Thursday, July 3, 2008

Impulse buying...





I decided to drive to the quaint little town of Oakland, Oregon today to visit antique stores and see if I could find some interesting and unusual vases. As is usually the case for me, I did not find what I was looking for but left with something else I forgot I needed (I mean, wanted, at least in that moment).


I found these blue wooden clogs inside the door of the first antique store I visited. What a coincidence that I would actually encounter wooden clogs! I’ve been mulling over possible images for the header on my blog for months. Surely it was a sign when these blue clogs appeared. I considered buying them to photograph and use. But after thinking about it awhile, I decided not to purchase them, because well, I’d be stuck with those ugly blue wooden clogs. Plus, those pointed toes look rather modern to me.

I looked around some more and was struck by this lovely little demitasse cup. The English china was so delicate and glazed on the bottom was the date July 19, 1920. But it was really expensive. So, even though I just knew it would be a good prop for a watercolor painting, I walked on by.



I finally settled on a small yellow-ware bowl, suitably worn, from Plains, Georgia. (Perhaps it once belonged to President Carter’s family?). It will look nice on my counter with my other antique spongeware bowls, with shallots or garlic in it. I decided to buy it. But then I made the mistake, when I went to the counter to pay, of mentioning how much I liked the demitasse. The owner thought for a moment and then offered it to me at a 45% discount! How could I resist? I bought it.

When I got home I was stricken with buyer’s remorse. Would I really EVER paint a cup with that much detail? Very, very unlikely. Now I had yet another singleton cup to store somewhere. (There must be more creative ways to display pretty mismatched cups besides in a glass case like my grandmother had!) I went on E-bay to see what the starting bid was for the cup and saucer and discovered the (reduced) price I paid was the starting bid on E-bay. I’m glad, at least, that I did not pay the original asking price.

It’s not a big deal, a half a tank of gas, but still, not an item I really needed to spend money on. The classic impulse purchase. I wonder if Carol at Paris Breakfast, the master painter of lovely china, would like to paint it?

8 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

Your Oakland looks very much like my little Ohio town where I go to look for antiques. Your little cup and saucer are beautiful. Pamper yourself with a cup of tea!

Happy 4th to you and yours! :)

Anonymous said...

What a funny and interesting post! When I first saw the heading and the photos I thought you might have, on a whimsey, bought an old brick warehouse. Surely the buyers remorse for doing so would have been significantly greater than that for buying a teacup!

caseytoussaint said...

It sounds like you had a great day, Sharon - and I'm sure you'll paint this one of these days. Columbia looks like a fun place to visit- thanks for taking us along.

A Brush with Color said...

I am glad I wasn't with you--I'd have been encouraging you to get them all--those clogs were great, too! LOL, and I'd have defnitely thought it was a "sign."

Your teacup is beautiful, and I bet Carol would love to paint it! Go for it.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

I love Oakland and its antique stores. I too get sucked into buying impulse things sometimes. But you could use it as a candle holder. Put in a cute round type candle. Then paint it with it burning. :)
Love the blue of the clogs.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

PS, Yes It is something up Carols alley in painting.

paris parfait said...

That cup is beautiful! Sounds like a lovely outing.

Judybec said...

I love those blue clogs!!!! The town looks like a fun place to shop and the tea cup is a treasure!