The Mother of all Estate Sales in Oakland this Weekend
Author:Lindsey ShookThis Saturday and Sunday Hudson’s Gallery offers the goods from nine estates under one roof at their warehouse in Oakland. The amount of inventory for sale is staggering, numbering into the thousands of items. It’s kind of like the design center of used furniture and accessories. These warehouse sales happen every three or four months at Hudson’s. What makes this one notable, among many things, is the large collection of antique radios. “We have well over 200,” says Bear Sawtelle of Hudson’s. “They come from the estate of a local man who loved collecting them. We have console radios, mantel radios and cabinet radios.”
The radios range from lovely wood models to Bakelite and Catalin (the plastics so popular in the ’30s and ’40s) types whose bright colors make them look candies. “People will be really excited about these,” says Sawtelle. “We have some very collectible Fado [a brand popular in the ’30s, when 28 million Americans had them as the main source of news and entertainment at home] radios.”
People will also be excited about the fine art here, including a watercolor by Oakland native George Post and landscapes by Frank Innocent and Hector Ettore Serbaroli. There’s also a nice collection of botanical prints.
Two pieces that caught my eye: An incredible fur coat, so not PC, but oh so Ingrid Bergman circa 1944.
Another gem is a turn-of-the-century hutch with fantastic hardware and trim. I love the turned legs, which are very in right now. With a little TLC, this could be a statement piece in a modern interior.
Don’t miss the cool midcentury furniture, including three very good Bruno Mathsson chairs and Knoll tables.
If what you are after is a real bargain, Sawtelle says this is your sale. “What we often do at these warehouse events is group items together in boxes and sell the lot,” he says. “If you are looking to furnish an apartment or home, you can do it very inexpensively by buying several boxes. You can get great pots, pans and housewares for very little money.”
Here’s a secret tip for people who love the hunt: The hours for this sale (located at 1020 E. 8th St. in Oakland) are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. However, according to Sawtelle, the staff usually gets in early and lets eager-to-get-at-it shoppers in a half hour before the official start time. “We don’t do it EVERY time, but we usually do,” he says. Get there early to get the good stuff.
