In Search Of Roseville
John Lundgren 2002
After being a card-carrying bottom feeder at auctions
and garage sales for years, I decided I would raise my
selling self esteem by raising the bar from junk to Roseville.
Now why would any highly successful bottom feeder wish
to do a thing like that you might ask. I was very
successful out-bidding every other bidder for the odd lots of
refuse at most auctions. It was like an angry spirit took
hold of my hand raising it toward the heavens. Very few
dared to challenge my bidding. The auctioneers always
smiled as I heaped up my "treasures".
Then there was the problem of unloading when I
returned home. Sometimes darkness was my veil as I sneaked my
goods into the cellar in attempts of avoiding my wife's
unappreciative stares. After all, the attic was heaped
up, as was my office, and then there was the shed out
back. She would understand when I converted it all
into cash. Someday.
Then one day she said something shocking. "Why don't
you upgrade your buying and get better items." She had
given up on getting me to stop going to auctions, so this
was a very positive development. That is when I decided to
hunt down and acquire a piece of Roseville pottery.
This was to be my quantum leap to respectability. You
have all seen art dealers and antique dealers who
only carry the creme de la creme in their shops.
These people don't even wear jeans and frown
uncontrollably when they see inferior pieces in a way
that suggest a bad scent is in the air. I wanted to
join their club.
I had seen a few pieces of Roseville in my day and was
shocked to see three lovely stem holders at a local
consignment auction. Right on the bottom of each it
said, "Roseville." I was smitten. The old spirit
returned as I thrust my hand into the air to the tune
of $75.00. I had achieved my goal and took my trophies
home. Respectability.
My description on Ebay was nothing short of poetry. I
finally had an item worthy of consideration by the
most discriminating collector, or so I thought. My first
clue that something was wrong was when after 5 days I
didn't have a single bid. Then there was the terse
email which read," They aren't Roseville. They are cheap
imitations made in China."
Exactly one month later, I left a box at the same
consignment auction. In the box were three stem
holders signed "Roseville" on the bottom. I didn't attend the
auction but stayed home confident that other bidders
possessed by a demons would raise their hands as I had done.
The results were shocking. Since it was a holiday
weekend, the auctioneer had a truckload of flowers
on the auction block. When he finally started the box
lots, the large crowd had all but disappeared. When the
gavel finally came down on my "Roseville," it was for the
sum of $8.00! (Minus the house's 20 per cent!) There ends
my quest for Roseville for the time being. Presently, I
will stick to the identification of peanut butter jars and
other fine items that you find in...box lots!
...............................................................
John Lundgren is a garage sale enthusiast and author
of, "How To Turn Your Garage Sale Into a Money Machine."
Visit http://www.garagesalebonanza.com for free tips.
Send a blank email to garagesale@freeautobot.com for a
free course on garage sales and auctions. | 
