I would like to take a moment to write a few words of respect in Memory of Mr. Paul Drowne of Gardner MA who I recently learned had passed away two weeks ago. The book store buyout that I’ve referenced for the last 8 months came through Mr Drowne who I’d first met about 25 years earlier when I was a picker and he purchased a few book lots from me at a fair price when I was breaking into the business. He was a wise man who instinctively knew and valued the hard work of a grunt. If his family or friends should ever stumble upon this listing, know that the only two times I ever transacted with him, I found him to be a complete caring and understanding person. I was honored to have done business with him and learned a lot both times I did. It seems ironic, no more than that, that I was able to be on completely polar opposite transactions each time, the first when I’d needed money for a few handfuls of books, and the last being a large bulk buyout of his life’s work in the book selling world.
He’d had one van full left that I hadn’t noticed until well after the deal was consumed, so naturally I’d asked about it. His son explained that it was stock for upcoming flea market season at Rietta Ranch where the father and son team were a fixture on the field for many years. At better than 80 years old Paul & Derek went out for the Umpteenth time, to ‘work Rietta’. Now that’s work ethic! I understand he wrote poetry and published a collection called deep thoughts, which I know I have a copy of, and look forward slowing down a bit to read soon.
Good by Mr. Paul Drowne and thanks.
I look forward to another season of picking Rietta Ranch in Hubbardston MA myself this year, it’s one of the last great giant outdoor weekly fleamarkets in New England. I believe there are over 600 spots! When you hit Rietta at the crack of dawn, business will be done. It’s not a slow flea by any means and many dealers are sold out and gone by 10:00 am. It opens at 6am and if there are any steals left after 7:30, you can be sure there’s another special event that Sunday close by. Every year there are rumors of it closing and every year we clean it to the bones of it’s best treasures until October comes around to argue. I can’t wait! My best Rietta finds will come here on eBay.
But I lured you here with the promise of what I’d be listing on eBay this week. If you read my last post, you’ll see that I did indeed with the bids on a few of the items I was hoping to get at one of my favorite live local auction haunts County Auctions in Gardner MA.
The one I’m most excited about is that little doozie of a guitar The vintage Epephone model acoustic guitar made by Epiphone Industries of Calcutta, Model #150
There’s a neat vintage brass & plated desk sculpture of the earth that’s tarnished green in a very interesting way.
This weeks finds also include the largest escutcheon I’ve even had, circa early 1900s,
A very heavy and I think early brass mortar
a leather whip, Check out the picture with my finger next to the broken braid, 
this is what you get when you buy an item without inspecting it closely. Fortunately I know enough to only bid low on items I haven’t checked out closely and only paid $5.00 for these and Pinocchio’s feet, which are these neat vintage shoe forms great for re-painting as door stops or other crafts.
and my usual round of books, rather then listing book details here, I’ll let the listings do the talking for themselves on the books this week, suffice it to say, I’ll start most of them at 99 cent’s.
I’ve finally managed to achieve my goal of having the “My eBay” listings post up a day before listing them, so if your reading this on Saturday, they will be up on Sunday evening.
Click here to see my current eBay auctions.
