Hello, My Friends!~~~
This past weekend began with an interesting estate sale in Northern Virginia. The home, located in a cul-de-sac, was a nice sized two story Colonial.
It looked promising and the folks running the sale promised a house FULL! But I know from experience that an advertised promise like that often doesn't pan out. I'm not a pessimist, it's just what happens from time to time in estate sale world.
One of the shoppers gave out numbers and when the guy running the sale invited us in, the system went out the window and everyone stormed the door. He counted up to 20 and said everyone else would have to wait, problem was I was number 14. I showed him my number and he let me in. I really blame the idiot shoppers, who for a moment turned into petulant children, who decided they did not have to wait their turn in line.
Once inside I surveyed the rooms.
Hmm...not as packed as I would have liked and actually some of the prices were a bit out of whack. I poked around top and bottom and found some reasonably priced vintage goods to fill my bag. I walked through the house several times and then I saw it, a door in the small hallway, just opened a few inches wide. It wasn't opened before and actually looked like a closet door (which I should have opened in the first place, because as long as there isn't a sign that tells me otherwise, any door is fair game for opening). This particular door wasn't a closet door, but a door to a hidden attic.
Some of the goods in the other parts of the house had obvioulsy come from this walk-in attic but there were still treasures to be discovered up in the dark and dusty confines.
The light came from a single light bulb and this narrow window on one end of the attic. I looked all over in every dark recess using the pocket flashlight I carry. I found out long ago that a flashlight can be an estate sale shopper's best friend.
The other end of the attic was a bit more foreboding and would require crawling.
I explored mostly with the beam of my flashlight and found nothing up there that would be worth crawling deeper into the gloom.
The attic was pretty much mine alone as I had closed the door leaving an inch crack, thinking charitably that I was keeping the air conditioning in the rest of the house. OK, I confess that I was being greedy and wanted a few minutes of alone time in the attic. Most of the vintage goods I purchased were from the attic and the fellow running the sale gave me a good price since the goods were pretty dusty and needed a good cleaning. I, also, was dusty and needed a good cleaning.
So, next time you are at an estate sale, remember to open any door that isn't marked "do not open", "private", etc. You may just find a hidden attic. Bring your flashlight and tuck that door closed behind you. You want to keep the rest of the house air conditioned, you know.~~~XXOO, Beth