White Elephant Preview

Every year the Oakland Museum's Women's Board takes in donations of household objects, tests them, organizes them, puts on price tags and in the spring opens their warehouse to the public for the White Elephant Sale benefiting the museum. It's a crazy mess of stuff - sports equipment, art, tools, dishes, furniture, games, clothes, jewelry, books, knick-knacks, anything and everything you might find in someone's garage. Last year there was a cupboard filled with vacuum tubes of various shapes and sizes. this year I think the most interesting thing was a Lost in Space pinball machine. Though some of the old radios and telephones were cool too.

To me, walking into a place like that it seems the ideal opportunity to create a new life, or a secret life whichever you're in need of. You could easily create a family from all the old photographs of people, pick up a a whole set of Sherlock Holmes stories, a few skis you may have used in your youth, some art supplies and maybe a bug collection for hobbies. You could get a few sets of old dishes that had been in the family for generations, a few glasses most of the set had broken. Some posters of movies or concerts you've been to. Yes if I was ever to create a different life for myself this is where I start.

I'm pretty happy with my current life and not in need of anything so I left the warehouse empty handed. Also it's hard for me to make a buying decision in a chaotic environment, however well organized the chaos is. Last weekend was just the preview sale, members can buy a ticket to go in early and scope out the good stuff. The public sale is in March so I have another chance!