted this one on the back of a guys pickup truck one day when I was in my early 20’s and out with my Mom. He had a lot of junk in the back of his pickup and I came to the conclusion he was collecting things to bring to a scrap yard. I instantly hopped out of my car and asked him what he was going to do with the bed. He looked at me in a confused manner and managed to let me know he didn’t speak English. I somehow was able to explain to him that I wanted that bed. I took out my wallet and offered him money for it but he just waved it off and unloaded the bed and put it in my car for me. The only problem was I still needed the bed rails for it too. Trying to explain bed rails to someone that doesn’t speak English is nearly impossible so I just started digging through his truck until I found them. This clearly goes down as one of my ultimate finds because it was free and was quite the adventure trying to get it! This was my bed for many years and now serves as my daughter’s bed.
The Hoosier Cupboard
The Hoosier Cupboard
I found this piece through a newspaper ad when I was 20 years old. It was advertised for $250. I took my brother along to come look at it with me. I instantly fell in love with it and offered $200. The lady selling it accepted my offer as she said her husband was making her get rid of it because it was too big. I estimate this piece to be about 100 years old. It has the original etched glass in it which is very hard to come by. This has always been my baking cupboard. It stores all my cake pans, measuring cups, spices, baking ingredients etc. It is absolutely one of my favorite things I own!
The Stove
The Stove
I found this Stewart stove at an estate sale with my Mom when I was in my early 20’s. It was in a basement hooked up and the owner said she still used it to do her canning on. I asked her if she wanted to sell it. She said yes but she would have to get $25 for it. In a blink of an eye I handed over the money. The thing about this stove though is that it weighs a ton! As I said it was in the basement so my Mom and I had to carry this thing up the stairs and then down the street to where I was parked. It was really insane when I think about it now. I have always had this sitting in my dining rooms as just a decoration basically. It serves no purpose. A few years ago I set it out to a rummage sale I was having and put $150 on it. A guy came and said he wanted it but he had to run to the bank quick and get the money. As soon as he left I got a sick feeling in my stomach and made a “sold sign” and put it on the stove. When the guy returned I told him someone else bought it and had given me the money and were just going to get their truck. Even though this stove is not an essential piece I just can’t part with it!
The Frames
The Frames
Throughout the years my Mom and I have found several different frames at rummage or estate sales. They are usually in pretty bad shape but cost no more than $5. Some of them even contain the old bowed out glass which I don’t think is made anymore. My mom fixed all of these up and through the years I have added them one by one to my living room wall. We have our wedding picture, all of the kids baby pictures and our family picture. These are by far my most cherished pieces!
I hope you enjoyed my Show and Tell today!
Motherhood Is An Art 