Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Back

(Naperville Now went to St. Louis just after Thanksgiving. Then she went to look for shoes at DSW, which is why she is several days late with a new post. There are a LOT of shoes at DSW.) 

In my ongoing quest for an overlooked Renoir painting (or a small fortune tucked in with National Geographic magazines), I hit quite a few antique stores while we were in St. Louis.

Daughter Number Deux enjoys the hunt as much as I do. (First Daughter has no interest and a sizable allergy to dust, mold and mildew. We nearly killed her when we took her to Charles Dickens' damp and dusty house in London, bad parents that we are.)


I love the roof canoe and Indian silhouette on this shop roof. The inside was twice as crowded, making navigation perilous.


I can't remember the last time I saw a phone booth with a holiday babe inside.

 
Make that two phone booths with holiday babes inside.
 
A little bit freaky, come to think of it, but probably an effective security measure.
 
While we waited in line to buy Amish jam, we struck up a conversation with a very nice person who bought the cut glass whiskey glasses I had admired earlier. She recommended we visit a thrift shop in a nearby town. A while back, she had found a small hand-carved duck there for 50 cents. She took it to a gallery in Clayton and it was appraised at $4,000. (19th century. Well-known folk artist carver. Didn't ask if she sold it.)
 
As readers of NN know, I am trying to cull the herd of stuff in our house. I am no longer in it to accumulate it.
 
But I still like to look. And hope very much to be a lucky duck.
 
Each week Naperville Now participates in Mrs. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. You can check out what other Alphabetarians are blogging about here.


19 comments:

Kathy and Freddy said...

I love those places, but I am so scared of getting one more possession that I fear even setting foot through the door!

Carol said...

I am already a borderline hoarder, afraid to throw away anything for fear I could sell it on ebay (I have never sold anything on ebay).

Places like that used to fascinate me, but I no longer am interested in filling my life and my house with "stuff".

If there were a shop that came to my house and bought things from me as they walked through it, I would be all over it.

Maureen Wyatt said...

I'm pretty sure I would have sold that decoy for $4,000! Now, that would be fun de cluttering.

EG CameraGirl said...

WOW!A $10 duck vs $4000? No contest. She must have a great eye for antiques!

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

I love watching Antiques Roadshow, but that's about as far as my antiquing adventures go..

My name is Riet said...

Ilove to look in those shop but I can't have more stuff in my home so most of the times I pass.

Midwestern City Girl said...

I, too would have sold the duck for $4,000. But then I would probably just buy a bunch of other stuff I don't need.

I love looking at antique shops for fun little things. I also shop for postcards for collages.

Unknown said...

May a lucky duck be in future!

Sandy said...

I love walking through such places but
my own home is bare.. really. I collect
nothing and only have what is necessary
to decorate etc.. now my bedroom
closet is another story..
Good post
Sandy

carol l mckenna said...

Great post for 'B' and wonderful photos ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to fit anything else in my house, but looking is fun!

Skoots1moM said...

i've been to Napierville...it can get cold there.
i LOVE thrifting...getting ready to sell some items at a local consignment shop and hoping i'm successful

Pondside said...

It sounds like you had a good time - and it can't hurt to look.....

VBR said...

DSW - a shoe person's delight!
I too adore going into the junk/antique/resale shops. The only alarming thing I have encounterd is that lately, I notice the things that are being sold as 'antique and retro and kitchy' are things I remember vividly from my own childhood!!!

Leovi said...

Certainly I like that shop, interesting objects. Greetings.

Pat said...

In another life I loved going into those kind of shops...in our neck of the woods, we have lost most of the established ones due to the economy...so sad to see them go.

And like the others, some of the things I do occasionally come across are from my own childhood...yikes - am I an antique too?

Jenny said...

It's hard to stop the hunt, isn't it?

I think having a little shop would be the answer.

Then you could keep refilling at will!

The decoy find sounds cool!

Loved this bouncy post for the letter "B".

A+

Judie said...

I'm very sensitive to mold, but will brave those fascinating places on occasion! Happy hunting!

~✽Mumsy✽~ said...

That first photo is fascinating to see..and yes I like that canoe on the roof top too..

I haven't seen any holiday babes in phone booth ever :-)