Let’s be an Eldergay’s Estate Sale

STEP BACK BITCHES! I'VE GOT THE JUDY GARLAND ALBUM COLLECTION!!!

Link to the sale, please?

Dora Dumbfuck has arrived on the thread ^^^^

R3 I don't get it

It's an imaginary scenario R4 Pay no attention to Thomas Tampon

Dearest darling #2 and #3. This is a dream sale, it exists only in our dreams. If you were something in that old house, what would you be?

I know I'll be trying to shove R1 away from that fabulous Judy Garland album collection.

An almost empty JeanNatay bottle in the Ming chinoiserie.

I never liked the scent anyway, R7

Mother's perhaps?

Dumped unceremoniously on the floor behind the changing screen: An anthropological study on Modern Lesbianism through the eyes of the Zama tribe of Northern Africa. It is dogeared, with red penned marginalia throughout, featuring comments like "Rubbish!" and "Disproved by Margot Eustenhauser". Written by one of the deceased's students when he taught a series at NYU.

It is my dream to find an eldergay estate sale. I'm not kidding. Where do i have to go? San Francisco?

A stone carving of Ganesha, hacked off the side of an Indian temple in 1876. It was won in Sotheby's by Cedric, who was bidding against Sir Richard Attenborough.

Are the bloodstains out of the silk sheets? I know that Dominican trick did ͏him in well, you couldn’t even tell at the wake.

i'm the carnival glass

When my Mom died, I put her collection of rosaries and similar in a plastic baggie. She was a young Church Lady before becoming and Old Church Lady. Anyway, ten years later when I opened the bag, it still smelled of her perfume. White Linen, I think it was. They say that the sense of smell is the most evocative. I could have cried.

If I had the room, I’d be like our John Knibbs, too.

Please, they were Crystal Queens. Lalique, Baccarat, Steuben.

Mama never wore Jean Nate. Joy for her.

I’m the black leather trousers found on a hanger all the way in the back of the closet.

I his AIDS denial.

[quote] Anyway, ten years later when I opened the bag, it still smelled of her perfume. White Linen, I think it was. They say that the sense of smell is the most evocative. I could have cried.

Don'cha jes love being gay! I REALLY MEAN THAT!!! What a, "They're such beautiful shirts" Gatsby moment...

I'm the empty KY tubes found under the bed.

I'm the empty little brown bottles scattered throughout the house.

I am Mother's Paris Worth Wedding Gown, Cecil paid a fortune having it restored and mounted in a frame, which hung on the wall in the library. I belong in a museum, but will end up donated to a high school drama department. I will be ruined in an ill advised production of Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid.

I was proudly displayed on the landing to the third floor entertainment room.

DAMN IT! I wanted that dress, R21!!!

R11, they can be found in the most unexpected places. I began my record collection at an Eldergay estate sale in rural Illinois, where I was visiting my grandparents for the summer in 1987. This fabulous Mary! Had been collecting and packratting since 1918. I dream about it, still: The most exquisite collection of bar ware, pocket watches, gold cases for anything one might carry (all Cartier, all gold). He had moved back home after traveling the world, and lived on his family farm until his death.

R24 thank you. Love it. I'll keep looking then!

I'm the silken clad clown "feets" tinted in pastels and double jingled at the toe.

I'm the Fiestaware bought in '81 for a kicky casual summer's eve party. Now hidden in the back of the cupboard because everybody has it and besides, isn't it radioactive or something?

R11 Yes. When we lived there, we stumbled upon a gay estate sale in one of the famous Painted Ladies houses always featured on postcards (it was the one on left corner in pic). We scored some great things, including an original, large, framed photograph of Bette Midler taken, hand colored and signed by the photographer who did most of her early album covers. It was just hiding in a corner with a bunch of other frames. I think we paid $15 for it; had it appraised and it's worth over $5,000.

I'm whatever's left over after his homophobic siblings run through the house like it's supermarket sweep after refusing to talk to him for decades.

R28 i knew it. Thank you.

10 points for, R29! That made me laugh out loud! And... that is probably exactly what would happen too

I recall in 1968 or so, Harkness Estate in Waterford, CT had its estate sale. I went to it, though I don’t remember much. I bet there was a lot there to find. Edward Harkness helped Rockefeller start Standard Oil, and was one of the richest men in the country,

This was at a time when a mansion on the Conn shore provided a respite from the City.

The story is that a Harkness child drown at the beach, so when the estate was bequeathed to the State of Conn, it was stipulated that there would be NO SWIMMING ALLOWED, and there still isn’t. I used to go there in the Summer, smoke a joint on a huge rock that sits just offshore, and read Greek mythology for high school class. I also used to jog up and down the magically beautiful tree-lined driveway, which was quite long, a quarter mile or more, IIRC.

R28 here. Here's the archived photograph at New York Library. Ours was printed and signed by the photographer, Kenn Duncan.

Here's the estate of Wash. DC city councilman Jim Graham, much of it was male nude art, sculpture and painting.

His highly prized PLAYBILL signed by all of the players in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF ?

One of his maternal grandmother's Royal Doultons; always made him think of Nana.

I am the 19-piece Valencia pattern Culver bar ware set in 22 carat gold from the 1950's. It comes with an ice bucket and John and Cedric used it for cocktails almost every night.

Wow, R34, that is awesome.

The SCAN leather chair & ottoman which was purchased back in 1977 and was always prominently displayed in the 'reeks of the 70s' living room.

I am Mildred's ceramic poodle collection.

MMPH! Don't get me started. 30 years and cleaning all of their mess and I get only $3 thousand in the will and ole lady Midred's mink stole...

I call dibs on the Imari plates and the Grande Baroque flatware!

I'm the large antique swan jardiniere that sat on the sideboard in the dining room. I looked so elegant when overflowing with hydrangeas for their soirees.

I'm the Navajo rugs bought when Southwestern decor was hot.

I'm Cedric's silent star autograph collection.

I'm a first edition! Jealous, bitches?

Jealous!

Speaking of reeking...

I am second-hand smoke. My lingering odor permeates every object you will buy at this estate sale, thanks to all of those cocktail parties.

Dibs on the little statue with the oversized erect penis.

SEX, Madonna's coffee table book. You know there's a first edition in there somewhere.

I just saw an expert in antiques who holds three degrees. She said buy art, furniture and jewelry. the furniture surprised me because they are giving it away here.

That is true, R51. Furniture is very undervalued now, in my opinion. I have no idea if it will actually increase in the future, but if you are in the market for furniture, estate sales are the place to buy because there are very good deals to be had. It's next to impossible to sell on-line because of shipping, so the only re-sellers in that market are people with their own stores or booths at antique malls.

I am the box of VHS tapes, comprised of the limited edition 50th Anniversary Gone With the Wind gift set, Meet Me in St. Louis, various Tony Awards taped off network television, and of course - "the soaps." There's a tape in here marked "Erica Kane's Weddings."

I'm the frau looking for beautiful natural wood furniture -- preferably Mid Century Modern -- that I can ruin with milk paint and post on social media about how crafty I am.

I'm the monogrammed smoking jackets.

I will be claiming custody of there Sealyham Terrier, Muffins Pinfield-Knibbs.

Agree R51 & R52. I go to estate sales often and am frequently shocked by the great furniture deals you can get for some really nice things. I recently bought an antique desk with inlaid wood for $110. It's small but a great accent piece It's something like this one only with two drawers and a floral inlay on the front and intricate drawer pulls.

R54 LOL, I see that a lot. Sometimes the original pieces are in really bad shape and sometimes they absolutely ruin nice furniture.

So, the lovers were born in 1936 and 1943.

Were they too old for Studio 54? Did they partake in the hippie culture? I cannot be an estate sale for them if I am not clear on these crucial moments in time.

R29 nails it. Then of course close friends get to preview and buy everything else first. By the date of an advertised estate sale, there's usually only junk or "price on request" items left. Of course one man's junk...

Threads like this one is why I will never abandon the DL, no matter how troll-infested it may be.

R58 Perhaps you should go, maybe John wore something like this back in the late 60s.

oops, link.

R61 only if he wore it with nothing underneath.

And we would know these things if the vest had old sweat/deodorant stains on the armpits

(R58 who found an 80s black suede vest in my husbands closet with the incriminating deodorant residue)

I have half these things. I don’t know if I should do something or nothing or what?

R32! I've sat on that same rock, contemplating the world!! I used to love those flower beds. I was there last over 25? years ago. Sadly, the gardens had been neglected.

I want the Cuisinart with all the attachments and the shelf of cookbooks, all unread and unused since they ate out or got take out every single night.

I am Mildred's collection of pink Depression era crystal.

I am the complete collection of Betty Davis and Joan Crawford movies that have been viewed once and never used again. We are in perfect condition.

I did know an elderly gay couple who were close friends and this sounds exactly like their estate sale. The only difference is that we had appraisers from different auction houses come in an remove the more valuable pieces to be auctioned off to the highest bidders.

I'm those Spaghetti Poodles. All but one of us was banished to a box in 1970 when we were replaced by Foo Dogs. Then those oriental bastards joined us in 1984 when Staffordshire Dogs became the thing. Those were succeeded by a real live collection of farting Pugs. The Spaghetti Poodle that held on through it all, perched on Mrs K's French Provincial dressing table? A gift to the Mrs from a particularly hunky gardener who shared her love of roses and clitoral stimulation. He was killed in Korea. The love of her life and John's real father.

I rarely bother with estate sales at homes anymore because of what R70 described. Most of the good stuff is already gone, but it's good for things like tools and smaller things.

IS anyone going? Take pics, especially of what you buy?

You have to have a very good eye for these things. Obviously, everyone knows about chanel and Tiffany.

r21, dear, I admire your taste in frocks, but don't you think that, since John was born in 1943, his mother was probably married in the 20th century, not the 19th?

I imagine her wedding dress looks more like the one below -- still lovely, but more likely Balenciaga than Worth.

Maybe the dress belonged to a grand mother?

I want to hear more about the hunky gardener.

those damn poodles gave too many feelings ,,,,,,,,gaaaa

my mother collected those.....i haven't seen this forever....but yep, one of her collections.

Im the set of 1950s Culver Prado tumblers given to us by an idiot cousin who couldn't tell the difference between that and the Valencia we've been collecting for ages

I'm the two dozen PBS coffee mugs they got for pledging at the $25 level.

R14: I'm looking at a Carnival Glass cup right now! It's been in the family for decades - is it worth anything?

Hell, I have a first edition Madonna SEX book, with the mylar cover! Anybody want it?

OMG, R66! What era? I was perhaps 76-78. It’s a fine rock.

Check out the article. They restored the place in the late 90s. I’ll go back at Easter to check. It might need some light dusting by now. Haha.

They are looking into “privatizing”, last I heard. Cette horreur!

I'm the dusty college pennant from a school like Colgate or Williams or William and MARY!

R74, his mother likely married in the late 20s/early 30s, when paris Worth gowns were still the thing for a certain class. I admit the dress I chose was more antique than it should be, but it could have been bought before WW I when the family still had money, and she was forced to wear it because it was a Paris Worth Gown, correct style or no.

Oh dear, I saw the date he was born too late. R74, I stand fully corrected, ignore my post at R84.

r80 what color is your glass?

R86: Amber - similar to the interior of the glasses in the upper left picture in your link. The exterior has the same "grape" design. (There's only one glass in my collection.).

I'm the silver hand mirror gifted to the Mrs from Billy Woodward's murderess and widow, Anne. She was a hoot and The Mrs thinks Billy had it coming.

I'm the Diana Ross and Bette Midler record collection.

I'm the original Nagel, bought when John was absolutely in love with John Taylor from Duran Duran. It was sort of an embarrassing midlife crisis, following the band around, but he did get back stage with a giant bag of medical grade cocaine he bought from a dentist friend. He got a kick out of the fact that he made it to page 178 in Taylor's autobiography as the "tweed wearing gay gentleman who often came backstage with a giant bag of medical grade cocaine he bought from a dentist friend."

I prefer your Prados, r78, to these Valencias.

For r80:

I the "On the 20th Centry" poster framed and signed by Betty Comden *and* Adolph Green.

I was in the foyer powder room. Next to the "Liza with a Z" poster.

I'm the antique rosary John bought at a little shop on Amalfi in 1983 when all of his friends were dying. He learned how to say the rosary when he woke up sweaty and feverish one night, worried he might have it too. It's miraculous that he made it out of those years unscathed, maybe there was a little magic in that papist talisman?

And, you see why I'm with Blossom of R41? Just look at all of this shit (Tchokes) that have to be washed, dusted, dry cleaned, etc... You're kidding me!

R41

Very accurate

[quote]I the "On the 20th Centry" poster framed and signed by Betty Comden *and* Adolph Green.

Hey, that hurts!. I won one of those posters in a contest Amtrak ran. It arrived long after the show had closed, but I still had it framed, and yes, it was in the hall by the bathroom for years.

Believe me, most people under 60 do not want anything anymore, so those homes may not be as swept clean as you think.

Unless they have a gay nephew or grandson.

This thread is exactly why I have been selling my own stuff on EBAY for years now. My Vuarnet sunglasses in the original case, my childhood Tonka toys, my Montblanc pen, etc. have been bringing extra cash for some time now.

Yes, I remember both my grandmothers giving me anything I admired. They were either tired of it or too much maintenance- especially silver.

R90 wasn't John a bit too old for John Taylor??

I'm the old bottle of quaaludes found in the walk-in medicine cabinet.

Bet r101 gets lots of WWs.

You Carnival Glass Queens missed the Northwood Punchbowl hidden in the chifferobe wrapped in a moth-eaten paisley shawl. I'm on a hunt now for the matching glasses...

Damn, r103, that is some ugly shit.

Im the hard, brittle yellowed 80's early 90's gay porn star dildo collection, made with poisonous material. I'm discovered in a plastic container in the TV room, and my fumes overwhelm the now regretful treasure hunter.

r91 I actually like my set of Culver Pisa, alas, one glass broke. I admit I LOVE Culver and have a bunch of it.....I do sell on both ebay and Etsy because one can only collect so much. Beside, very few people recognize the value of older things and manyprefer to decorate with new crap from Target

I'm the mummified gerbil that escaped and hid in the wall.

R66, Mr. Brontosaurus, YUP! That era plus a little later in the '80's, too!! I used to imagine the rock was the back of a gigantic sea tortoise from the time of dinosaurs, and that I was riding across an ancient sea!

If I ever get back to that part of the country, I have to see the mansion. Privatizing would not be good, in my opinion. I used to like the green house and the cutting garden, too.

Those are pretty, R106. I think I prefer the Prado, though. Do they ever do silver instead of gold?

Not everything on Wayfair is crap. Gus Modern brand is high quality and well known.

And Jonathan Adler

^^^ sorry, wrong thread

There will be several Erte bronzes purchased when Art Deco was the height of Gay Elegant Collecting

r97 Please make sure your executor notifies us of YOUR estate sale.

I'm the Josef's Originals ceramic music box (circa 1960) that sat on Mildred's dressing table for decades.

Although some seem unclear on the conceit, this is really a lovely, funny and poignant thread.

I'm a dead millennial's parents' yard sale down the block. There's an X-box and 30 baseball caps.

I'm Cedric's collection of Hermes ascots. The estate sale agent will not recognize this, and thinking they're scarves from J.C.Penney's, will price then at $2.00 each.

Rats, forgot the link. Cedric's ascots.

I'm John's spats. He liked to wear us on chilly days.

I'm John and Cedric's bronze reproduction of "The Wrestlers" by Philippe Magnier. They purchased me in the shop in the Musée du Louvre while visiting Paris.

I'm a mink fur coat and belonged to Mildred. She would wear me to the opera and shopping on 5th Avenue. I'm a steal at $130 but because real fur is out someone will get me for half off on the final day of the sale.

Here’s some of my stuff that fits, I think.

They wore R119 with R55.

And this pair seems to have way too much glassware and ceramics. Don't elder gays who live with there moms collect ANYTHING else??

*their, ugh

r109, In the years I've collected Culver glass, Ive never ran into silver. Many times, like their Pisa, the inner color could be different . Georges Briard, a contemporary to Culver did use silver on his glassware as did "Vitreon Queens Luster". They have clear glassware with silver edges that most people mistake for Dorothy Thorpe..many of their tumblers have initials.

Mark Rothenberg continued his fathers Culver Glass business until his death on 09/11/01 when his plane was highjacked and was crashed in Pennsylvania

You're my guy, r126.

[quote]SEX, Madonna's coffee table book. You know there's a first edition in there somewhere.

There was only one edition of Madonna’s Sex Book.

I'm the Dolly Parton t-shirt collection.

I'm the Elvis keychain. John and Cedric went to Graceland during a conference in Memphis and giggled during the tour. What a tiny, tacky place! They both started sobbing at the backyard gravesite which shocked them both.

I’m these. A pair in every color. Some don’t even smell!

I'm ten boxes of somewhat-mildewed Playbills and an assortment of Fodor's travel guides that are at least twenty five years out of date.

Im the 5 carat diamond stick pin that even John didnt know was real.I escaped Russia during the revolution hidden in the lining of a coat,and was traded in Shanghai for a bag of rice and 2 loaves of bread. Unfortunately,the noble family who traded me starved to death anyway. I ended up in the US during WW2 after I was bought by a serviceman in a junk store.None of my owners believed I was real (except the nobleman) because I was so large they thought I couldnt be. John's lover got me at the serviceman's estate sale for $10 because his widow thought it might be real gold,but couldnt make out the imperial marks due to her failing eyesight.He wore it in his Hermes ascots. A sharp eyed queen spotted me,and I now reside in a Russian mobsters sock drawer.back home where I started.

Don't fret, R124, I am here to display the fine china and collectibles! I was bequeathed to Cedric by his beloved Aunt Lettice. I've been in the family since 1903, I weigh about one and a half tons, and you're NEVER getting me out of this brownstone in one piece!

It's beautiful, isn't it R134? John's niece may take it.

I'm John and Cedric's guestroom suite. I'm for sale, along with the bedding, for a cool $3,795.

I'm Mildred's bedroom furniture, untouched since she died. The bedside lamp is priced at $30.

I'm that dark stain on the bedroom carpet, under the throw rug. That they blamed on the dog (bad Gertie!).

R136, I can almost see the spaghetti poodle. I'm the the giant Blenko fish filled with matchbooks from old nightspots. My tummy contains boxes and books dating back to The Palladium, Studio 54 and Max's Kansas City. The ones from Rounds and various bath houses were kept in a leather pouch in the closet.

You just know there's one of these hidden somewhere.

I'm the signed Mapplethorpe. Cedric did his peels and once lanced a boil on his butt the size of a clementine. He was such a crybaby about the pain, which was odd considering all of his S&M bravado.

I'm the tasteful faux Tiffany lamp that once sat on the foyer table - 60% off from QVC! So sparkly!

I’m the silly guest book that Cedric had people sign for dinner parties that one year or so. John thought it was indulgent, morbid and tacky (too reminiscent of wakes and bed and breakfasts) but Cedric thought it’d be a kick! Names that can be found include James Mitchell, Cindy Adams, Pat Buckley, Luther Vandross and Robert Risko.

I am Mildred's bedroom slippers, good as new!

I'm John's bedroom slippers.

I'm Cedric's old slippers. John just couldn't throw us away. The estate agent will, we'll never make it to the sale.

I'm the family Sunbeam mixer, still working after all these years and many, many fabulous cakes.

House plants. Did these guys have any house plants? I am thinking one large, old Sanseveria ( snake plant), or big, old philodendron in the corner.

I am the house frau antique dealer with a space in the local antiques mall who will grab that mixer in R146 and resell it.

Cedric's set of atomic era Starburst ashtrays with their caddy from the time when he smoked.

Here's a lovely portrait of Mildred when she was young. John treasured it.

I'm Mildred's pink depression glass pieces. John always claimed to hate them but began using them in recent years. He always said Earl Grey tasted divine in a pink depression class cup.

Most certainly, R147.

Someone told me a relation of theirs bought a bedside cabinet at the estate auction of actor Frank Thring, and in the back of the drawer there was a small tub of vaseline with a pubic hair in it.

I don’t know if they sold it on eBay.

That's funny, R153.

I once bought a crystal cruet set in a silver-plate stand and it had a little message tucked into a bottle saying, in ancient script on fragile paper, "given to Mama on her 50th wedding anniversary, June 1915."

i am that big cardboard box in the garage that is so light.

I contain dust bunnies and lint...... there might be a few doilies in me as well....

I am a beautifully preserved matching pair of Baker Knapp and Tubbs high back wing chairs in gorgeous cream upholstery.

I am Mildred's collection of antique Rose Medallion pieces which were tucked away in an odd sideboard used only for storage in the attic.

I was stolen for the price of $500 by a collector who could barely contain her drooling and foaming at the mouth at her luck. I was completely mispriced because the idiot who organized the sale had me confused with Rose Canton.

R131 Thanks to you my wallet is now 2K dollars lighter. I went ape shit and ordered eight pairs of the slippers from the site you posted.

R143 no way. Mildred wore Daniel Green Gold Slippers

Not familiar with Rose Medallion I had to check it out. Wow! That lady got a deal! This beautiful piece is on sale for $6,000!

I am a colorful caftan collection but no one knows if they belonged to Mildred or John. It's been my secret, but they were Mildred's and John started wearing them when she earned her angel's wings.

Hope you like them R158. I actually visited the owner’s apartment on Park Avenue once, very swanky. I don’t own a pair of those but I bet they’re very comfortable and look great at dinner parties in Palm Beach.

I'm the bankers box full of AFTER DARK magazines shoved in the back of John's closet. I start a bidding war.

R158 You are a lucky man. The Snobird, in drab, is very appealing because it embodies whimsy and offense simultaneously. The noses one could tweak with the cultural appropriation!

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it is not available in my enormous size. Pity.

I'm "Rasputin's penis". John passed me off as smuggled contraband from a devilish dealer in Paris who bought it from Yusupov's houseboy. Guests tittered and indulged John. The grisly truth is, I am an enormous dried human penis, but I'm only 3 decades old and not Russian at all.

I want to know who's inheriting the brownstone.

Bump!

I’m Kate Jackson looking for items for my online garage sale.

R62, you little fuck. What' wrong with that? I have that exact same thing in my closet and I look great in it.

I am the collection of Hermès scarves.

I'm the 'Oh, now I get it!' from the niece cleaning out the house, when she finally understands why he had a dishwasher but no kitchen on the second floor.

R171 hilarious!

I am the large Hollywood Regency Venetian Mirror that hung in the foyer.

I am Cedric's home cocktail bar. He made so many stiff drinks with me.

Bump.

I worked in a used bookstore a few years back while finishing up my masters. Two dudes who had lived together had both passed on within a few days of each other and we got to go and do an appraisal of the books in their home. Almost every room was full of books--art books, books on cinema and gay culture. Even their huge ass bathroom (one of many and much bigger than my entire flat) had a bookcase in it. They legit had books than I could ever even consider having myself.

They will probably have a few heirloom Christmas decorations for sale.

I'm the treasured and framed Judy Garland autograph.

Dear Miss R33, if you still have that Bete Miller number, you might want to sell it now, if the money is important to you. Something like that “dulls” in value as a star’s fame sets over the horizon. In time, when the young go-getters in San Francisco say “Bette who?”, it will be worth nothing at all. If it isn’t too late already. What has she done in 20 years? Is she even alive today?

I have a framed autograph signed by Liz Taylor, and young people don’t even know who she was. And Bette, well, she was no Liz Taylor.

R135, I stayed in a friend’s guest room in San Francisco that looked like that. The bed was covered with pillows so there was no room for me, and the bureau had so many framed pictures on it that there was no room for my stuff, and it all smelled of mildew.

After 20 years together, the elder fellow died. His family from Florida ransacked the place at the Memorial service, and then cheated his partner out of any cash inheritance. Instead of inheriting a measly $200,000; he got that much in legal bills instead. I always knew his partner was an ass.

I’m the antique Avon bottles.

I started laughing and crying, as I read this thread. I laughed at all the witty comments imagining what one might find in that house. And then I shed a tear or two, because I'm facing a quandary. My Mom passed away two years ago. I moved back in with my parents some years ago, and I will never regret it. we had a wonderful relationship, and I got to know them both as people, and I came to appreciate their decisions as parents. After my Dad died, my Mom and I helped each other through our grief by just being there. A few years before her own death, my Mom suffered from a few health issues, and her last months were a struggle. So, I am glad is suffering is over. But I miss her sorely. One of the last things she said to me was that she hoped I found a man with whom I could spend the rest of my life happily.

I'm still in her home. I have brothers who are very supportive (one of whom is also gay and happily married). They are not interested in many of the things that my Mom accumulated over a lifetime. It was hard to get rid of her clothes, but the knowledge that they were donated to a Thrift Shop whose profits benefit a local charity helped. But what about jewelry, silver, china, crystal? No one even knows what serving plates are used for! Cups and saucers for demitasse? In one drawer, I discovered white kid evening gloves that my Mom never even wore! Some pairs were still attached to each other with the price tag (Best & Co., Saks, or B Altman's). My God, only Elizabeth II wears white kid gloves anymore.

One poster earlier said the things to keep or accumulate are jewelry, art, and furniture. Well, a few years ago, someone gave me two small paintings by an early 20th c. American Impressionist. The paintings had decreased considerably in value because of changing tastes. It's nice to pass down an engagement ring, watch, pearl necklace, or other favored piece to a grandchild, but you cannot keep everything. As for furniture, well it was made better in the mid-twentieth century than today. But again, changing tastes.

So thank you for this thread.

Such a fabulous collection of caftans...

Oh R182, your parents were lucky to have such a great kid to be with them later in life. I wish you love and companionship too.

[quote]Bete Miller

Oh, dear.

Fifteen years ago I bought a departed eldergay's 1970 emerald green Cadillac convertible with a white top and a white leather interior - you had to be very gay or very, very extroverted to buy that combo - out of the garage for a song at an estate sale. He hadn't driven it in years and the dumbass family had no idea what it was worth, no money to fix it up, and hadn't talked to anyone who had an idea of what to do with it. They said he was a bachelor but given a lot of other stuff from the house, I'm pretty sure he was a confirmed bachelor in the parlance of his times. None of the other stuff I saw had the kind of potential the Caddy did. It cost me $4000 to buy. Plus $1500 and some sweat equity to clean it up. That and the $25 admission fee to a car show and I sold it for $12K cash handed to me in a brown paper envelope.

I would love to see that estate sale. The brownstone alone, would interest me.

Oops.. ok a fantasy sale... lol. Well, it's nice to dream.

R182, I’ll take them. What state are you in?

I'm so happy this thread got bumped. Some great wit and fabulous stories. More!

A huge collection of Radko Christmas ornaments.. collected over many years.

I'm the five matching pieces of Hartmann belting leather luggage filled with porn.

Vintage porn.

R186, I envy you! I only had a few fab rides in a convertible or two in my youth!

I’m the out-of-place Remington that John gifted Cedric one birthday, claiming this here bronco buster reminded John of that year and a half Cedric sported his mustache.

Cedric, perplexed at the time, thought John had always hated that mustache and only later discovered I more closely resembled John’s wayward uncle, Lester, whom Cedric had only encountered the one time at Mildred’s funeral.

I used to sit with a bird’s eye view atop the wardrobe and, more often than not, would catch John’s eye as he approached climax whenever Cedric mounted him from behind.

On more than one of these occasions, I heard John whisper, “Ride me, cowboy. Ride me good.”

Apparently disgusted, Cedric could hear this as well and would invariably dismount John before he could bust, leaving John to finish business his own self, which he usually did while side-eyeing yours truly.

I'm Mildred's backup bottle of Tabac Blond that John pinched for himself.

I'm the black dildo found in a shoe box in the wardrobe under the stack of Torso mags.

I'm one of Mildred's swimming caps she wore back in the day.

I'm the 40 year old potted Chinese Money Plant. How else do you think they managed to get the Brownstone?

A silver framed 'ironic' photo of late couple in drag. Agent was too lazy to take out the photo, but says they wanted the spirit of the homeowner to 'shine through'.

R132 would that include an edition of Gay and Lesbian Europe and one on Batcelona (includinh Stiges)?

I am a Weber inspired black and white photograph of a near nude Saint Sebastian with arrows.

I am the collection of pottery gifted to the couple by the lesbian makers in the 70s. They are now suprisingly worth a lot of money.

I'm John's cat Olivia. He adopted me to keep him company after John died. John's niece is allergic to cats, who knows what will happen to me. I won't be sold in the estate sale, naturally.

R203 After "Cedric" died**

R186 I knew a Mafia hotshot in New Orleans, the son of Carlos Marcello(who was alleged to have had a major hand in the assassination of JFK) who owned that very car!