I'm pickin' the pickin's! A pair of brass spittoons.

I suppose you could call that "re-picking".

My Uncle Butch (mom's younger brother) is retired and, for lack of a better word, is a "picker" (and a gentleman farmer). He attends auctions and bids on anything that's either metal or contains metal - aluminum, brass, steel, iron, copper - then resells the stuff to the recycling plant. Stoves, washing machines, tools, hosing, fencing, bed frames - he strips whatever he purchases down to the metal and sells it by the pound. He's been doing this now for 2 or 3 years.

I spent some time at his home yesterday after work. We watched an episode of Bonanza (the one when the Cartwright's...forget it) and he showed me his wares. He's got a lot of stuff. I stumbled on these two spittoons. - 4 pounds total weight at around $1.20 per pound (give or take)...$5.00 for the lot. Nice decorative pieces.

Uncle Butch's retirement profession seems to be a popular one. My brother and I frequently tune in to American Pickers on The History Channel. We both have an interest in antiquing and flea markets, old stuff - other people's junk. I'm a pack rat. So is Jas. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz (above) scour the countryside looking for anything they feel they can resell at a profit. Some stuff they keep for themselves but most they sell or pick for clients with a particular need in mind. Stores, museums, people's yards, barns...you name it, they pick it.

I'm looking forward to the snow melting and a warm Spring day. I'm gonna head back to Uncle Butch's and see what other treasures I can find.