Okay, so I Love it when fellow Junquing Friends Graciously Share Intel on where to 'Score' something absolutely Fabulous that they know you're gonna Love even though they couldda 'Scored' and flipped it just as easily. This one's for my Friend Gino, I owe ya one Brother!
As The Man and I are heading in to foof my Showroom and Loft Spaces the day before Girl's Day Out our Friend Gino is just leaving the Antique Mall and tells me about an Awesome Vintage 16 Piece Dinette Set that he says I'll Die for and just hit the local Thrift up the road and is Priced ridiculous for the Quality and Detailing of the piece!
Gino knows the 'Good Stuff' and I totally Trust his Judgment, he's a Stand Up sorta Guy and always keeps me Smiling with his New York Style and Accent... I grew up with Guys like Gino... they take care of and look out for their Friends. He says this will look Killer in my Showroom even "As Is" and is just my Style, though it could use a mild Restoration and definitely a Re-upholstery job. The tacky oversized Retch-tro Tulips would have to go! *LOL* But I'll let this be someone else's 'Project'... personally if I had Time and the Inclination I'd paint it with a Fab French distressed Dove Grey Milk Paint and put Old French Feedsack Cushions on it and be able to charge much more... but I'm not in the Mood to Paint and Re-Upholster Furniture right now... so my Laziness can be someone else's Gain and Good Fortune! *Winks* After all, I'm a Woman who hasn't even taken down her Christmas Tree and Decor yet in late-January! So having extra sets of Eyes and Ears on the Pulse of Pickin' is Sweet and saves precious Time I don't have.
As he's describing this Dinette Set I just know that as soon as we pick the wee Princess up from School and I drop The Man and her off at Home... I'm definitely doing some Recon to check out this Deal, Hoping I'm not too late? *Winks* NOTE: The Man is still recovering from Back Surgery so he has to sit out any potential heavy lifting scenarios I get myself involved in right now... and besides, the wee Princess can't schlep Dining Tables yet... she's got a Great Eye but no Man Muscles! *LOL* But I know who does... and I'm pickin' him up from School next! *Smiles* But before that I gotta do some Recon... Yep, I get there and Gino is Spot On... the Set is still there, the Price is unbelievable... AND I've got a 20% Off Coupon I can use... Booyah!!! Only problemo, no time to buy it before I have to pick the Young Prince up from School. *Damn!* He who is Clueless that he'll be Hopefully helping Gramma Schlep a large Dining Set and re-arranging the entire Showroom so I can squeeze it in there and Re-Style the whole Room directly after School... Poor Boy! *LOL*
So I put my Gypsy Mojo all over the Pieces without being too conspicuous... Rule 101 of Pickin' is never look too Excited or conspicuous about a 'Score' otherwise you draw undue Attention to it and competition for it. And I race to the School to pick the Young Prince up... I'm pulling away from the curb almost before he shuts the door on the Truck... so he quickly realizes Gramma is on a Mission and he's an unwilling Victim... Hostage... Slave Labor... um, I mean not so willing Volunteer to my Madness. *Winks* But I'm going too fast for him to jump out and Bail on me... so he's gotta just Roll with it and consider it like a Gym Workout of sorts for his budding Man Muscles! *Winks*
He takes one look at Set and Wonders out loud how on Earth we're gonna get it all into the Truck in one trip, nevermind the Showroom... it's a lot of pieces and pretty big Gramma?! Plus it's Heavy Gramma... are you sure YOU can hold your end up, I mean, you're OLD... and a Girl... (Reasoning with me and being Logical is pointless at this juncture so he finally gives up! LOL) He's skeptical and not at all Optimistic, I make him Guard the Set while I Pony Up at the Register... Hey Kid, have Faith, you've seen Gramma Work Junquing Miracles before haven't ya? Yes... we Schlepped and crammed a Heavey 16 Piece Dinette Set into the Truck AND the Showroom all by ourselves without any Help... Hey, we're Awesome... and Strong! Who knew a Gramma and her 12 Year old Sidekick had such Brute Strength and fierce determination, huh?
Okay, so I had to Bribe and Pay him in Trade... he's been Trained, Primed and Mentored by Yours Truly to be a Good Negotiator too... and he swiftly Cued in on some Found Treasures at the Antique Mall he was seriously Jonesin' for. But for a mere Ten Bucks worth of Vintage Alien versus Predator Toys, he's still practically Slave Labor even when he thinks he's pulled one over on Extorting Gramma... I know, Silly Boy, and I'm probably going to Hell for G-Kid Exploitation... I'll take the Risk because obviously I couldn't manage this by myself. *Winks* Besides, he was Happy as a Clam at High Tide to Work his Deal and get Paid for no Special Occassion! And I was Jazzed to get a Helper for a major Showroom Re-Do... it turned out pretty Nice if I do say so myself! Yeah, you're probably also noticing that Awesome Vintage Framed Map of The Gambia right?
Girl's Day Out 'Scored' me that one... along with telling some people who will remain anonymous where The Gambia is and why it's so Cool. *Winks* Yeah, the Vintage Typewriters and Lamp would have been Cool in my Showroom as well... but Budget constraints made me have to choose only the best piece and the Map won out, it's circa 1980 but the Killer Home-Made Frame is much Older and I'm absolutely Adoring it... I almost wanted to keep it for myself! *LOL* But I'm getting so much better at the Letting Go Process... and Hey, if it doesn't Sell right away I can Keep it and Style with it for a while, Imagining myself on some African Safari Adventure... so no downside to this 'Score'! *Winks*
Some Hunters proudly Pose with their kills... no Animals were harmed in the procurement of said Map *Winks*... I proudly Pose with my 'Scores' from the Thrill of another kind of Hunt. And Thanks Again Gino my Friend, he was Thrilled for me when he saw how Great the Dinette Set looked in my Showroom and that I'd gotten it even 20% more off of the already ridiculously low Price... High Five and Cha-Ching! Botta Bing Botta Boom!!!
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian