Day 7 - What’s it really worth?

I was starting to think it might be handy to have some furniture. Since the Bandycoot has commandeered the table for his computer desk, I’ve been eating dinner off a card table or my lap while sitting on one of the world’s most uncomfortable chairs that once called the Spirit of Tasmania home. When I heard the Bandycoot’s dad talking about a farm clearing sale the other day, I thought we might find some bits and pieces that could prove useful (and cheap!).

Having been a farm kid, I’d been dragged along to a few sales in my time. I usually spent the time poking though boxes of odd bits and pieces while my parents were on the lookout for useful items for our cattle farm. However, the Bandycoot had never been to one and wasn’t sure it would be worthwhile. I convinced him to come along and it turned out to be a sale from an old woodworker (also one the Bandycoot’s favourite pastimes). There were more pallets of timber than he could believe and all going out at bargain basement prices. Needless to say, he left the sale a very happy man with a wheelbarrow, bunch of garden tools and a big load of Tassie wood.

Something about auctions always gets my adrenalin pumping, and I have been known to get overenthusiastic with my bidding when I get caught up in the moment. There were a couple of old timber chests and cupboards that I bid on and managed to come home with an old chest and a topless stool and side table. I’m keen to try and fix them up for the Old Dairy, though I’ve never restored anything before. How hard can it be? I mean they restore furniture on TV in like 15 minutes or so!

Just before the furniture lot came up I noticed a couple of turned timber legs, all polished up and looking perfect for a bed frame (which we desperately need). I saw that no-one was bidding on them and I managed to get them for $2!! I was pleased, the Bandycoot confused, when they pulled out 3 smaller legs that were also included. The Bandycoot’s raised eyebrow seemed to say, ‘two big legs and three little ones? What are you going to make out of that?’. But this story was to have a curly twist. When he returned with Brutus to pick up his large pallet of timber, he and his dad got talking with the old woodworker who had owned it all and had just watched his life's work be auctioned off to the highest bidder. It turned out that he knew the Bandycoot’s Pop (grandfather), who was also a woodworker, and he had leant Pop a beautiful turned chair leg to use as a stencil about 18 years ago. Unfortunately Pop passed away not long after, and the chair leg had never been returned. So it came to light that the 3 turned legs I had spontaneously purchased in my lot were the matching legs to that one. The Bandycoot was amazed and hopes to search his Pop’s old shed to see if it can be found and the set of chair legs reunited after all this time…

PS I finally got a fire started!!! Pine cones are the trick. Now who's the firestarter..?