Cinderella shops story (2)

Having met thousands of people in all the years I collected, wrote about antiques, traveled, and sold antiques I have never met anyone meaner than the Cincinnati woman I was about to see way- too -often.  As it turned out, with my business, I actually paid tuition for two of her daughters to go through college with my glass buying, so  I don't know why she treated me like Cinderella, but she did and I took it because I wanted what she had to sell. Glenda and I arrived at her home invited and on time.   She met us at the door and was not going to let Glenda in the house. (Glenda was the one who found her and then called me over.) She was to wait in the car.  Well, I was having none of that, so I was reluctantly prepared to leave. The woman could see dollar signs driving out of sight. She sighed, and let us both in.  I must say it was a glorious old house and one that she did not fit into or deserve, but I digress. We were instructed to walk down the long hall and not to glance side-ways but straight ahead to the dining room with its long, very long, table. (As I write I am getting more upset by the treatment that we accepted.) We were instructed to sit, and like dogs, we did. She walked over to a closet and cracked open the door just enough to allow her fat ass to fit and block our view. She did not realize the view I had was a crack of light through the hinged part of the door and the view was astounding...an entire closet full of shelves of twinkling toy glass. I was stunned and Glenda noted the paleness of my face and feared I was going to faint. I, on the other hand, feared I was going to strangle the bitch.  She asked if I had brought cash and I said I did (kind of like a drug deal) and so it began. This went on for years until I had cleaned out her entire collection of glass and wrote a book about the subject, but I am getting ahead of the story.  Andy had driven me to Cincinnati every time after the only Glenda trip and she was not going to let him in the house either and he had the money!  He was to wait in the car. Well, I nearly let it go and again was ready to leave, but we were to make one last buy by cleaning out the remainder of the toy glass and pricing each and every individual piece as another kind of punishment.  (Seems she did not like men either.)  The eight-hour clean out of the closet was not fun. Yes, Andy and I sat there and piece by piece priced each and every piece of glass that was left in the closet.  She never asked if we needed the facilities (kind of like the movie The Help), never offered us any of the crackers and cheese she treated herself to in front of us, (kind of made me want to bake her a special pie)... and yet we put up with it for eight hours and were, in my estimation, now, very silly, kind, and accommodating. We were never rude to her and that seemed to insight more rudeness from her. I knew she had toy china too, but I was not willing to go through years of her company once the glass was gone. I had long been traveling and buying by then and had several book deals with two publishers and only saw her once at a Columbus show years later. She knew she would never see me or my money again. She flung her last insult at me and the next thing I knew someone told me she was dead. (I didn't do it.)

A memories spree (story 1)

 I am on a memories spree thinking about and writing about my days of collecting. I know what caused it but do not remember the exact date that it began. I was teaching and met an interesting woman and we became friends. She and her husband invited us to their little bungalow on some estate on Sciota River Road. The minute I walked into this charming little house everything became small.  There were what I called miniatures everywhere. Little furniture strategically placed with tiny punch bowl and cups in glass, little covered butters with matching sugar bowls, creamers, and spooners comprising a set. Glass took over my life in that couple of hours that we spent there.  I could not wait to get home and start researching.  That was a problem.  There was no research to be had and believe me, I looked because I was obsessed. The need to find these items became my prime goal and the hunt was on. It was meant to be, because I read there was a 'show' in Cincinnati within a couple of weeks and we were going to be in Cincinnati visiting relatives, so I asked my sister-in-law if she wanted to venture to the convention building to see this event.  As we climbed the steps I kept asking, do you think they sell these items or are they just showing them off like a museum?  Well, obviously she did not know, but I speculated on. I remember opening the double doors and bam,  there it was in all its glory, The Cox Antiques Show, my first of hundreds. This was the late seventies and it was a most exciting period in my life...and a costly one. Never mind, it was a great investment in life and I was happy to be able to contribute to the family funds from then on up to 2005 when I ended it.

As Glenda and I walked into the show, I was able to gasp out instructions of what to look for. She was a clever girl and took one aisle and I took another and all of a sudden I heard her scream, "Doris, come here, hurry." Well, now she's done it, she's broken something...I looked for an exit. But, she was the driver and I had to face it.  I found her grinning from ear to ear, bless her heart now and forever. There in front of us was an entire six-foot table covered with miniature glass, exactly what I was looking for and, it was for sale. I was gobsmacked! The dealer knew she had a sucker on the hook and she played it cool. Finally, I bought a table stand a matching lemonade set in the Nursery Rhyme pattern for $90. had I lost my mind I wondered while asking if she had more glass at home.  She grumpily admitted she did and I brazenly asked if I could come back next weekend to shop at her home and she begrudgingly (an act) said that  I could. And, we are off...more next time.