In June 2013, my mother-in-law passed away at the age of
100, leaving two houses uninhabited. She and my father-in-law, when he was
living, spent the summers in the country and winters in town. Something needed
to be done with the contents of both houses and the outbuildings. My husband
contacted an auctioneer about having a sale. He recommended waiting until March
of 2014. He said spring is the peak of the auction season when everyone is
ready to get out of their houses and before the outdoor work begins.
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| Her favorite doll, almost 100 years old |
To get ready, we had to pack everything since the auction would be at another location. I wrapped many, many dishes. My mother-in-law lived in the same house as
her mother and grandmother before her with each keeping the dishes of the one
before. I also readied her
doll collection, her paperweight collection, her books, her bedding, and sorted through most of the papers in
the house. My husband did the garages, the attic, the upstairs, and stacked every
box that was packed.
The two of us totaled at least 150 hours on the project. At first, it was fun discovering family photos,
memorabilia, more dolls, and additional paperweights I had never seen. The last week got very
tiring.
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| Her paper weight collection |
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| The living room after packing |
We loaded up from six different buildings.
Fortunately, we had our immediate and extended family helping us.
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The auctioneers’ workers getting things ready
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The sale went well. The auctioneers said that it was as good as it gets in this present age of Internet buying.
Whew!
We are glad that is over!
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| The most popular item |
