OBSESSIONS!
Jim used to be obsessed with the 3-B’s; BOWLS, BAGS and BULBS.
Yes, I said bulbs. The man used to have enough to light up New York City.
.
But he has now passed the 3-B Obsession to me. But, fortunately for me, not the same B’s!
I go ga-ga over any kind of antique metal BASKET, BUCKET or BOX these days.
.
Yes, I said it and I admit it…I am obsessed! In the last year I have bought 12 of them. Okay, that is only 1 a month, so I guess I do not have to apply to neither the Intervention or Obsessed TV shows…yet.
.
But is it bad of me, to want more? Check out my collection and how I use them and then please tell me to stop, buy more for myself, or that you want one for yourself!
.
BEFORE I GO ON, PLEASE DO NOT BUY ANY OF THE BELOW ITEMS FOR ME…PART OF HAVING A COLLECTION IS THE EXCITEMENT OF FINDING PART!
.
DAWN’S 3-B OBSESSION COLLECTION:
.
1) An antique 8 bottle carry metal basket for old car oil bottles (oil used to come in refillable bottles with screw on metal spouts).
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
As you can see, I use them to put shoes in for closet floor space efficiency!
Bought at nearby Flea Market!
.
2) A vintage 4 slot large bottle milk metal wire carry basket (with individual slots for the bottles).
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
This one is being used as purely decorative piece with new and old milk bottles in it (notice the Dawn Dairy ones?).
Bought at Brimfield Antique Show in July, and the bottles were bought at a driveway sale at the local dry cleaners!
.
3) An antique milk basket without individual slots for the bottles.
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
This is one of my favorite uses for a metal basket…for fruit and veggies!
Bought at Tag Sale (for you West Coasters that is a garage/yard/sidewalk sale)!
.
4) A vintage farm egg basket (used for putting eggs in from hen houses on farms).
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
Aha…I am outed! I have another collection…decorative balls and this egg basket holds some of them!
Bought at nearby Flea Market!
.
5) Another Farm Egg Basket (This one still has some of the rubber/plastic covering on the metal to protect the eggs).
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
And it holds magazines which do not need protection.
Bought at Brimfield Antique Show – July!
.
6) A maple syrup sapping metal bucket…probably not antique but old and cool none the less!
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
Since we have not taken up sugaring, we use ours for paper recycling!
Bought at a Sugaring Shack / Dairy Farm in Brattleboro, VT !
.
7) Some kind of old dairy farm milking bucket (has a plug on the lower part of the side???).
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
Hanging on the porch with a plant in it!
Bought at Brimfield Antique Show – July!
.
8) An antique metal box with wood handles and holes in the bottom…we think it is an old fruit/veggie box.
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
We use for plastic and metal reccycling.
Bought at my first Antique Auction filled with other stuff (including an antique toaster and retro napkin holder) for $5.00!!
.
9) A vintage fishing basket (when you catch fish you keep this basket in the water and it as a trap top so the fish can not get out).
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
Hanging up on the upstairs porch…I went against one of my below rules and did not picture what I would do with this before I bought it…but I know something good will come!
Bought at Brimfield Antique Show – July.
.
10) My favorite…a double layer decorative metal basket.
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
It sits in the center of our dinning room table with some of my decorative ball collection.
Bought at Newfane (which is on the National Register of History – the whole town) Town Wide Tag Sale!
.
11) Small egg basket (used to keep eggs in IN the kitchen to hold eggs.)
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
No eggs nor is it in the kitchen, but it is holding the newest additions to my ball collection…vintage gaming balls!
Bought at Tag Sale.
.
12) An antique locker basket (At one point in time locker rooms had metal shelves cubbies with metal baskets in them for the lockers).
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
Mine does not hold sweaty clothes anymore, but bird seed and nuts for the squirrels!
Bought at Brimfield Antique Show – May.
.
Dawn’s Future Basket, Bucket, Box Desires:
1) An old metal fishing bait bucket!
I will use it for a ice bucket to chill bottles of wine. I am not sure if I would use it for a basic ice bucket as it had icky bait in it…who would want bait ice in their drink??
2) A Wood and Metal milk crate and I know where I will get it too!
I did not buy it when I saw one (actually they had many) because I could not visualize what I would do with it…but now I know!
.
DAWN’S RULES OF COLLECTING:
1) Limit the amount of items in a collection (Depends on the collection, but with the metal box/basket/bucket one I am thinking no more than 15. I have 12 now…and there are 2 other kinds I know I want as I write this).
2) Limit the amount of collections (Right now I have 3 different collections. The ball one is on going since I will not pay more than 6.00 for each and they are small, but the 2 others have started since I have lived in New England. You know one…see below for the other. As of last Friday, I am no longer collecting for the last one)
3) Limit on price individual items (You know my pricing on the balls, but I will not pay over 20.00 for a metal basket/bucket/box and have only paid that price once…all others were under 15.00)
4) I need to picture in my mind what I am going to do with said item before I buy it. (As you will see in the photos below…how I use my collections or display them).
5) Do not let your collection take over your home, your wallet, or your life! (That is where the TV show Hoarders would come in.)
.
You have seen a lot of my ball collection in the above photos, but below is my other collection.
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
 |
| From Dawn’s 3-B Obsession |
I call this my “One Year Collecting Collection.” It did not start until last July and as of Friday, July 16th I am done! At a country tag sale last summer I found something similar to the one I took out of my Grandfather’s garage (The Borden’s Cream Cheese Relish one) years and years ago. I have loved it ever since…now it has companions! And since the kitchen has no drawers, they are all being used to hold every day useful items and food!
.
Hope you enjoy seeing my newest OBESSIONS as much as I like getting them and having them!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
.WE.ARE.GNOMADS. 
love them all! If you ever get board of any of them or decide to start a new collection, I will take some of them off your hands 😉
Just let you know I will charge retail prices for them! ;o)