TGIF Sweet Hearts, I can't believe it's already Friday!
Time goes by so fast at this point in my life, I'm surprised I don't get
whiplash from the changing of the days. LOL
Robert & I have been buying, selling, restoring & keeping vintage trailers for about 10 years & have probably had about 50 or 60...we've kinda lost count by now.
I thought it might be fun for you to come along on one of our Vintage Trailer
finding & buying excursions, they're usually quite a Hoot! ;)
This particular adventure went kinda like this...
Yesterday morning I woke up & hadn't even had my coffee when hubby said,
"Hey, ya wanna come with me to go look at a vintage trailer I found for sale in in Needles?"
Now, my mind works in mysterious ways.
From our house up here in the So Cal Alps to Needles takes about 4 hours...but,
Needles is next to Laughlin, which is a mini Vegas, which means a possibility to gamble,
so I said, "Sounds Fun, let's go!"
We packed the cooler, added some tools, got some $$$ & hit the road
prepared to be back later that same night.
With Fleetwood Mac & Willie Nelson blaring out of the speakers
we were both joyful to simply be
'On The Road Again!'
Fast forward,
I had put the end destination into my Garmin. Now, Garmie doesn't
tell you how far to your end destination, she tells you how far to your next turn.
As we approached Needles, she didn't have an inclination to tell us to turn anywhere,
which deeply concerned hubby & I as Needles could be seen getting further
away in our rear view mirror as the gas gage was getting closer to empty.
Still trying not to get too crazed, I optimistically say "Well it can't be too far right,
you also mapquested it!" Seems he did, but now thinks that maybe he didn't read it
quite right. Might be down the road a little closer to Kingman, AZ then to Needles, CA.
Hummmm, well we better find some gas quick before we have to start
pushing this thing across the desert, it was only 106 degrees outside.
Garmie tells us to turn left at Kingman & go another 38 miles down the road.
OK...we're getting close, Thank God! Until Garmie tells us to turn right & go
another 28 miles down the road, we are truly in the middle of NOWHERE now!!!
There were dirt roads involved, some Grand Canyons & 6 hours after we left our house for
a little day tour, we finally arrived at a house in the desert with a white canned ham
sitting in the driveway, it is now 4pm.
I was immediately TAKEN! I looked in the door & saw that cute yellow & white
original stove & fell in love...my hubby, not so much.
The owner had told him no water damage, which there was...
he now had spent $120 in gas to get here and was not happy...
her asking price was $800, but now there's damage...
and as all this was going on, all I could see was...
The Diamond in the Rough!
The more original a trailer is, the more I fall in LOVE with it!
The original counter top & table top were there,
the original front bench seats were in amazingly good condition,
the back sofa bead was still plump & pretty in it's original fabric,
all the light fixtures were still in place, the sink, the icebox,
the hardware on the cabinets...it was all there, just waiting
for somebody to SEE it & bring it back to LIFE!
I saw it & loved it & I knew we hadn't driven 6 hours, to the middle of nowhere,
to come home empty handed!
Unexpectedly, I blurted out "How about $400 cash, right here, right now?"
Robert cocked his head at me with that, no...she didn't really just do that kinda looks.
{have you ever gotten one of those, awkward}
Veronica, the woman who owned it, looked at me & said, "You gotta a deal!",
while my hubby's still trying to catch his breath & back peddle, saying something about $350.
And thus went the purchase on our next vintage trailer...a 1955 Hummi,
she's exactly 1 year older then me!! ;)
It was 9pm by the time we got back into Kingman, AZ & took a room in a classic, crappy little
motel for $25 bucks, just too tired to go any further. We had started this journey with the idea
of buying a vintage trailer to restore & fix up & sell for a profit.
But as we drove home, I knew I just couldn't part with her.
I didn't know why, but this particular jewel was singing to my soul &
inspiring me to want to transform her into my jewelry design studio.
On the ride home, I told Robert I wanted to keep her & write vintagesusie & wings on the sides.
I could just see her, a huge heart on the back with wings stretching out of it onto each side,
she'll be GORGEOUS!!
As we pulled into the drive of our house, got out & started putting everything away,
I walked over to the front of our new little white, vintage trailer & thought I saw the outline
of something at the top, a wing. I called Robert over & he too could see it. Wiping away
some ancient dirt, we could see the original outline of the name of our trailer...
Hummingbird it said, with a small outline of a bird attached to the lettering.
A little stunned, we walked over to the side of the trailer, looking closely to try & see what
was hidden under the paint & there it was.
The 1955 Hummingbird's original graphic, a huge wing that started at the back
& turned into individual feathers towards the front. I'm speechless.
You tell me what that all means...
there is magic in each & everyday, I'm sure of it.
You just have to find it!
XOXO
vintagesusie
