You Will Like Them

It was MLK Day. I had the day off, Patrick didn't. I was maybe a little bit bored, and also, I had some tip money in my pocket. It was raining. I don't know if that fact is necessary to the story, but it seemed important at the time.

I've lived here long enough to know that when you have a little bit of money, and an afternoon to kill, you should waste no time getting yourself to Charlie Brown's Antiques.

And that's what I did.

I love this place. It's where I've found some of my favorite finds. (See here, here, here, and here.) By now, I've gained a comfortable familiarity: I know which booths are likely to have old hardware, for example, and where to find the vintage linens. I also know where to avoid: Garfield mugs and 1980's Barbie dolls.

The poster I found wedged in the back of one of my favorite spots: a two-booth suite overflowing with all manner of exuberant junk, most of it very old and a little rustic. And today, behold, for the entire lot was marked 50% off. I climbed to get the prize, oh, did I. Planting my feet carefully amid the boxes of old picture frames, and bracing one arm strategically against a fireplace mantel (for sale, $65), I made my way towards my quarry. I felt a little (just a little) like Indiana Jones being chased by that boulder as I emerged, a fathom-high stack of 8-track tapes collapsing behind me.

By that point, though, I was well into the giddiness brought on by the realization that I could take it home for a mere $9. I may have cackled a little as I walked to the cash register. Forgive me. For a lover of both square dances and old stuff, this poster is about as perfect a find as they come.