This is What I Did Last Night ~ Friday Night Auction

One of my FAVORITE things to do on a Friday night is hang out at a local estate auction house (I think that officially means that I'm old.  Who says things like that?).  Even if I weren't interested in any thing there, auctions are extremely entertaining. It's an interesting group of regulars to say the least.  Mostly antique dealers and the like, but a difficult group to describe...future post?  

Anyway, I have found some pretty amazing treasure there in the past, and last night was no different!!  I came home a little giddy.  A few pictures from last night's packed house...these people were most certainly collectors.  Some of the items I would never look twice at sold for THOUSANDS of dollars.  A signed Lalique lizard bowl for $6k??  Really?  

There was much hooting and hollering over this bronze statue that ended up selling for around $1500.

All of someone's earthly possessions...a wideview.

Many many antiques and 'important' collectibles.  But in an estate auction like this they sell EVERYTHING.  Even a box crammed with random glasses and costume jewelry will go to the highest bidder ($20 took home all the woman's handbags).

Here is what I scored!  First, a small (but crazy heavy) old brass (?) anchor mirror for $20.

Not usually much of a nautical person, but I love this and think it will make cool addition somewhere in the Big Boy Room.

Love this gorgeous, coppery garden seat! ($40)

Alright, let's get to the heart of the night.  There was a lot of artwork there last night.  Some went for a few bucks, some for $$$$.  I know little about art, and less about what I like.  I've just not quite figured out what my taste is (no taste doesn't count, does it?).  But I saw this ink drawing and really liked it.  I rarely ever see a piece of art and think "Hey, I like that!" so I decided to stick around and bid on it.  I took FOREVER.  So long that I worked up in my head that I would pay up to $50 for it!  That is big for El Cheapo.  Truly, in my head I was singing Hey Big Spender! all giddily thinking I was pretty big time auction attendee.  Then when it came up for bid they announced "And now the Picasso piece"...Picasso?  I hadn't even noticed.  But of course nobody normal just has a Picasso laying around...do they?  I have no idea, but these people have a $6k lizard bowl, so who knows?

Someone else started bidding against me!  I thought I had this thing in the bag, but no, somebody else wanted it too.  It must be cool, it must be mine.  So it was, for $135.  

Could this be real?  Why would it go so cheap?  Maybe everyone there blew their cash on $2k tiny Tiffany lamps (really people?) and couldn't stretch their budget for the gem at the end.  My mind was racing all the way home.  

I did some googling and it turns out that this particular Picasso piece, The Man of La Mancha, is a rare reprint.  Not Picasso touring at Museums valuable, but a value at $135 and I couldn't be more pleased.  Not sure where its permanent home will be...maybe on the Gallery Wall.  Yay!!