No Backsies

I went to a Christmas fair two years ago and purchased some plates that were on a white elephant/flea market table. They only cost about $5. Here’s how the deal went down. The plates caught my eye first. They were cute. There were five of them and each one had a different woman posing in early 1900’s fashion painted on the front. What caught my eye was the perfect condition of the plates and the fact that there was a signature on each one. My first thought was, “Hmmm; these might be valuable,” as in treasure found on the Antiques Roadshow.



My mother was with me and I showed her the plates. “Oh! Those are so nice,” she said. “If you don’t buy them, I will.” As she uttered the words, they suddenly looked nicer and even more valuable to me. My mother never buys anything with such sudden conviction. It usually takes several trips to a department store for her to be sure about something, and, even then, it must be marked down before she will commit to the purchase. I paid the $5 for them. They were mine. Five minutes later I was doubting my purchase. “If you don’t like them,” mom said, “you can give them to me for Christmas. I love them.” Great, I thought, mom is so hard to buy gifts for; problem solved for this year, I’ll give her the plates.

When I got home I decided I really didn’t like them at all. I could happily part with them. Mom got the plates all wrapped nicely for Christmas and I didn’t hear a word about them until just the other day when she e-mailed me to ask, “Remember those plates you bought at the Christmas fair a few years back? I’m thinking I’ll put some of my homemade cookies in them and give one to each of the girls in the family for Christmas this year. What am I going to do with them?"

At the thought of her giving them away, I suddenly wanted them back. “Let me take a look at them one more time,” I replied, “I’ll pick out one that I like for myself.”

As I was looking at them one more time I realized that the young people in the family wouldn’t like them anymore than I do. They are too old fashioned looking. I turned the plates over to see the manufacturer’s name, Villeroy & Boch, and I suddenly became very interested in them again. I had recently purchased a set of Villeroy & Boch everyday dishes and I knew how expensive they were.

“I’ll take these off your hands,” I told mom. “Let me do some research on these. Maybe they are worth something.”

“If they are, I want them back,” she said.

“Nope,” I told her. “You wanted to give them away a minute ago. No Backsies!”

“You didn’t even like them a minute ago!” she said.

“Too late; they’re mine now. No Backsies!”

Some preliminary research on the internet made me like them even more. In fact, given their value, I’m going in search of additional pieces at the annual Christmas fair this Saturday.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church Annual Christmas Fair

500 South Country Road
Bay Shore, NY 11706

Saturday, December 5, 2009

9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Cookies, Wreaths, Books, Poinsettias
Vendors, Toys, Baked Goods, Jams & Jellies
White Elephant Table (where valuable dishes were found!), Christmas Items, Raffles
and for the children
Breakfast with Santa
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Tickets: $5.00Includes a photo with Santa.Santa will be serving juice, bagels, donuts, coffee and tea.Stay for hours of fun at the Christmas Fair! For information and reservations for Breakfast with Santa.

Please call the Church Office at 631-665-0051