ENDLESS ENDLESS STUFF

Sometimes I have to source vintage things that are hard to find in a short time. 

In these cases I can try prop stores and the internet. Prop store material usually looks like it’s been hired from a prop store, the internet is better if you have time and money. In this case I had to find a bright red kettle bbq at short notice. I found one online and the owner was happy for me to pick it up. I usually take the entire art department float, a receipt book and an old axe handle.

I’ve met several complete strangers at railway stations and public car parks. We exchange pleasantries, money changes hands, receipts are signed and the item is transferred between vehicles. In this case the red bbq was waiting for me outside the warehouse, but I spent the better part of an hour looking inside. This man’s storeroom was extensive, the contents mostly collected from deceased estates and off the hard junk. It’s a treasure trove of scrap metal, clothes, glassware, typewriters, furniture, ladders, picture frames, old suitcases and endless boxes full of mysterious stuff. All this and yet not at all. 

He was excited, but going by the expression on his wife’s face the burden of his obsession had scarred their marriage. He was full of smiles and promises that he intends to move to a larger warehouse where everything could be seen properly, but this idea did not seem to ease her demeanour. I’m sure that’s what he dreams of still, but I’m also sure she dreams of other things. 

It’s a resource I’ll refer to when I’m in need, if I can ever find it again - but these things are not for hire, it’s all for sale only.