AMERICAN BROCANTE

One gal's trash excess stuff is another gal's treasure?

I’m starting this on a Saturday night.  Frank’s already in bed and, I’m sure, asleep.  He can fall asleep in less than 5 minutes – it takes me forever.  We had a nice day out.*  We went up north bit to Concord, North Carolina, to an old textile mill that has been converted – at least one huge part of it – into and antique/collectables/ decorator-stuff mall.  We perused for an hour and a half and didn’t get to see even half of it.  Going through there is like going through a memory lane museum, and had a teary moment when I recognized a print just like the one my Grandmother had in her bedroom. I found some neat little things – two old, two new – to add a new touch to the house; a sample piece of upholstery fabric just perfect for recovering our two footstools; and a wonderful bargain that, had we gone down a different aisle on the way out, I would have missed.

Over the years we have given several of Susan Loy’s “Literary Calligraphies” for various weddings and other occasions. These things cost! Twice, at least, we’ve given her version of 1^st Corinthians. The fanciest one, gold framed to 24" x 24", is now $252.00.  Never have we given the fanciest version of any of them. We got one for $35.!! We could not believe it. We have two smaller ones of hers, one’s a quote from Thoreau, one about the magnolia in the language of flowers – it means love of nature. Anyway, we came singing all the way home.  I had the perfect spot for it, so I whipped off the picture that was there – I’ve already got another home for it in mind – rearranged the lamp and chair in front of it, and it looks like it grew there. 

Flea markets, street fairs, antique malls: these are America’s version of the brocante markets and dealers and towns of France - I had a blast in L’Isle sur la Sorgue; or the car boot and jumble sales, the Portobello Road and Petticoat Lane of England.  Antiques Roadshows, the original Brit version and our own long-running PBS show, have made us aware of the treasures that might be out there.  Shelter magazines, shows like some on HGTV, and blogs galore are showing us how to include all this “stuff” in our décor.

Though I do admit that, for some Americans there might just be a soupçon more cachet in ‘real’ French brocante or British jumble, and I do treasure the few pieces I brought home from my travels, I treasure even more the wonderful things I’ve ‘scored’ here at home.  If you go antiquing you’ve got to go with a person on conscience: a person, be it husband, lover, best friend, who will rein you in and make you think twice about any large purchases. And I mean large either size-wise or price-wise. The only drawback to visiting antique malls and flea markets is, to paraphrase the line about books: “So many neat things, so little cash and so little room to house them.”  

* When Frank and I get home from a day like this, one of us always says the tag line: ”Well that was a nice day out for the old folks,” or words to that effect.  Years ago, when we first retired, Frank was only fifty-five then, we took advantage of the seniors discount at a local IGA market. One day we overheard a snippy checker there, she was definitely not one of our favorite people, comment snidely on all the seniors taking advantage of the discount. She ended her commentary with “At least it makes a nice outing for the old folks.”  As though we had nothing else to do, nowhere else to go.  Old folks, my eye!  This was at least twenty-five years ago. That gal was no spring chicken then, so I wonder what she’s thinking about senior discounts and such now that she’s an old cluck herself.

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