Estate Sale - Marblehead

When I moved from Atlanta to Boston a few years back I didn’t know much about Massachusetts and I had absolutely no idea where I wanted to live.  I knew where I was working and that I did not want to live near my office but really outside of that I only had 4 requirements:  I wanted to be near the ocean, on the north side of the city (closer to Maine), I required private on-site parking and in-unit washer/dryer connections. These may sound obvious and like standard amenities but I knew I was moving to an area that was filled with homes that were several hundred years old and parking/laundry connections were not a given.  So with these thoughts I closed my eyes, pointed to a map and then called a realtor.  I looked at 15 apartments in one day and only while most had 3 of the things I was looking for only 1 had the laundry connections so I took it and ended up in the sweet oceanside community of Marblehead.  I loved, loved, loved living in Marblehead and am still plotting ways to sell my house for big profits and move back…

For those who have never visited Marblehead I have always described it as “picture Paul Revere riding through town on his horse warning of the British coming….” what you envision is Marblehead.  It’s picturesque, low key and exactly what New England ocean communities often are…a special kind of understated elegant.

Last weekend there were 2 big estate sales in Marblehead so I just had to set the alarm and head over bright and early on Saturday.

The first sale was at a colonial home in old town and it was filled with beautiful artifacts – this was serious antique ground!  

The paintings on the walls were all originals and priced as such (I think the lowest price I saw was around $1600).  The furniture was incredible and the china was FINE in every sense of the word.  There was a fair amount of vintage linens and a whole room filled with vintage board games of all sorts.  The folks running this sale were well aware of what they were selling and had it priced accordingly.  It was so much fun to see stuff of such beauty even if it was mostly out of my price range.

There was a china closet off the dining room that had some of the more affordable glassware.  Much of it was “odd lot” type but beautiful none-the-less and the man running the sale was happy to give me a bargain….one box, one price.  Here are some of the pieces I couldn’t leave behind…

Gorgeous Yellow Glass

I bought 2 of these - cut glass probably 6" plates

So cute - milk glass egg cup

Shot glasses...can't you just see these on Mad Men?

Demitasse Tea Cups - these will be perfect for a tea
party with my niece 

Silver Teapot - this is about a 4 cup pot

The second sale was on the other side of town in a lovely newer neighborhood.  This was a home that was probably built in the 1970’s or 80’s – definitely newer construction with the feel of a home that was built with all of the cutting edge bells & whistles of its time.   

Cool pass through between the kitchen &
dining room.  Very unobtrusive yet functional

This sale was interesting in that more than any other sale I have been to recently there was an incredibly strong sense of the former owner still in the home.  He was a doctor and there were so many personal artifacts it was actually a little unnerving.  I have never ever seen so many family photos, diplomas, family documents at an estate sale…there was even a photo collage/poem that his family had presented him on his 60^th birthday included. 

Some of these photo's/documents:



I didn’t end up purchasing anything at this sale but did leave with a clear impression of a life well lived.