It’s been awhile since I stumbled across a good garage sale furniture find; I scooped up a number of pieces the summer that I moved into the house, items like the trunk that I use as a coffee table (still, three years later, even though it was going to be temporary), wicker chairs that sat in the sunroom for a few years, and the kitchen island, but these days I’m stuck in that tough spot where I’m prevented from accumulating anything because I don’t have anywhere to put it.
Many of the garage sales this spring have been pretty lame, mostly because its the same homes putting out the stuff that didn’t sell from last year’s garage sale, and that’s no fun. But we did come across a great (new) sale over the weekend, at which we scored ourselves this little treasure. OK, big treasure. A big treasure that might not fit anywhere in our already furniture-packed house.
Side note: The beast could barely keep his emotional eyeballs in his dog skull… a bicycle was riding by at the moment I said “STAY” and snapped the photo.
The new-to-me buffet is nothing like what I normally find at garage sales in my town, and it’s possible that the seller didn’t know what he had either. When I asked what the price was, I expected to hear $50-100, no exceptions, so imagine my surprise when I heard “Take it for $15, but how are you going to strap it to your scooter?”
Stamped Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., it’s a hardwood, dovetailed, mid-century piece with three drawers and a side cabinet. And according to some similar products on eBay, craigslist, and in online shops, it might have more appropriately priced between $150-$600, no lie. It’s purrrdy.
Purrrdy and full of yummy mid-century modern taste, yes, but it’s not without its share of damage; the top of the table in particular has deep scratches and water damage, but I don’t think it’s beyond repair. Wait and see.
The drawers open easily, and they’re not too filthy either. No cat bones or sketchy stains or raunchy smells, at least. The green felt lining beneath the silverware tray will have to go, but generally speaking, it’s assemblage is very strong (and it’s very heavy).
Really, I don’t even have any cloth napkins or table cloths, but maybe that’s because I’ve never had an adequate space to store them. Ahh, the world of possibilities has opened before me.
Any good finds lately?
13 Comments
Nice find!! Looks like it just needs a little light sanding & refinishing on the top but I’m sure you’ll have it Merrypadded in no time. Can I use that as a verb?
If you don’t want to do a full refinish on the rest of it, Old English works wonders to cover scratches on areas that won’t see a lot of wear & tear (like the legs & sides). Looking forward to seeing the “after” with this in its new home!
Pretty sweet, right? I thought you might appreciate! We’ll see how some sanding works, it’s on my to-do list. I figure I can’t mess it up too badly, right? At least I didn’t pay $100 for it if it goes awry.
Sooooo jealous!
Pretty awesome! Can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Bassett Furniture is/was made in Bassett, Va., not far from where I live in Altavista, Va. Altavista was home to the Lane Furniture Company (most well-known as makers of cedar hope chests). Minnie Bassett married B.B. Lane, thus uniting the two furniture-making families. Just some interesting local history I thought I’d pass on.
Neat! Thanks for sharing!
That is a sweet score! A few weeks ago I passed up some mid-century goodness (also from someone who likely didn’t know what they had) because we had no place for it. Killed me! Glad you were able to get it home on that scooter :-)
Haha, we had to come back with the Jeepster. Normally scooting helps us keep our purchases to a reasonable size and proportion though… you know, so I don’t bring home too much junk just because it’s cheap. :)
That’s awesome! I’ve been hoping to find something like that for my son’s room, but in kind of bad cosmetic condition so I can paint over the wood, guilt free. ;) You’re so lucky!
Sweet find!! And cat bones? Hah, you crack me up.
Truth: The bottom drawer was totally stuck shut, and I was concerned that it was nailed shut because it contained something foul. Strong man tugged it open and it was the cleanest of the three (probably because it hadn’t held anything in 30 years).
The green cloth at the bottom of the drawers is probably anti-tarnish cloth for silverware. I think that was used in higher-end pieces like this so your silverplate and sterling (as if I knew about that!) wouldn’t tarnish so much in storage.
Ah! That makes sense. I had considered that it was used to prevent silverware scratching but hadn’t considered other purpose. In any case, it was pretty grimy – had stains on it, had rust spots from paperclips being caught on it for decades, and looked like saltines had been crumbled and squashed into it. If I use it for silverware, maybe I’ll find a replacement! Thanks Gayle!