Friday, September 23, 2011

the auction gremlin

Cleaning out--the garage, odd corners and under beds where I've stashed things to sell. What to take to the store? Sell in the Etsy shop? Give away?


I've come across a few things I forgot about. Like this head-scratching, what was I thinking of, auction purchase of three heavy wood, brightly painted, semi-marionettish, what? They don't look like they belong in a country house do they? They aren't to my taste at all.


In the throes of auction fever I bid on them. They have price tags on them, so once upon a time they were in a store somewhere. Little sticker tags with big prices. 
Does that say 295.99? Yes it does. And that's just for one. Maybe it's lire or pesos or drachmas, not dollars. I have no idea if they have any intrinsic value or if they are something that can be bought for cheap in their country of origin (Indonesia? Thailand?) and some gift store was pulling a con.


They are made of solid wood and are pretty big--about 20" tall.


The paint looks new, the fabric is new. There are strings you pull to make their arms move.


As I bid, one voice in my head said, they won't fit in your store or house. And another voice, the auction gremlin, hissed you can always give them away, and put her hand up and paid forty dollars for the three of them.


Right now they are wedged in a space between the guest bed and the wall. Which isn't fair to them at all. I have absolutely no idea what to do with them, but they need to go live somewhere else. Have you ever seen anything like them? Do you know someone who would like to adopt them?

8 comments:

  1. They're pretty cool, and a little creepy! I haven't seen any like them.

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  2. Jen,
    Verrrry Interesting..... that's what happens when you get the"fever"! They are definitely different, no, I haven't seen the likes of them before! Maybe you should try E-bay, much wider customer base.
    Rebecca

    P.S. Are you sure they are still between the wall and the bed? AS Elfrenee said, a little spooky, no relation to Chucky, are they?

    P.S.S. I'm sure there is someone out there just waiting to give them a good, loving home, after all, they say there is someone for everyone, two or three!

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  3. They look like from eastern or middle-east, but I've never seen like them in Japan. They were used for some ritual or theater for some festival, I wonder.

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  4. Hi Jen,

    I have never seen anything like them,
    I agree with ElfRenee that they are "pretty but a little creepy"

    I think we all get caught up in the moment (of madness) and buy something that will never be of use, that we don't really like...........

    Hopefully you will find a new home for them!


    Enjoy your weekend.

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  5. Hello Jen:
    Well, these moving wooden figures are not your usual fare, that is for certain. We cannot recall seeing anything like them on our travels and just wonder if they have been made as toys?

    Auction fever is a problematic ailment........the only medication.....abstinence!!

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  6. Hi Jen !
    maybe sell on ebay under oriental items.
    I think they are very interesting ! do the arms on the ladies move when you pull the string? looks like he is a royal guard to the pretty twins, who look very alike, (except for their curly side burns.) ...worth looking into more I think. they do look old with the cracked wood on the bottom. I would have bought them for 40 bucks too

    - KAT -

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  7. i agree selling them on e-bay is a good idea for them. i am sure somebody will love them. ( well, is not drachmas- we did not use to have .something on that lovely emotionaly precious currency... i miss drachmas. greece was poor with them but happy. now with euro greece is just poor...)

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  8. LOL! they remind me of the two vintage Moor lamps that my husband bought in Idaho on a business trip. What was HE thinking? But they do all have their kitschy charm, don't they...

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