Next weekend is the summer antique market at the Red Barn in Round Top, Texas.  I’m excited about going!  The summer fairs are often smaller, have less customers, but you can often find people more willing to deal.

(Note to everyone: summertime is always slow in the antiques world – what a great time to try to strike up a bargain on some of those items you have been considering buying)

One of the aspects of the world of picking I love so much are the stories.  I can never get enough of the excitement someone expresses when telling about a hot find.

My friend Ed Akers whom I’ve never met but have conversed with online (isn’t the Internet great?) for years told me about a find he had in Florida.

“I was garage saling one Saturday for cool finds for my antique biz and found this vase. The person was only asking $7.00, I asked if the would take $5.00 and they agreed.

The vase is a Bauer design by Russell Wright.

Ed went on to tell me, “I have seen pillow vases by Russell Wright selling on ebay for $300 – $600. I even found where this style was offered at $1200.

It just goes to show the deals are still out there to be found.

Another friend of mine (who asked to be anonymous) just scored a bargain at Rago’s Great Estates Auction; a sculpture by a contemporary artist that they could not identify. It was by Hollis Fingold, an artist who she happened to be quite the fan of. The sculpture cost her $150.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7526731

I’d like to propose a challenge to my readers. Who is the ultimate picker? Who can take the least amount of money and turn it into the most? Or if not the least amount of money, who can create the greatest amount of return on the cash they lay out?

Post your finds here!

Happy Hunting!

Reyne