I Went to a Fight and an Estate Sale Broke Out...

On Wednesday afternoon we got a lead on a mid century modern estate sale in Huntington Beach. This house was packed full of MCM treasures- most looked like they had barely been used. We knew we had to go. Only problem was logistics. The rules stated that the list would be posted at 7:00am sharp and no other list would be honored. 

So how do we get to Huntington Beach early enough to get in line for the list at 7:00? Davis had to be in Irvine at 8:00am for camp. We were having logistic issues which required a serious plan. After a bit of brainstorming we decided to use our Marriott points to stay down in Newport beach on Wednesday night. We could pick Davis up from camp Wednesday night, stay in Newport, get up and put our name on the list, then take her to camp at 8:00 and be back for when the doors opened at 9:00. No driving back and forth to Corona which was a huge bonus! Davis was excited not to have to drive back and forth in traffic for a day too. So we packed a suitcase and headed down. 

Now there was much discussion as to what time we should arrive to get our names on the list. Two hours ahead of time is usually the norm. So we decided we would be even smarter and get there three hours early...at 4:00am. With all the anticipation of the sale neither one of us slept the night before. We left at 3:30 and got to the house before 4:00 only to see a list ALREADY ON THE DOOR. WITH TWO NAMES ON IT. How?? We were mad since we were the first ones there and the rules clearly stated the list wouldn't be up until 7:00. We followed the rules but obviously the sellers didn't by putting out the list the night before. All our plans of being first simply went down the drain. 

Here we are still with high hopes waiting on the porch of a stranger's house at 4:00am...that's normal right?

You can see the list in the background...aargh. So around 5:00 dealers started showing up and the list started to fill in way before 7:00 when it was supposed to be posted. Finally, one of the sellers arrived and we asked what was going on with the list and who were these two people on the list that weren't even there. He said they were two neighbors that came by last night that just wanted to see the house. They weren't dealers or anything so we had nothing to worry about. BUT...the dealer behind us said, no, they are dealers, I know them. So either these people lied to the sellers and said they were neighbors or the sellers didn't care and just let them sign the list the night before when they "stopped by." 

Once again I would like to point out this all could have been avoided if the seller had just followed the rules they posted for the sale and put the list out at 7:00. So we waited until the doors opened at 9:00. The two "dealers" arrived and sure enough they were dealers...with an attitude. They stood around and bragged about what they sold to people, how they had an AmEx they were just going to "buy everything and throw in on the card." Nevermind that they conned their way onto the list and the people that actually followed the rules and got there at 4am were behind them in line. 

So I must digress here and let you know the one piece we were really after. Brian had his heart set on this Danish piece by Dyerlund. 

Unfortunately, so did everyone else. So the doors open at 9:00 and the two dealers make a mad dash inside and begin pulling the tags off everything in sight...I mean everything. Well, Brian had already asked where the cabinet was so he knew it was in the sunken family room, down three stairs, past the formal living room. That's when dealer #1 made her fatal mistake. She headed to the stairs but got greedy and banked left to grab the tags off two more chairs and a lamp. Brian, in moves I've only seen in the Matrix, went right down the stairs, took two long strides and grabbed the tag off the Dyerlund...it was all kind of in slow motion as Dealer #1 was right on his heals screaming "No, no, no"...once Brian had the tag, she started screaming "That's not fair" and 'I was first" Of course, I had to jump in and say, that she went left and Brian went right, he just went right past her when she stopped. Then she had the nerve to say that Brian pushed her and then leapt over her down the stairs to get the tag. Really, lady? 

Then the sellers had to get involved because she wouldn't stop screaming. She told Brian "You knew that was the only piece I wanted" Not sure how that works because Brian doesn't have any psychic abilities I know about. And you know what? It was the only piece he wanted to. He just happened to be faster that day and she got greedy by stopping to pull even more tags.

 Luckily, the sellers sided with us and told her to just move on. We continued shopping and we even got the second piece we wanted which was a rare "Wroughtan" sectional couch. There were some awesome vintage clothes that were mostly picked over by the time I got up there but I did get a couple of things. So we go down to pay for our purchase and we find out that Dealer #1 didn't even buy the stuff she pulled the tags from! She only bought a lamp and a small chair...she put everything else back!!! 

There is nothing that makes a seller angrier then you pulling the tags off something, then deciding not to buy it when they  could have sold it to someone else. And she had pulled the tags off of everything. We found out later that they thought she had even tried to switch some tags and pull a scam at check out. The seller said she is no longer welcome at any of their sales. At least we felt vindicated. Exhausted, but vindicated.

So after all of that our living room now looks like this.

So you would think that after all of that drama, we would be wanting to take an estate sale break. But we had some time on Friday afternoon so we decided to go to one more sale that I had a feeling had some paint by numbers. We weren't planning on buying any furniture so we took the small car. 

And of course we find this beauty.

It's a Motorola Stereophonic Masterpiece console. the radio and record player work and it is in amazing condition and the price was a steal. Since we have been after a record player for a while, this was perfect. Luckily, it fit in the car! 

So, I have a ton of pieces to clean up and show you. I got a lot of amazing stuff in the last few days. This weekend we have to pack up our entire living room and dining room, make room in the garage for the "old" furniture, get it posted on Craigslist and then move the "new" furniture in. I might hit a couple of estate sales just looking for small home decor items just for fun today. No furniture. Lol. I hope everyone's Saturday is amazing!
-Tricia