at least at first glance it was, and this was even despite the fact I'd picked up the heavy sculpture and noticed one of four feet on the base was partially missing. The sculpture seemed to stand solidly and the missing piece was at the rear and out of sight, perfect for some shabby chic home decor and surely a real talking point..............
So, on with the story - the venue was quite a way from home (like most fairs and markets) which meant a long drive with my hand-written directions scrawled on the back of an old envelope (remember, the cigarette lighter doesn't work in my car so my Sat-Nav doesn't re-charge) and as it's dark at 6 am, I had to keep stopping to turn on the map light and read my scrawled directions - it sounds like hard work already, doesn't it?
I got lost a couple of times but nothing major which was good because it's rare to see another human being in rural France especially at this hour, and rarer still to find one that understands my mix of English and entry-level French.
Arriving at the venue I saw the sculpture almost straight away, sitting on a table outside one of only a handful of stalls in a predominantly indoor antique fair; I sort of knew I'd be taking it home one way or another and hurried over as if drawn by a magnet. After a much too brief an examination (you see, other dealers were silently gliding around the venue like 'land sharks' out for a much needed meal) I bartered for the sculpture using its missing foot as a reason for knocking a few euros off their asking price - to be honest the dealer seemed honest-to-God surprised when I pointed out the 'slight damage' and maybe this was genuine - maybe not.
Anyway, I thought, as I made away with my bargain tucked safely away in plastic Bricolage bag, excited to get home and check it out in more depth - I've paid a fair price and this is going to look fab-u-lous displayed in my shop! This time I've really arrived!
So, back home in among my other purchased treasures of the day, I took a look at the sculpture. Okay, you've done very well and it's a great-looking sculpture; the dealer who sold it to you obviously didn't appreciate a piece of art when they saw it!
Ah, yes - very moving - a young woman looking anxiously out to sea, a life preserver in hand, ready to throw to a fishing vessel that has hit the rocks spewing out its crew, perhaps her husband, a lover, or who knows........Yes indeed, this is a sculpture with dramatic presence and it's seemingly well sculpted too. The title plate reads, 'Anxiety' and it's even been signed - Yes! I have myself a lovely piece here - ye-haaaa!
I then noticed the anxious woman's hand had some movement which was disappointing, but not wanting it to fall off I asked a chap in the village to solder it in place. Okay then, so now I still had a great sculpture, all very dramatic and everything, albeit with a missing foot to the base and a repair to the poor woman's hand (which later turned out to soldered on back to front!).
A few days later, still congratulating myself although admittedly somewhat sullied, I decided to photograph the sculpture and noticed yet another small crack and some play (now please choose a few choice expletives from your vocabulary which is no doubt cleaner than my own). Okay, so I now had a damaged foot to the base, a soldered hand (on back to front), a rather too weathered finish, and a lovely crack that joins this already poor, anxious woman to her base - will it never end for her!
The thing is, I love this piece, despite the many imperfections she's picked up over many, many years of being anxious. Would I buy her again if I could turn back the clock? Maybe, as she's still charming to my eyes and could surely tell a few good stories but then again, maybe not, as I now have an up-cycling project on my hands and she's become a keeper - no good when I'm trying to earn a living.
Why would I share such a story with strangers? Well, one reason is to explain that buying and selling vintage (especially if you live in a remote area of France) is not the romantic notion many have in their minds. Sure, your 9 to 5 office job may seem boring, but there's a pay cheque at the end of the month and some sort of stability. The business I'm involved in is very hit and miss and there are times when you live well below the poverty line - this is fact, at least from my experience.
Another reason for sharing this story is - laughing at one's own mistake can take the sting out of losing money, so enjoy my mistake and learn to look over an item carefully before buying it - don't let your heart rule your head!
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