In the beginning, I scheduled meetings with estate owners in two-hour increments, thinking that was probably enough time to carefully inspect small collections and cherry pick the best pieces or evaluate large collections and make an offer on the lot. Foolish girl. Let’s just say now I know to schedule in the morning.
Were people just more fascinating back in the day? Was it the hardships of war and the obstacles of a life without cell phones, online grocery shopping and e-mail communication that made people’s lives more interesting? Or are people’s lives still full of torrid affairs, humiliating first dates and staggering coincidences, but we are all too busy to find out?
These peoples’ memories permeated their clothes and animated them so they had a life of their own. My sellers didn’t know it, but whether they had children or not, they were leaving a legacy and, knowing that, I felt I had a duty to pass it on.
No pressure, though.