A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

A few years ago a customer brought in miscellaneous items to consign and after I had gone through her items, I noticed she had forgotten her bag of "no thank yous". (Our name for items we will not be consigning).  After calling her to reclaim her treasures, I took a second look at an item that had caught my eye in the bag.  It was a vintage class photograph from the early sixties.  I love old photos and quickly glanced at the thirty to forty faces of nine or ten year old children. 

I said to an employee, "I know this is crazy but I truly think this little boy is my brother-in law.  I would know those eyes anywhere."  (My husband and one of his sisters and two of his brothers have the same shape eyes)  A call to my husband could not confirm the year his brother was in second grade, so my sister-in-law was next.  She confirmed the school and the year and so I forwarded the picture of the little boy. It was a match!!!!!  So fifty years later my brother-in-law is starring me in the face from his second grade class.  Incredible!! 

Of course, when the consignor came to collect what she forgot, I explained the entire story and she wanted me to keep the photo.  It belonged to a relative who never claimed it and she did not know what to do with it.  I don't know why I took a second look in the bag, but the photo "called to me." That year my brother-in-law got a great gift for his birthday with a terrific story to go with it. "A picture is worth a thousand words"

You might wonder why would anyone bring a class photograph, thinking I could sell it. Well, I have learned that many times people do not know what to do with an item, so they move it along to me, because they can not bring themselves to throw it out. I get that, but it sure does surprise me. 

Note to self: fill all of you in on other quite surprising items that have made their way into My Sister's Closet.