First Haul from Vicki Gray Estate

These are the things I was willing to pay full price for on the first day of the estate sale, with no regrets.

I love this panorama of the Bixby Bridge near Big Sur. My first trip with Shea was down here and we got some great pictures by this bridge, so it’s sentimental for that reason, and also because my dad was born in Monterey.

This little ceramic piggy bank has Carmel and Monterey written on it, so that was why I got it in memory of my father, even though I won’t use it as a piggy bank.

I’m pretty picky about my masks, but this one spoke to me.

Black Russian bottle intrigued me because it’s a bearded man from a distance. I’ve never seen a bottle in this shape.

I’ve always been a fan of model cars, but this oversized diecast metal one that actually roll are particularly fun, and the surfboard carrying Volkswagon bug van is very California-esque.

This polar bear on ice was a reasonable price, and it’s no secret that I collect bear-themed items.

This London telephone booth bank is going to be very practical since I collect change and immediately deposit it in the bank whenever I have a few coins to make sure I don’t hang on to it around the house. It’s a petpeeve of mine to have change fall out of pants pockets.

There’s a tiny stained glass window hanger which I don’t think I even got charged for.

The steamboat wheels actually roll and it’s actually very utilitarian because it’s a pencil sharpener!

The golden apple is actually a bell so I can summon Shea when he doesn’t respond to me!

The Berliner bear is very cool. I’ve been to a lot of the tourist spots featured on him, and it continues the very appropriate bear motif.

These painted fish on one wood piece really pop.

All of the leaves on this wood plant are adjustable! I’m going to have to think of things to put on it.

I suspect this is a Chinese model ship. It’s hard to see in front of the cable box, but it’s in good condition.

Bearded man (another theme I have) with a parrot and under a palm tree, I think.

This heavy seal carving reminds me so much of the sightings I’ve seen during my many rows in the Carquinez Strait.

This is a ceramic Mexican skull for Dia de los Muertos, obviously, but it has a tiki light on top of it, which of course I will never ignite. However I believed it to be a hanger when I first saw it, so I might fuse it together and hang it from the awning when I move back, perhaps near my hot tub.

I’m a sucker for most Snoopy stuff since my grandfather was a big Peanuts fan. That’s why my dog is named Snoopy, after my grandfather’s dog, which was after Charlie Brown’s dog. I did visit the Charles Shulz Museum several months ago.

This boat in the foreground is very cool as well. It unfortunately has a tear in the sail, which I hope I can fix with some subtle scotch tape.