Push On, Push Off....

Guess who is now the proud owner of 51 assorted push-button switches, matching switchplates, and outlet covers? I really feel proud of my latest Ebay foray, this seems like quite a find after researching the cost of reproduction switches. Total with shipping came to just over $125, or about $2.50 per component. Lucky me, I have the in-house electrician to dissect and repair any worn parts. Hopefully this purchase will help with whichever house we end up with! And any that don't end up being used on our house can go right back on Ebay for another old-house addict to snap up. Many of the switches have MOP or bakelite button faces, and the brass plates should look spiffy once cleaned up. I think there's even some sort of dimmer switch in the lot, should be interesting to sort through. Supposedly these were all salvaged from an early 1900's house. Poor house, but all the better for me! And now some pics of my new treasures.

Bidders Anonymous Needed

Okay, I admit it, I am sick. I am addicted to Ebay! Now if someone will please point me towards the correct support group..... Really, I do manage to hold off bidding on a lot of things, so it could be much worse (be afraid, R, be very afraid). There's just so many nifty old things that I could sooo use, it's hard not to drool a lot. Some of the items wearing droolmarks this week:

This beautifully restored Hoosier cabinet (to replace all that "big box" cabinetry for kitchen storage). Look, a microwave would fit perfectly behind that accordion door!

And this antique "Quality" gas stove in lovely greens and white, knobs intact and just needs some rust removal. Crave! I can just see it in a subway tiled alcove. I may actually bid on this, it's pretty reasonable and we're probably moving next month.

I also search routinely for antique matelasse (jacquard woven kind), candlewicked bedspreads, homespun wool blankets, vintage copper and cast iron cookware, brass beds, and vintage kitchen gadgets. Occasionally I find neat things, like the kitchen sink. Or rare things, like the 80 year old near perfect, butter yellow matelasse coverlet, with the nouveau-style tulip design (more on that in a later post). R does his best to talk me out of the stranger items (who wouldn't want a 5 gallon stoneware churn from the 1800s?). All in all it's not so bad, this being addicted to buying other people's junk. Ooh, I wonder if anything new came on while I was posting this?

"I left my siiiink, in San Francisco......"

Actually, I left it in the Buffalo area. In my in-laws garage, to be exact. Back when we thought we were going to move there, a whole other topic entirely. Which has me wondering to myself, "Self, how am I going to transport this most lovely of antique kitchen sinks from upstate NY to Utah without incurring major shipping fees?" This thing is 100 lbs. HEAVY, cast iron with that beautiful oil-slick sheen on the porcelain. Such a good deal too, Ebayed it for $10 b/c I was the only bidder. The owner took it out of his 1925 bungalow, he was nice enough to hold it for me until I could make the drive to NY and leave it with the in-laws. Who probably thought I was out of my mind, since we still didn't have a house. So I am really loth to part with the thing, after all we've been through together. Maybe I can wheedle R into driving up there to pick it up when he visits his daughter, then toting it with him next year when he joins us for good. That's a lot of wheedling to do.