Old woman to a young girl

By Faye
@FayeHazel (40248)
United States
January 28, 2018 7:48pm CST
This must have been about 20 years ago - that my parents and I went to a lot of auctions. Now you could find about any manner of items at these auctions, tools, exercise equipment, household gadgets, jewelry and antiques, furniture, prints... and that's what made them so exciting. There were things I purchased and things I passed up on - but one thing that has always bothered me is the following : There was this large charcoal drawing - it was a portrait of an old woman. She was old and regal looking. Plain clothes, so she wasn't a queen or anything... However - the auctioneer couldn't even get a bid for $1. Now the way in which this sketch was done - the charcoal was stapled over top of a wooden framework, and there was some material used under it as a backing. The auctioneer frustratingly said something like "well , let's see what's under here" ... and I so wished I had purchased the old charcoal lady for $1. .... because what he did next was to carelessly rip the drawing down the center , peeling the charcoal drawing of the old woman off the frame to reveal what was underneath. And what was underneath was a large advertising print featuring a youthful looking young girl. And that ended up selling for something like $17 or $18, not a lot but a lot more than $1. Now I know there is value to old advertising prints... but there was more than one made of that, unlike the original charcoal drawing of which there was only one. It is sort of sad that we don't value age moreso. :/ The whole thing was like a commentary on age. Had I have had my wits about me I should have purchased the charcoal of the old woman and I could have made up any number of interesting stories about the drawing. Do you go to auctions? Photo: Pixabay, similar to the print of the young lady
10 people like this
10 responses
@Hannihar (129482)
• Israel
6 Feb 18
No have not gone to auctions, but, that does not mean that I wouldn't want to. That was horrible for the elderly lady and not getting anything and then he peels her off to a young one and she naturally gets bids. How unfair that is.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129482)
• Israel
8 Feb 18
@FayeHazel Don't feel bad Faye. Yes, she was someone's daughter, etc.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
8 Feb 18
@Hannihar *sigh* it is a good lesson I suppose
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
7 Feb 18
Auctions can be great fun! I hope you get the chance if you want to go. Never know what unique or odd things you may see. I know. I felt bad. The old woman portrait was a 1 of a kind. She was someone daughter (for sure) maybe a wife? Mom? Grandma? Aunt? to people..... someones friend.... and now we will never know. It bothers me I didn't buy it
2 people like this
@just4him (306266)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Jan 18
That is so sad about the charcoal drawing. That auctioneer was so careless with the drawing to just cut it down the center.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306266)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Jan 18
@FayeHazel It's amazing how those memories stay with you.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
30 Jan 18
@just4him SO true. It's also bothered me - who was she? Someone's daughter for sure. Someone's.... mom? aunt? friend?
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
29 Jan 18
I know.... it has bothered me to this day. Of course I could have paid the $1 - and I didn't... :/
1 person likes this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
29 Jan 18
The only auction I ever went to was on ebay when I use to collect coins, live auctions are not very popular here except in a group that are into stamp collecting, they are quite active. That was a wonderful story
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Oh that's cool! What kind of coins do you collect? I used to collect US. Pennies. Nothing too rare though. For awhile I thought I should like to have a coin from each country. Maybe I will try that again. Stamps are supposed to be the world's most popular collectible I have heard
1 person likes this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
29 Jan 18
@FayeHazel I have a large collection of coins cause I collected since I was young, but ebay opened up something different, I got to buy ancient coins as well as important era coins like the time of the tsar, French royalty etc.. and they were not that expensive since I put a limit to my bid. I was into stamp collecting club when I was in 4th grade and I still have a decent collection, now that it's digital age I'm still collecting but now it's crypto currency like bitcoins and a lot of other alternative coins stored on my devices. I love collecting anything.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
30 Jan 18
@louievill Coins have always struck me as being a part of the past that you can hold. I'm happy you still collect :-) I'm afraid I don't know much of bitcoin -- but I hope that you are successful!
1 person likes this
@id_peace (14005)
• Singapore
31 May 18
She still looked like a very young woman
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
4 Jun 18
True, though that was the print under the painting of the older lady
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
3 Jul 18
Interesting story. I don't go to auctions, but I did recently play a music gig at a consignment store where there were several paintings. As I was looking at the paintings, I DID wonder whether there were other paintings beneath the ones I was looking at.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
3 Jul 18
Interesting thing to ponder - or sometimes I wonder if there's an underpainting under there too
• Trinidad And Tobago
29 Jan 18
I have seen auctions in movies and documentaries but I don't think Trinidad have those. I have never heard of any being held here...for anything.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Oh wow, really? Here they are common. In large areas they can be quite the elegant affair , in rural areas they can be somewhat more crude. Large items can be sold via auction (machinery, farm equipment, cars, houses) but more often it's small stuff - anything from household goods - to priceless antiques.
@marguicha (215441)
• Chile
29 Jan 18
I haven't gone in a long time. Maybe I should start going again as I am painting my house.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Oh fun! I'm sure you could find a lot of unique things
• Philippines
29 Jan 18
That's a beautiful picture you got there. Well, I hope who ever bought it would take care of it.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Sometimes I wonder what became of it ...
@JudyEv (325809)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jan 18
It's a shame he ripped it in two but what else was he going to do with it I guess. And yes, age isn't valued. Doctors tend to fob off some symptoms as 'just old age'. And people begin to think you are past doing anything of worth.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
29 Jan 18
True... I guess. What else was there to do with it? I think attitudes on aging is a huge thing that needs to change with society. At least in the US. we are becoming more tolerant of people's - skin colors, religions, even body shapes (finally!), and now I think age must be tackled.
1 person likes this
@gnatsmom (2336)
29 Jan 18
This is a great story, but the lesson to be learned is even greater. Older people should be treasured. They have much to offer. They should be treated with respect and dignity.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
29 Jan 18
it's true... the story has stuck with me for so many years and it's often bothered me for that reason. Our elderly should be treasured instead of shoved off into nursing homes