Auction Fever

My wife, Lorraine, and I recently began to search for our first home. For the moment, we are DINKs (Dual-Income, No Kids), but also CAWWWs (Can't Afford What We Want).

Our native Brooklyn Heights doesn't present a reasonable option for buying, short of that Lotto ticket finally pulling its weight. We love brownstones, however, and an online search introduced the unfamiliar upstate New York town of Hudson.

Hudson, a small city on the Hudson River, is a good two hours north of Manhattan and, we were surprised to learn, the antiques capital of the Northeast.

Driving down its handsome main street, Warren Street, we were stunned by the number and variety of antique stores and galleries, as well as the enticing residential architecture.

We had some time to kill before meeting with the real estate agent, so we poked around the shops in search of nothing in particular. We're nosy by nature, more so now that we're scrimping for a down payment.

The Settee of a Star

Eventually, we wandered into Stair Galleries, attracted by a sign in the window announcing a preview of an estate sale for the late Anthony Quinn, the prolific star of many classic Hollywood films.

Neither my wife nor I could be described as Quinn groupies; I don't remember even seeing Zorba the Greek, and I could only vaguely recall his turn in Across 110th Street.

But in any case, he was undeniably a celebrity, and who could resist the notion of seeing a celebrity's stuff? Not us.

Quinn's taste was eclectic, leaning heavily toward Asian influences and some dubious artwork, even a few of his own creation. The truly shocking thing were the prices: Much of it was affordable!

	Quinn's Teak Table

Two pieces caught our eye: A small Indian iron-mounted triangular-top teak table, estimated at $40 to $60 (was there a zero missing?), and an Indian iron-mounted settee -- essentially, a wooden couch -- with a hinged seat, estimated at $400 to $600.

We asked a clerk whether items could be purchased then and there. No, we would have to wait for next weekend's auction, but we could fax in a bid and follow the sale online, a la eBay (EBAY Quote - Cramer on EBAY - Stock Picks).

On a lark, we took the necessary form. Our real estate search proved similarly intriguing, and we drove home to Brooklyn excited by the discoveries of the day.