Trash to treasure find...

[Thomolli]

I found this ad on the Craigslist that said something like "warehouse full of stuff, buried for decades, come on down and make a cash offer". It was only 10 blocks from the house so DH and I went on down. OMG!!!OMG!!!OMG!!! You have never, in your life, seen a place like this. It was the dirtiest, nastiest, mildewiest, moldiest, spiderwebiest, downright scariest place I have ever been in. It looked like a mountain of crap might come falling down on you at every turn! There wasn't any lighting in half the place and what they did have was barely sufficient to see your way around. They had built this HUGE maze, about 8-10 feet high, of you name it! I mean really...name something and they probably had 2, at least. Most of it not worth having and the rest buried so deep it would be impossible to dig out. And the outside, just as bad. Damned near a whole block's worth of junk! It was like they crossed the show American Pickers with that show about hoarders. It was truly amazing! One of the employees told me he had 3 more just like it. I can't wait to see them!

A normal person would have turned and left after about 10 feet into the gate. But I gave up any claim to normal years ago so I braved it and got a heck of a find and deal I think.

This brass bed. The headboard stands "78 inches tall. It is missing the rails and a few screws and acorn nuts but all of that is easily fixable. $60 bucks.


This piece goes on the top of the headboard. We had to take it off to get it in the van to carry it home.


It is going to look fabulous when it is fixed up and put back together. That being said, I have some questions about the restorations. I love the patina but there is some rust from the screws and other FILTH from it's previous home that must be cleaned off. What do you recommend to clean it? Would you leave it shiny after it is cleaned or would you let it tarnish for the aged look?

[downtowndahlgren]

We used to have an old ware house locally that was called the Pickle Factory (because they had made Mount Rose pickles for decades) that was like that - a huge dimly lit structure that was like 40 yard sales with bad lighting. There were no prices on anything so what you paid depended on the people who were manning the facility on the day you went (the money went for charity, but they were always incredibly cheap anyhow.) On the brass bed, if you're actually going to clean it without regards to the patina, try Brasso. Otherwise, I just use baby wipes to get the filth and gunk off without removing original patina. I don't like shiny brass, but if you want it so, you'll need a spray sealer to keep it so.

[Don M]

There was a place like that in Ft Collins, CO. Their sign said, "If we don't have it you don't need it!"

[eclecticcottage]

I love places like that...but I always want supre cheap prices if I'm digging it out for them. good thing I lack for space, so I don't go to sales like that anymore!!

[Hoosier Foursquare]

Excellent find!!! I too love places of that caliber. It makes me like I'm finding something that hasn't seen the light of days for years and that somehow makes more "new" to me and exciting. Maybe I'll have to swing down to Louisville seeing as how it's only a couple of hours away!

[GothicHome]

Thombolli,patina or no paten. That is a question best answered by your own taste. There is a school of thought that originallyBrass would never be allowed to tarnish. And it should be bright and cleaned to a sparkle. The other other view is tarnish is a record of it's age. I sit in the middle, my desire would be to have the easily cleaned and maintained surfaces clean and bright but leave the tarnish in the nooks and cranneys.

[sundine2]

So where is this warehouse in Louisville? I may have to take a road trip down there. How is the restoration going on the house ?
What hours is this place open?

Teri

[Thomolli]

Hey there Teri!

The place is at 11th and Hill. Hill is 4 block south of Oak where we live. As far as the hours I am not sure they have "real" ones. I would imagine if you go after noon like I do you would be ok. I went again this past Saturday with my grandson then lamented that decision the whole time we were there. I kept flashing back to two different articles I read recently, one about brown recluse and the other about black widows so I was too uncomfortable to really look good.

If you are coming to town we should get together.

Holli

[Daniel Meyer]

Hey there Teri!
I kept flashing back to two different articles I read recently, one about brown recluse and the other about black widows so I was too uncomfortable to really look good.

We have both here in Texas (indeed, we have every venomous nasty known to man).

Both respond quite well to a good stomping.

[Daniel Meyer]

New cabinets for our utility room.



Re-purposed (for $100). I couldn't buy the wood for that.

They are upside down in the pic...they will go on the wall in our utility room.

Now, I'll just add them to the growing pile of furniture I need to refinish.

http://theoldvictorian.com/2012/08/03/new-cabinets/