Chic Mouse Loves Horses
I’ve loved horses from the time I learned to walk. I didn’t want dolls as a girl. I wanted stick horses and lots of them.
This is the style of stick horse I owned. In all colors.
My other favorite toys were Lincoln Logs & my plastic Marx Fort Apache play set. I loved to play Livestock Management Technicians and Indigenous Americans. Known in my day as Cowboy and Indians. When pretend playing, sometimes I was the cowboy and sometimes I was the Indian. I was an equal opportunity player. There was also one time when I had my brother tie me to a tree and try to burn me at the stake.. but that is another story. We were in BIG trouble for that!
Every player in my imagination had one thing in common. They had a horse.
I was horse crazy. To the point of distraction.
Fun Fact: I know how to make every horse sound.
When I was about 10, my Iowa Dad ( I have 2 Dads and this is how I keep them separate) came home with a couple of Shetland ponies. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Tippy Toes was the one you could ride and I promptly proceeded to do just that.
Every. Chance. I. Had.
Bareback, saddle, it didn’t matter. My first thrills and spills were spectacular. The most memorable of which landed me in a patch of “Itch Weed” sometimes known as Stinging Nettles – Urtica dioica. Cold water is the cure for that just in case you are curious.
It wasn’t long before Dad started bringing home horses. Each one bigger than the next.. we went from Shetland Ponies, to Welsh Ponies, to Quarter Horses to our Thoroughbred, Squaw. These were all somebody else’s rejects and nothing of supreme quality. Each having his or her own quirks.
I was always the first one on the new horse to test such quirks. It’s so great to be young, bendy and fearless. I miss those days. Iowa Dad said I had a good seat. Natural. The best he had ever seen. There was no horse I couldn’t ride.
Iowa Dad took a lot of time teaching the proper ways of doing things with a horse.
- Hoof care
- Tack care
- Saddling
- Harnessing
- Feeding
- .. and more.
Saddle Bolo Tie
Thank you Iowa Dad! Thank You!
I still have 2 beautiful Quarter horses. They are 1/2 brother and sister. One is a red dunn and one is pure black. I have had them a very long time and they are growing old right along with myself. I never did out grow my love of horses and I never will.
The 2 in the middle I still have. The one on the end closest was my barrel horse. RIP Dude.
Sugar and Sierra
Happy Trails ~ Visit my shop HERE for more great horse items!
Chic Mouse Can’t Sing
Nope. I’ve suspected as much since I was kicked off Sextet in Middle School…. and then there were 5.. no, actually, they simply added someone who could actually sing. I was sad. Scarred me for life. OK, not really, but it sounded good.
Other signs that told me I couldn’t sing:
- If I was singing along with the radio in the car, my best friend would turn up the radio louder. A lot louder.
- When my kids were old enough to talk, they would say, “Mom, please don’t sing, please.” They were polite little guys.
- When my kids got older they would say, “MOM, DON’T SING!” sigh.. so much for politeness.
- People moved away from me when we were singing hymns in church.
It got to the point I was scared to sing “Happy Birthday.” at a Birthday party. I finally accepted that singing wasn’t one of my talents.
But the BIGGEST blow to my singing ego came one day when I least expected it.
I was an in home aide for people who needed help. I would clean, cook, run errands or just keep them company, whatever they wanted. I had a client who LOVED Karaoke. By love, I mean she was crazy about it! She had her own Karaoke machine. She would BEG me to sing. I would tell her, ” I can’t sing.”
She said, “Everyone says that. Sure you can. We just have to find the right song.”
I said, No, seriously, I can’t sing.”
She would badger and beg me about it every time I came over.
She told me things like, “The other aides have done it!” “Every aide who works here has to sing.” “We always find the right music even if they say they can’t sing!”
I started wondering to myself.. well maybe I can sing. Maybe she is right, I just need the right song.
So one day I relented to her request. The happiness in her eyes was contagious when I said yes! I was excited! Maybe I could sing!! She will help me find the right music for my voice!
So we started. We tried a song, and then another and another and another plus a couple more…. this went on for quite some time until it was time for me to go.
Did I see the happiness in her eyes dim a bit? No no.. it must be my imagination.
The next week I arrived excitedly, ready to do some more Karaoke singing!! I hurried through my chores expecting her to get out the machine. Except she didn’t.
She never asked me to sing again.
I love music. I LOVE to sing. I really do. I still do it all the time.. in private. I console myself with the fact that I have other talents. Like dancing. I am an excellent dancer.
No really.
Blessings my friends. Happy singing to all of you that can carry a tune!
Chic Mouse Goes Camping in Colorado ~ Big Horn Sheep Country
Well my friends, the highlights of our adventures in Colorado are coming to an end. The last morning of truck camping, found me squeezing and contorting my body to emerge from the warm berth of the pick-up. My body still hurt from head to toe, bruised from my fall out of the truck a couple days before. But enough complaining, it was Coffee time! It was cold. Freezing actually, as attested to by the ice on the water. Ooops.. complaining again.
Coffee Time!
After a couple weeks of warm days, cold nights with no campfire to keep us warm, ( Fire Restrictions ) we had had enough. After getting the coffee made and drinking it in the cab of the truck with the heater running, we decided to pack it up. But first! We had to wait for the sun to hit camp so we could have some feeling in our fingers.
All packed up and ready to roll. Policed our campsite, making double triple sure we left no sign of ever being there. That’s how we roll.
Off to the town of Fraser, where we bid a good bye to my son plus make a stop at Safeway and stock up on frozen green chili to take home. We can’t get that in Missouri. Homeward bound..or..?
We head out with every intention of heading home.. but then we come to the town of Idaho Springs and decide to stop at the hot springs there. (We are about 35 minutes down the road. )
We had given ourselves plenty of time to get back home so time was not an issue.
We decide to spend the night. Camping in the back of a truck for 2 weeks has us worn out. A bed, hot shower and some TV sound like heaven!! Stopped at the hot springs but they were not dog friendly. They instruct us to the Argo Inn where they accept pets.
What a find! The room was nice. Comfy bed, clean, with a gas fireplace. This was the patio off the back of our room.
I did some fishing.
Got up the next morning, went for their free breakfast. Everything was so pleasant.. we decided to spend another night! Glad we did too. Explored the town and all the shops… what a great place. I bought a petrified sand dollar at one of the Fossil Mineral stores.
- Do you see it? I have it stuck on an old chess piece to make it look like a mushroom.
I’m also a marble collector.. will go into that later.
So that afternoon we are sitting on the patio enjoying the view and look what wanders into view!!!
Aren’t they cool? Didn’t see that coming! Big Horn Sheep are hard to find! I thank them for their timely appearance!
What a fabulous end to a great adventure! Time to head home. …. through Kansas.. nothing to see here.. lol
Back home and back to work! You can visit my shop HERE.
Until we meet again.. Happy Trails my friends.
Blessings
Chic Mouse Goes Camping in Colorado ~ Part 4 ~ Rollins Pass
On our way to the top of Rollin’s Pass on Mofatt Rd. Outside Winter Park, Co.
*WARNING* This blog post is mainly composed of photos. Enjoy!
The road up is bumpy. Very bumpy. I recommend good clearance on your vehicle.
Among other things, I love photography. I have a great camera and I am not afraid to use it. Just ask Charlie, who has to stop every 5 minutes on the drive so I can take a picture or … five.
One of the coolest scenes on the way up was the train bridge. Trestle?
If you are a railroad train fan, you would love this drive. You might also love these vintage belt buckles I currently have for sale in my shop! They would make a great gift for that Railroad man in your life. Think “Sheldon Cooper!” Here’s some music for your browsing experience: Fleetwood Mac – “That’s Alright”
“Meet me down by the railway station…” , singing in my best singing voice. So grateful you can’t hear me. Singing is not my talent. Trust me.
OK! Back to the buckles.. I swear! I get distracted by shiny objects and music. Here they are! More scenery photos to follow after this shameless advertising.
Heavy Steam Engine Buckle
Burlington Northern
Burlington Northern
Just click on the picture and you will be railed right to the listing…. like magic
MADE IT TO THE TOP!
I think I still have some kidney function left.. not sure.
It turns out that that there was a town up here at one time.. who would have guessed.
All that’s left of the town
It’s cold and windy up here. Even on this warm sunny day. There is snow up here that hasn’t melted all summer or.. ever? Is that considered a glacier?
Charlie and Dixie say, “HIYA!” “Woof!”
There were so many pretty things to see on that drive. Lakes, streams, just gorgeous scenery. I highly recommend the drive if you ever have a chance. I’ll leave you with more scenic pictures.. until we meet again.. Blessings and safe travels.
Chic Mouse 
Chic Mouse Goes Camping in Colorado – Hot Springs & Falling Out of the Truck ~Part 3
Storm Clouds in the Rocky Mountains
So here we are, still camping in the gorgeous Colorado Rocky Mountains. We have had bears in our camp, moose wandering through, cold nights and warm fall days. No campfires were allowed due to the fire danger. We had one base camp and travels out to surrounding areas from there.
We decided to take a day trip to Steamboat Springs and stop at Hot Sulphur Springs for a nice soak in the hot springs. We love hot springs and stop at them every chance we get. Here’s some hot springs we found on another trip to Colorado. The locals take care of this one and they do a fine job.
Colorado Hot Springs
So relaxing.
There’s 19 pools of various sizes and temperatures at Sulpher Springs. We stopped, bought a day pass, took a soak, then continued on to Steamboat Springs with the intention to stop in again on our way back.
A popular hot spring at Sulpher Hot Springs, Co.
We spent the afternoon in Steamboat Springs, checking out quaint shops and having a slice of pizza at Brooklyn’s Pizza. My goodness, it was delicious!
Back to Hot Sulphur Springs. We spent the rest of the day in this magical place, testing out all the different springs. It was heaven. With our bodies in total relaxation mode, Charlie thought it would be a good idea to spend the night there. While we were deciding, a call came in from a guest inquiring the same. The hostess told them the price and mentioned that the train went by every so many hours but that they provided ear plugs for the night’s stay. It was starting to get dark, but I asked Charlie if we could just go ahead and go back to camp. He didn’t seem too happy but obliged me anyway.
After a bit of a drive, we were back at camp. It was cold and dark. Time for bed. Bed involved climbing into the back of the truck. We called these amazing bendy moves, ” Truck Yoga. ” Notice the size of the place where we slept. It was a tight fit.
Also note that when at camp, the truck was leveled up on rocks so it was much taller than it is here. We had a stool that you would climb from to the carrier then up to the tailgate. Notice that checkerboard grate on the carrier? That was not there on our trip. It was welded on after we got home because of the reason I am about to tell you.
The truck we slept out of.
Sooooo, with my body still in complete relaxation mode from the hot springs, I climb up to turn on the light for us.
My knee is on the tailgate and I am reaching up when my knee slips out from underneath me and I fall out of the back of the truck. One leg gets caught up in the slats of the carrier on my way down and the rest of my body goes over the edge. Luckily and I do mean luckily, the stool caught most of my body or my leg would have snapped! (And THIS is why Charlie welded the the plate onto the carrier. No more falling through!)
I was terrified! Charlie was right there and helped me get out. It took me a minute or two to decide if anything was hurt or broken. I was very bruised and some hurt pride but no broken bones.
“I guess we should have stayed overnight at the hot springs after all..” says Charlie.
Dixie always goes with us on our adventures.
I definitely needed a Martini after that mishap. I settled for some Salted Caramel Baileys.
MCM Martini Pitcher
That is all for that day. Next will be our adventure up Rollin’s Pass and the Train Bridge Part 4. Have a browse through ChicMouseVintage while you wait! Lot’s of great gift ideas in there. Find us HERE!
Blessings! ♥ Chic Mouse
Chic Mouse Goes Camping in Colorado Moose Country ~ Part 2
Bear weren’t the only critters we encountered while camping near Winter Park, Colorado. Moose were everywhere! I think we had them near our camp everyday.
- This is Camp. If you followed the stream up you would see..
This beautiful meadow that Moose love
Here’s 2 big bulls enjoying a meal.
This guy was huge!
Mom and Baby. Our Camp is just off to the right.
Sorry the picture is a little shaky. I was nervous.
Seriously, I was amazed at Colorado’s Moose population. I never would have guessed there were so many. My son told me they can be very dangerous. We were always respectful and kept our distance. That should be the rule with any wild animal.
Next Up – Part 3 The Hot Springs and how I fell out of the back of the truck. While you wait, feel free to browse the shop @ ChicMouseVintage HERE.
This 1880’s Wood Engraved Print. Click on the picture to see the full ad.
I have other prints in my shop too!
This is labeled Moose or Elk. They are obviously Moose. Maybe they didn’t know back then. Wood Engraved print from Animate Creation magazine 1880s. Blank on back. Plates from the books, Animate Creation- a zoology series edited by the Rev. John G. Wood of the American Museum of Natural History, is the origin.
Perfect for matting and framing.
Total measurement: 13″ x 9 3/4″
Print size: 8″ x 6 1/4″
Be back shortly!
BLESSINGS ♥♥♥ Chic Mouse 
Chic Mouse Goes Camping in Colorado Bear Country ~ Part 1
My son works in Winter Park, Colorado. What a beautiful area. We took a trip this summer to visit him. It was quite the adventure. We camped out of the back of our truck next to a stream.
Gorgeous isn’t it?
The first night my son, B. and his friend G. drove out to camp with us. It was dark. Colorado was in fire restrictions so we had no campfire for light. We were all at the back of the truck talking when we heard a huge CRASH! Gus looked at us wide eyed and said, “THAT sounded BIG!”
I grabbed the bear spray and tossed it to G. . Before he could get it unholstered, my son and my better half, Charlie, had guns in hand. We shined the light towards where we had set up the camp kitchen and sure enough there was a very large black bear that had just taken a big swipe and knocked our cooler over. A vintage Coleman cooler at that, because that’s how we roll.
Vintage Coleman Cooler w/ my magnetic sign. Designed by ChicMouse and made by Vista Print
G. is still trying to figure out how to work the bear spray. Please note: Having bear spray in bear country is good but it also good to know how to use it if needed. Lesson learned.
B. and Charlie started yelling at the bear, “GET OUT BEAR! GO! GET OUT!” Fortunately, he started ambling off. Did I mention he was a very big bear? Oh yeah. I would guess 5 to 600 pounds. Some rocks were thrown and the bear headed on down the road.
He wasn’t cute like these 2.
Oh the relief! We congregated back at the truck, joking and laughing nervously at the encounter. It wasn’t more than 30 minutes later, my son did a sweep of camp with a flashlight and guess what? THERE WAS ANOTHER BEAR!
Nor were they adorable like these 2.
Good Lord! More yelling and rock throwing ensued until the 2nd bear also ambled on down the road. He or she wasn’t as big as the first one… but still…
They looked more like these guys.
The rest of the evening was quiet after we had all calmed our nerves. We secured the cooler and food box to a tree with ratchet straps. Ratchet straps are a staple in our camping equipment. I can’t tell you how handy they can be.
Our camp was clean. We were aware we were in bear country so we had kept it spotless. The bears had showed up not long after we had cooked a meal of Rib Eyes and a sauce made with fresh mushrooms, garlic and onion. I am sure the smell of that meal had wafted through the forest. What bear could resist?
Bear Trivia – Do you know a bear’s sense of smell is thought to be the keenest of any in the animal world? It is 7 times greater than a bloodhounds. How they measure these things, I don’t know.
The Road to Camp
Stay tuned for part 2 of Chic Mouse’s Colorado camping adventure.
Until then, have a browse through the store! You will find a few adorable bar items there. New items added all the time! Find us HERE
Chic Mouse♥
The Estate Auction ~ Part 3 ~ The Art of Bidding
This is the last of a 3 part series on Estate Auctions.
Bidding at an auction can be both nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time. As you attend more and more auctions, you will develop your own personal bidding style.
Think about the show, Storage Wars. They all have their own personal bidding styles. Please don’t be like Dave Hester, you know, the guy that hollers out, “YUUUP!” By holler, I mean, loud enough that the whole county can hear him. Ugh. I personally find it annoying. That is at the (over the) top end of the bidding style spectrum. Dave wants the rest of the bidders to know, 1. He is there. ( hard to miss ) 2. He is going to be top alpha bidder. 3. To intimidate and keep others from bidding against him. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
Thankfully, I have never attended an auction with a bidder like Dave. The way people bid vary from simple head nods, throwing hands up in the air, and the “come hither” motion with with your finger or hand. Sometimes a bidder is so secretive with their bidding motions, it is hard to tell they are even bidding! You will have to find what works for you.
I use various bidding styles depending on the auction, the mood of the auction and the competition. The first thing I should state, is the fact that I am short. I barely clock in at 5″ tall. I like to keep to the back of the crowd so no one can actually tell when I am bidding. This occasionally comes with a problem. The spotters or the auctioneer may not see me. I have been known to yell out, “HERE!” just to get their attention that I want in on the bidding. Once I have their attention, I generally use a head nod to continue on.. or a head shake of no, to drop out of the bidding. If I am lucky enough to be the winning bidder, I always hold my bidder card up so they can record my number.
What I have told you above is really all about finding your own personal bidding style. What I am about to tell you, are things I learned the hard way after numerous auctions. Trial and error. Overbidding and underbidding.
There are NO friends at an auction!
Yes, you can be friendly. Of course! When it comes to bidding on that treasured item you BOTH really want.. friendship goes out the window. I repeat. There are no friends at an auction.
Know your competition.
This is important and I will explain in depth. There are various types of people who attend an auction.
There are people like myself who are DEALERS. We are the ones who have researched the items beforehand and generally know an items resale value. We are out to get the item for the lowest possible bid, increasing our profit margin in resale.
There are the COLLECTORS. These people collect various forms of an item. Example: Vintage perfume bottles. They will pay TOP dollar for those items. They do not care about the value. They simply HAVE to have it for their collection. A dealer will rarely outbid the collector.
Occasionally, you will also find FAMILY MEMBERS in attendance, especially if it is the estate auction of a deceased person. In a living estate auction, the people selling the items are still alive and will more than likely be in attendance also. If a family member is bidding on an item, it is near to impossible to outbid them for that item. Think about it like this: They weren’t left that item in the will. They always secretly coveted said item and they want it in remembrance of their loved one at all costs. It is best in this situation to sit back and let the family members bid against each other. The chances of a dealer or collector winning the item are slim and lets be honest, do you really want to?
Last are the SOCIALS. These are people that attend an auction to chat with their friends and neighbors, and eat the great auction food. (No really, auction food tends to be pretty darn good.) These people will bid on items, but only half halfheartedly because they are not really sure if they need it all that bad. The SOCIALS are very easy to outbid.
Other HINTS & TIPS
After going to a few auctions, you will learn to recognize many familiar faces. You will have listened and learned about these people. You will know who is a dealer, a social or a collector. You will develop an instinct. Keep in mind that they will also recognize you!
That is why it is good to keep others off guard. Bid on a few things that you don’t really want. Let yourself be out bid. Bid higher than you really intended to get an item in order to establish yourself as a bidder to be reckoned with…. Then, when an item comes up that your really want…..
BOOM! See the next paragraph.
You have your eye on a spectacular item that you simply MUST have. You know others at the auction want it too. How could they not? It’s beautiful. The auctioneer will start the bidding out high. JUMP right in! Be the FIRST to bid. Do not wait to see if the auctioneer is going to lower the starting bid due to lack of interest in the item. Be decisive and be BOLD. Establish your bidding presence. Put a determined look on your face. Do not look around for the others who are bidding against you. Nod your head decisively against every bid against yours. It won’t be long before the other bidders will look at you and your determination, they will think to themselves, “Holy crap, Chic Mouse REALLY wants this and nowayinhell is she backing out!” They will drop out of the bidding. Poof. You will scare them. With luck, you will also get the item below what you were prepared to pay.
Once you establish your bidding dominance in this way, people will be a bit more know you intend to win when bidding against you. They still will. Trust me on that. You will be tested to see if you are bluffing.
After writing all this, I realized that bidding at an auction sounds a lot like playing Poker. It is, except you don’t need to wear sunglasses.. or maybe you do!
A Last Quick Note: The more you bid, the more the auctioneer and spotters will look to you to start a bid on something. They really appreciate when you do. You may not want the item. You can always drop out after that initial bid. It helps move things along when the auction is stuck and no one seems to want to bid. It goes along with the old adage, ” No one wants something until someone else wants it.” or something along that line! 🙂
If you enjoyed this series, drop me a comment. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about Auction bidding.
Don’t forget.. you can always find fun and fabulous treasures HERE!
Blessings and Happy Bidding ♥♥♥♥Chic Mouse♥♥♥♥
The Estate Auction ~ Part 2 ~ The Auction In Action
The day of the auction has arrived! You have read Part 1 of my series and prepared for an exciting day at an auction of your choice! You are excited. Your anticipation runs high.
You have arrived at the auction, signed up and have your number card in hand. Right? You need that number card. When you are the high bidder on an item, the number you are assigned is what the auction clerk records in her book. At the end of the auction, or when you are ready to leave, items under your number will be totaled up to reach your final bill. You can also bring a pen and write down your high bids and keep your own running total. You can do this on your bidder card. This is a good practice and avoids surprises when you go to pay! Chic Mouse does not do this. She finds it tedious and she likes to live on the edge.
You look around and notice there are tons of items that are not listed on the auction billing. Your eyes are popping out of your head at So. Much. Stuff. This is why Chic Mouse recommends going early! There is no way an Auction House can list all the items in a large estate. They will highlight top items, but you, dear bidder, will find many treasures that were not on the list!
Important Players at the Auction
The Auctioneer – The person commanding the auction. The main player. The head Honcho. His voice will be the loudest. They set the starting bidding price, talk fast and say “SOLD to (YOUR NUMBER )!” when you are the high bidder. *Note* at first it may be hard to understand them, but soon you will find yourself comfortable with their auction style. Their speech will be rapid fire with a quick cadence.
If you bid a lot, some auctioneers will learn your name! A good auctioneer has a sense of humor and engages with his crowd.
The Clerk or Clerks – Sits next to the auctioneer and records the high bids. She or He will run the numbers to the office cashier periodically as her sheets fill up.
The Spotters – These are people the Auctioneer has hired to hold up the the items and “spot” bids. It is a good practice to make sure you have eye contact with them or the auctioneer when bidding on an item they are holding up. You don’t want your bids to get missed!
Bidding at Auctions ~ Let the Fun Begin
Chic Mouse remembers her very first bid at her very first auction. She was as timid as.. well.. as timid as a MOUSE! No one saw her bid. She missed the item. Chic Mouse learned from that experience and Chic Mouse is timid no more!
Listen and learn new bidders…
You watch intently as a spotter holds up a desired item for bid. You must have it! You must! Your heart rate increases. Your nerve endings tingle. You hand clutches your bidding card in anticipation. You wait a brief second for the auctioneer to set the low bidding price. It’s time! Bidding starts at 5.00 and you throw your hand up! They catch your bid. You can tell they have caught your bid because the auctioneer will look at you and yell, ” We have 5! Can we get 6?” More people may out bid you. They will always come back to you to see if you are willing to keep going. If you want REALLY REALLY want the item – Be BOLD. Be DECISIVE. Keep your bidding card up or nod your head yes. If the bidding gets too high for your taste or your price limit.. simply shake your head “No” and you will be out of the bidding.
But let’s say you REALLY REALLY want this item and money is no object. You simply keep bidding until the other bidders drop out. You hope they do this before you end up paying some outrageous amount! Example: Your item is now up to 10.00. You are the 10.00 bid. A good auctioneer will keep trying to pull in more bids. They will then yell something that goes like this, ” We have 10, can I get 11.. 11 .. 11 anyone? .. going once, going twice, SOLD to ( your number )!” 10.00 to Number 001! (Yes, I decided 001 is your number. )
Congratulations! You just had your first successful bid.
Chic Mouse is so proud of you!
Speaking of perfume bottles… This is a perfume bottle beauty I picked up at an auction. Isn’t it delightful?
DeVilbiss Perfume Atomizer
Bidding at an auction can be intense, especially if there are many people bidding on the same item.
There are several methods Auctioneers use for bidding on items –
Here are the 4 main types of bidding.
Most items are sold singularly. Bidding is for one item.
Multiple items can be sold to the highest bidder, TIMES THE NUMBER OF ITEMS. It is important to listen to the instructions from auctioneer. The auctioneer will advise you how particular items will be sold, for example, “times three”, means that your bid amount is for each of the three items being sold at the time. A bid of $10 per item means a total price of $30.
Multiple items can also be sold for “ONE PRICE“, which means – three or more items, sometimes referred to as lots, will go to the highest bidder. Your bid of $10 means a total purchase for multiple items will be a price of $10.
Many times, items will be sold as CHOICE. An example of CHOICE: The auction has 10 different perfume bottles. The auctioneer calls CHOICE on the 10. You end up the high bidder at 5.00. You then have a choice as to how many of those perfume bottles you want at 5.00 a perfume bottle. You may just want a particular one or you may say, “ALL!” You will pay 5.00 per bottle. If you only pick 1 bottle, the auctioneer will ask if anyone else wants “Choice” at 5.00. If no one else wants a perfume bottle at 5.00, the auctioneer will once again open the bidding up for choice. They will not do either of these things while you decide which one or ones you want. They may even start the bidding on another unrelated item while you pick. If you pick 3 bottles, the spotter will call out your number and amount to the clerk. Example: Number 001 takes 3! ( You will pay 15.00 for the 3)
Important: Pay attention to what the Auctioneer is telling the bidders! It’s easy to get sidetracked at an auction and not realize what type of bidding is going on. Most all bidding is on single items. Look out if you see the spotters start to make small piles of items! That means they are going to lot up several items for bidding.
Another little hint: I keep a box handy for my winning bid items. After you win an item or items it is good to get them packed in your box and out of the way.
You can leave an auction at any time. You do not have to stay until the end. Chic Mouse often does though. That is when you can get your best deals!
When you are ready to leave, simply go to the cashier and tell her your number. They will add up your items and you will pay! Easy Peesy! The cashiers are located in the same place where you signed up for your number.
Don’t forget to pick up any flyers they may have for their next auction!
You will be addicted!
The most important tip of all……..
HAVE FUN!
Stay tuned for Part 3 of my auction series – The Art of Bidding
While waiting for your next auction, you can browse treasures in Chic Mouse Vintage HERE.
Blessings and Happy Bidding ♥♥♥Chic Mouse♥♥♥
The Estate Auction – Part 1 ~ Preparation
Auctions are a staple of treasure hunters. Prepare for a long day of fun and excitement.
And… Bring money ~ Lots of money. ( Most Auction Companys do accept checks and debit/credit cards )
Your first auction can be intimidating. If you have never been to an auction, want to go, but have no idea what to do, let Chic Mouse be your guide. She is a seasoned auction attendee. There are many types of auctions. These guides are highlighting Estate auctions only.
Your first step is to pick the auction you want to attend. Look in newspaper classified ads, watch for flyers or look on the internet for auctions in your area. There are several online auction sites that will send you alerts when there is an auction in your area. Many times the auction will be advertised on the internet along with pictures of the treasures that will be there. After you attend a few auctions, you will have your favorite Auction Company or Auction House that you will follow! Not all auctions are created equal.
An auction flyer looks something like this ⇒
Yes! This is Chic Mouse’s favorite Auction Company!
AuctionZip is an excellent website where you can get set your area preferences and get upcoming auctions sent to your email.
I stay away from the ones that charge a buyer’s fee. A buyer’s fee means they charge you a percentage, anywhere from 5% and up, on your total auction bill. In other words, they charge you a fee for the pleasure of your company at the auction. They are already making a large fee on selling the estate. Without buyers, there would be no auction. Charging a fee on the items you have bought does not set well with me. I avoid auctions with those business practices. This is a personal preference and if you choose to attend auctions with a buyer’s fee.. no problem!
Chic Mouse prefers established local auctions. Sometimes they may be outside, generally called a Farm Auction or inside their “house” or even a combination of both. House, is a term that is used denoting any building where the Company has it’s home, it could be a barn or any type of large building.
After researching, you have now picked the auction you want to attend. You have perused the list of items, looked at their pictures and you are excited about the treasures you could potentially bring home!
- Prepare for a long day.
- Get a good night’s sleep. You want to be sharp!
- Bring a few boxes and packing material, like newspaper. Sometimes you can find boxes to pack your treasures in and sometimes not. It’s best to be safe.
- The auction may or may not have chairs. After attending different auctions you will know who has what. If there are no chairs, you may want to bring something to sit on. I bring a folding stool.
- Wear comfortable shoes. You may be standing on concrete for long periods of time.
- Make sure you are hydrated.
- Most all auctions have concessions that serve food and beverages. Generally speaking, Auction house food is excellent! It never hurts to bring some bottled water, especially if it is hot and an outside auction.
- Get there an hour before the auction starts. You will want to preview the items hands on. Check them for damage and get a price you are willing to pay for them set in your head.
- Register and get your number. You will need your driver’s license or other form of I.D.. There is a special booth or place you will do this at. Without a number, you can not bid. Do not skip this step! The number will come on a long card and be blank on the backside. I will go into more detail about this in Part 2.
Example of an Auction Number card.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Auction Series – The Auction in Action!
Feel free to visit ChicMouseVintage to see some of her fabulous auction finds, now available for you to purchase! HERE
Blessings and Happy Auction Hunting ♥♥Chic Mouse♥♥ 
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