This past Saturday, I drove through Ranger, Texas. Ranger is a small, rural Texas community. Almost all the buildings in the single red brick paved Main Street are from the late 1800's or early 1900's. Many of them are unoccupied and are from slightly to severely damaged. But, as I travel, I am trying more and more to find gems of Americana to blog about. Obviously, I have an active interest in antiques and history. It would be wonderful to hear from other like minded people about your antiquing experience....that includes, finds from auctions and garage/estate sales!!
Anyway, I found two wonderful places of interest in Ranger, Texas. One was this 5,000 square foot antique mall called Out of the Past.
This store had a super variety of antiques from vintage clothing to highly collectible toys. These were my finds for the day:
Note the damage on the larger man's arm.
Many antiquers will not buy a damaged item. I am not at all that way, especially when shopping for smalls. I paid only $10.00 for this figurine. Sure, it has a bit of damage, but if set at just the right angle in a china or curio cabinet, no one will even notice. I find I can buy a slightly damaged piece here and there for a fraction of what it would have cost if in mint condition. It still works well for decorating and saves me a good amount of money.
The old building of the week also comes from Ranger, Texas. This was my second find for the day. This building is an oil boom museum. The lady at the antique mall said there were many wonderful pieces in the museum. But, alas, I was not able to see them because the museum was permanently closed. The owner had died and there was no one to maintain the museum. This happens a lot with historical items and places. If there is not an active historical society or sole benefactor for a building or site, the place just sits there gathering dust. The sad reality is that the place is part of American history, and with no one to display and care for it the public misses the opportunity to enjoy and learn something valuable from our past.
Anyway, I found two wonderful places of interest in Ranger, Texas. One was this 5,000 square foot antique mall called Out of the Past.
The above area was the upstairs section of the building. The ceiling was made of old tin. It was so low I could almost reach up and touch it!!
This store had a super variety of antiques from vintage clothing to highly collectible toys. These were my finds for the day:
This is a wonderful volume of Grimms Fairy Tales, copyright 1925.
Then, I found this interesting figurine of two unusual men. I loved the way they were dressed. I don't normally buy figurines, but these two little guys caught my eye.....
Many antiquers will not buy a damaged item. I am not at all that way, especially when shopping for smalls. I paid only $10.00 for this figurine. Sure, it has a bit of damage, but if set at just the right angle in a china or curio cabinet, no one will even notice. I find I can buy a slightly damaged piece here and there for a fraction of what it would have cost if in mint condition. It still works well for decorating and saves me a good amount of money.
The old building of the week also comes from Ranger, Texas. This was my second find for the day. This building is an oil boom museum. The lady at the antique mall said there were many wonderful pieces in the museum. But, alas, I was not able to see them because the museum was permanently closed. The owner had died and there was no one to maintain the museum. This happens a lot with historical items and places. If there is not an active historical society or sole benefactor for a building or site, the place just sits there gathering dust. The sad reality is that the place is part of American history, and with no one to display and care for it the public misses the opportunity to enjoy and learn something valuable from our past.
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