Bargin Shopping

I was reading in a magazine, this morning, about a lady that had a blog telling of all her bargins.   I guess she makes money selling this blog or something.   She did have a big ad in a famous magazine someone had loaned me.

I'd like to tell her of a few of my bargins over the years.   The very first one was a walnut side board I bought for $60 in Normal in 1962.   I was at a garage sale to buy a swimming pool for the girls but in the basement they had this beautiful walnut sideboard.   It was the most beautiful piece of furniture I had ever seen. 

We had just bought our first home there on Fell Avenue and hardly had two nickles to rub together by the end of the month.   I'm not kidding.   We were on a TIGHT budget.   BUT...I had to have that sideboard.  I called Ted to see if he could come home for lunch to see it but he had a meeting and couldn't make it.

I finally called the lady to see if they would hold it till 5 when he could get there to look at it.  Now that was smart!   I was young and very naive.   She was a little more seasoned and said, "Oh, we've already had two antique dealers come look at it".   That conversation would never take place today, but...what can I say.

I told her I'd be right there to get it.  

Now, where I got the money I do not know.   We had envelopes for bills like insurance, house payment, utilities, etc.   I imagine the insurance envelope was pretty well empty by the time Ted got home.  I even found $7 to have someone go get it and deliver it.  

This was a solid piece of walnut, two large pieces with a mirror and drawers and a big cupboard in the bottom.   It weighed a ton.   

Ted got home and I had tried to surprise him (BOY I WAS NAIVE) but got so excited on the way home from picking him up at work I let it out. 

But back to bargain shopping.   This sideboard was given to Kim and a few years later she had a chance to sell it and I believe she got a whopping $2,500 for it.  

I don't know if the girls ever got the pool or not but I had a beautiful piece of furniture for many years.

I've had a few other bargains but nothing like that.