Spring is finally here! The weekend was very beautiful (more on that later) and I had hopes that this week would be a good one for finds. However, I feel like all I’ve seen thus far is bags and bags of yard waste – twiggy crap that only worms would want. It seems that for most people the first step of spring cleaning is to rake the yard. My thinking now is that people get to cleaning out their basements and closets a little later on. That would explain why May was such a good month for me last year.
Still, I’ve made a couple of noteworthy finds in the past few days. I was driving around NDG when I noticed this guy poking his head out from behind a recycling bin.
It ended being an legless full-sized cutout of some dude. His fashion sense is very 1950s or 1960s, and I’d guess it was made around that time. It makes a cool decoration so I might just keep it myself. I’d love to know who it is though – let us know in the comments if you have any ideas!
My run last night was pretty quiet overall. However, I did stumble across this nice vintage chair.
It’s got a very modernist look to it. On the bottom is a label marked Widdicomb, the name of a renown American furniture company. After consulting with Reddit, I can say more specifically that it looks to be a piece from George Nakashima’s “Origin” line.
Some Widdicomb pieces go for a fair bit of money. However, it’s super comfortable and I’m considering keeping it for myself. My decision on whether to keep it or sell it will depend on just how much it’s worth, as I have a hard time turning down good money for decorative stuff. There is a light stain on the cushion, and the cushion is probably a bit “saggier” than it was 60 years ago but it’s in fine condition otherwise. Paranoid, I inspected it for bugs multiple times but found no trace of them. I suspect the previous owners just wanted something new and “fresh.” Stain-free perhaps.
In other news
My yard sale on Sunday went quite well! The weather was fantastic – sunny all day and about 20 degree Celsius – so I couldn’t have picked a better day. Thanks to all the readers who came by and said hello! I made just over 300$ overall, which I consider a pretty solid performance.
The sale was also productive because it helped me get my stuff organized. I have a loose organization system (ie: specific boxes for ephemera, doodads, and whatever) and having everything out there made it easy for me to put things in the right places. This also made it easier to purge. I got rid of maybe four boxes worth of stuff I decided wasn’t worth trying to sell, which of course opens up more room for better things.
If anyone’s curious, when I do a purge I’ll put all the stuff on the curb in open boxes, which allows other scavengers pick through it and take whatever might have any value. I make sure to put the boxes out only when the weather is nice, and well in advance of trash collection. There’s plenty of pickers in Montreal, and I think this is the most effective way to redistribute my refuse.
Otherwise, I got a tetanus booster the other day. It had been about 10 years since my last shot and I figured that it’s a good thing to stay on top of given my profession. I’d recommend that anyone else who digs through trash regularly (as well as those who don’t) do the same!