Antique-Aholics Anonymous

Hi my name is Big Al and I'm an Antique-Aholic.

Like so many other addictions, mine started in College. I would sneak out of my dorm room early on Saturday mornings and head to auctions. At one point, I convinced a professor to provide me with money for my habit and found myself buying one too many dinnerware sets for an upcoming play.

More than ten years later, I'm noticing that I still have an addiction.I frequently find myself having conversations that center around my problem and I brag about what I find and how little it cost me. Bragging is not a behavioral quality to be proud about.

$1 wicker chair!

I regularly am in search of "good stuff" upon awakening and it has interfered with my work schedule. Having to work on the weekend gets in the way of 9 am yard sales. No early birds? Whatever, that phrase doesn't exist in my world of antique dependence.

Flower Frogs and Flower Pins

I have had periods of time when I can't remember what I did. Recently, I blacked out at an auction and lost out on a ladies rocker that I sat hours waiting for. I became obsessed with finding another one and couldn't think about anything else until I finally found one for a steal at a flea market one month later.

I sometimes have family members or close friends go with me so I can experience a rush when they score.

Yes, I did get excited over my husband ending his week long search for a punch clock.

Recently, I went so far as to fulfill another addicts wish and sent a package all the way to Atlanta, Georgia!

Experts say you should try to give something up and not experience physical or emotional distress for 6 weeks. I can't even imagine the shakes that might happen if I were to try.

Labor Day is only a month away and my opportunities will soon be limited to Etsy and Ebay and this brings a great amount of anxiety to me. Can I stay off the wagon a little bit longer? Speaking of wagons, check out what I did with the Radio Flyer I got for free at the Town Dump.

The weekend is right around the corner and I have to be honest, I'm really jonesing for my next fix. It helps that I don't have any cash in my wallet right now, but the yard sale sign on our corner is taunting me.