Sunday, May 31, 2009

Confessions Of a Packrat




Truth be told everyday I go to work, I step from the present to the past. You see, I work for an auctioneer and it is my job to sort, appraise, record and separate the contents of a home, a life, a generation...


Most times it is thrilling to peek into drawers, boxes, attics and trunks that hold treasures that have been tucked away over time.


On a few occasions it can be overwhelming especially to a packrat such as I. Finding beauty or the possibility of a future for the smallest of mundane trinkets.


Buttons, lace, snippets of trim... all coveted by doll creators, mixed media artists and silly romantics (such as myself) that cherish these pieces of the past. Each one with a tale to tell and a history to share.

I hope I will be able to continue to work at this job I love for years to come... I'll just have to find a bigger house with a barn for storage.


* The pics are from an upcoming auction not my house.


10 comments:

Julie said...

Hi Susan,
I know what you mean about being a pack rat and about coveting little treasures of the past. I love all the little hidden stories behind each piece or I should the stories I imagine about each peice.
How wonderful to be able to go work at the something you love doing.
Thank you for the peek at those wonderful treasures.
God Bless,
Julie

Doreen Frost said...

OH how wonderful it would be to see and touch all the wonderful treasures you must come across during your work!!!!

:)Hugs,
Doreen

Lori said...

what a cute post...while not a packrat myself...i married into a family of them...so i know how that goes...i do get some lovely things passed on to me that way...so packrat away i say...

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

I am so glad you have a job that you enjoy as much as you do Susan...and also a very important one...to delve into the past and preserve some of these items that otherwise would be lost forever. Go Packrat...Dzintra♥x

Lea said...

I love how you move between worlds and have these bits for us to ponder and wonder about... I too would need a barn for the treasures that you discover!!! XO

The Victorian Parlor said...

What a wonderful job! It must feel like a new adventure each time you go to work!

Blessings,

Kim

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

I certainly hope that you'll be able to continue in this work you love. I love it when you share some of this, with us.

Be me'thinks you bring a lot of your work, 'home with you.' If you need a bigger house and a barn too. :-)

Aunt Amelia

Paula said...

I would feel the same thrill you do- peeking into the past, seeing things that have been hidden away for many years, or beautiful furniture (like that gorgeous black bed) just waiting to be placed into a new home. I'm a little envious of a job like that!
Thanks for sharing such beautiful pictures with us.

Karen from A`Musements said...

Oh my... for once I am swooning over something that is not a button, made of paper or delicately tatted... THAT BLACK BED is wonderful! Perfect place for a "collector" to take a much needed nap, after sorting and sifting all day.... right? You aren't a packrat, dear Susan... you are a 'caretaker of goods.' (Much nicer!!!)
xoxo
Karen

Mouse Droppings Folk Art said...

I wish I had your job...hmmm...maybe not...my house would be even more full to overflowing with collected treasures...how can you stand it...I would be putting things aside for myself all the time. One for the auction...one for me....one for the auction...two for me...Susan