Holidays are family, sharing and memories too. Not all of my holiday memories are of family. The auction I am about to tell you about took place about 20 years ago. It was an estate auction on a lovely summer day. The tent was for the auctioneer's platform, and for the bidders to park their chairs under to stay out for the sun. The items from the estate, were carried out as the auction proceeded, with the auction helpers parading the items through the crowd so the bidders could see what they were bidding on. This estate was of a collector.

Nice little house , not huge, however, this little house was filled to the brim with just about any kind of item you could hope to see. The collector had little antique cabinets and show cases crammed with treasures. Huge china cabinets full of gorgeous hand painted Limoges and RC Prussia and dinnerware too. The auctioneer's wife was also a helper. A dear little farm lady that everyone truly adored. This day though, she was not helping, instead, she had parked her chair in the front row and was a participate in the auction.

This auctioneer was not one to splurge on his wife, so, it was surprising to see her there bidding on behalf of herself. The auctioneer explained to everyone that his wife had several items she was interested for herself, and also had a few bids left by other bidders that she would be bidding for.

It was a very long day, however, the items in that estate were so wonderful, I would have stayed for days till every last piece was sold. Then auction helpers came out of the house carrying boxes of beautiful dishes. It was a service for 12 and had every piece possible to belong to the set, to include the coffee server and tea pot, the covered casseroles and more. And best of all ? It was a Christmas theme ! A beautiful set of Victorian era Christmas dinnerware with the holly berries and pine, and the gold trim too.

It was easy to see that this was what the auctioneer's wife was waiting for. Her smile was the give away, and the fact that she held her bidding card high so her husband could not make the excuse of not seeing her bid, as he knew, his wife was determined to get that dinnerware set.

More than just a few wanted that set of dinnerware. When the bidding became a frenzy, I looked to see who was in this bidding war, and it was then, in my heart, I wished her luck, because she deserved that set of dishes. You know why ? Because, she would keep those dishes till her last days, and then, they still would not be sold, instead, they would be passed down through the family and cherished. She was determined to have those dishes, for the tradition of Christmas and family. When the bidding was over, and she was the high bidder, I got up from my chair and hugged her, telling her, how happy I was that she will always treasure those wonderful dishes.

Yes, holidays are for memories, and the memory of that day, when the auctioneer's wife rallied and won a bidding war for a set of Christmas dishes will be with me always.

Happy holidays to all , and a wonderful New Year too, best wishes, Linda Caricofe

Written by Linda Caricofe

RC Antiques on Ruby Lane