Tuesday, September 29, 2009

My new toy

A very brief post, in the bit of downtime I've had since Friday afternoon.

On Sunday, I went with Frost, Ma Frost, and Pa Frost antiquing in the country. Our first stop was CJ's antiques on Hwy 24 between Brantford and Waterford. The store has three outbuilding and an unoccupied house full of refinished furniture that is all stripped and refurbished on site by the owners. I didn't know about the house the first time we were there, back in July. We spent at least an hour looking at all the interesting and locale pieces they have, and I had quite a lovely chat with Casey, the father of the owner who helps mind the shop. We might have a couple of pieces to go pick up, once we have moved into the new house, which dudes, is in 28 days, or four weeks from today!

Our next stop was at the two antique shops in Waterford, which are in one big building near the stream. The antique shop at the very front has very nice stuff however it's all priced by the owner and his prices are quite high. The second antique shop at the back half of the building is owned and operated by Dave and his family but it works more or less on consignment where they have vendors who set the price and they get a percentage of the sale. The name of the antique shop aptly called the Waterford Antique Market.

The first time we visited the Waterford Antique Market back in April, was the first time I layed eyes on this new toy. In July when we were there for a second time, as it's now become a key part of our visit to my relations in Branford to go antiquing in the country, it was still there. Again I hummed and hawed over weather to get it or not but left it behind. This time round, I decided that should it still be there, I'd take it, but try to barter with the vendor as it would not have moved in the last 6 months. To my surprise it was still there and I immediately clutched it in my paws and began walking around the store with it.

An older lady, I'd say somewhere around 75 or 80 years of age, actually came up to me and said she'd had one as a child, but hers was black and silver instead of all tan. As it has no instruction booklet with it, I asked her how to thread it. Which she gladly told me how to do, and then went on her way out the back door of the shop.

So here it is, a 1940's child's singer sewing machine. Complete with a clamp to hold it to a table. I don't own a sewing machine but it's in such great condition and working order, that I can totally use it to hem pants and such.



The pint glass in this second shot is just for scale. It really is quite tiny.



And the best part of all-Made in Canada!



Now the kicker to this story is that just before leaving Waterford, we all went back into the first half of the building where the expensive antique market is. Pa Frost found in a glass cabinet a black and silver child's sewing machine just like the one I got, but it came with it's original box and instruction manuel. Which I guess explains the $225.00 price tag. Mine was a mere $125.00 with a 25% discount which would have come to $93 dollars and some change but I got the vendor to sell it to me for $80.00. My grandmother might have passed away back in April but I am proud to have inherited her barter gene.

2 comments:

Team Knit said...

oh wow, that is the cutest sewing machine I've ever seen!!! what an amazing bargain.

- Julie

Lise said...

Lurve lurve LURVE it! Well done. It's so cute.