A Life

I did not "choose" this photo. I clicked on it at random from well over a
thousand images I have sent to me by the auctioneer. Even now, I don't like to
look at it. I know exactly where these things were in the Old House.

I just found the following piece on the internet. It refers to the auction of my mother's collection.

My emotions are running very mixed indeed about the words that follow. This was written by someone who never knew my mother, never knew me -- and yet it's written about US. It's written about OUR HOME, the place that I lived in for 35 years. 

It's troublesome to see a person's life, when it's your mother, when it's you, sort of scooped up and clinically examined in such a fashion. 

I don't know who this person is -- but I want to hit them. I want to hit them and kick them and scream at them. I want to say, "Good on you, Mom," for making such an impression. 

The auctioneers descended into my life and ripped it apart, they ripped my mother apart and sold her in lots. It's no wonder I still shed tears when I read something like this. Anyway, here it is, quoted from God Knows Where and I Don't Even Give a Shit. Let me know what YOU think. I hate it.

-- Freder

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Everything on my desk stops when a new auction catalog arrives via snail mail. Tucked inside the latest 240 pager from James D. Julia's May 5 Advertising, Toy & Doll sale is the Barbara Thornsjocollection. Thornsjo (1928-2010) spent 70 years in the business so it's no wonder how she got access to such great stuff. The sheer amount of the collection impressed Julia himself. From the catalog: 

"When Jim Julia & Bill Gage arrived at the (Thornsjo) house for the first viewing they were truly astounded at the quantity upon opening the front door ... the two could honestly say that they never had to side step through room after room, in single file before." 

I imagine the scene to be right out of an episode of "Horders," although in this case it must have been a treasure hunt to dig through the piles. Thornsjo's eclectic trove of antiques, funk and 'junque' spans the first 129 lots of the auction's second session, which can be seen in the online catalog.The sale has a number of investment-grade vintage advertising and clockwork toys, but the Thornsjo collection was made for those who love antique oddities and instant collections. The way Julia is combining the lots of paper litho toys, Disney books, papier mache puppets and vintage Halloween decorations creates a rare chance to fill a single shelf with unusual odds and ends at one fell swoop.As sampling of the more unusual lots are shown here. More complete photos showing the entire lot contents isavailable now at Julia's.