Auctions passion for longtime Buckhorn cottager
Karin Vajda had never been to an auction. When she was asked to go to one more than 30 years ago she went. She loved it! She realized that she had an eye for stuff that people would buy. So she kept going to auctions, found the store in Buckhorn and started selling. She has had a cottage in Buckhorn for 40 years so that made Buckhorn the spot for her resell attempts.
People who are closing cottages call her and ask if she would like to look at what they have. She goes to church sales knowing what would sell. She says she will pay good money if you have good stuff. In the winter she goes to stores such as Talize and Value Village. If she finds a $10 watch of 14 carat gold she buys it as she knows who she can sell it to. Karin also has people buying for her. She has regular customers that come to look at what she has found.
Karin also worked at GM when she moved to Ajax with her daughter. She started at auto trim at Chrysler. She drove her bicycle on the 401 to get there. She made money. She was laid off. She went to an interview and was asked if she ran a sewing machine. She said yes. She wasn’t but was determined to learn. After a couple weeks she was told that she would be laid off because she wasn’t fast enough. She begged for one more week. She stayed for 30 years. At 77 she says there is no such word as can’t. She is up at 5:00 and ready to go.
After emigrating from Germany with her mom and stepdad they landed in Peterborough in 1953. She attended PCVS. She worked at Kresge’s which she says “got the shyness out of me.” She met husband number one when she was 19. When her first child was a girl he left. She moved to Ajax. Her next husband she met at GM. They are still together.
Karin loves what she is doing. Her favorite auction story is when she found a wedding band and two diamond rings in an old Kleenex box she had purchased. The building housing her treasures is sold but the owner wants her to stay. She is still buying and says she can’t stop. She is looking forward to your visit this summer.
Spring Craft Show
If you are looking at spring to rejuvenate your space then the Spring Craft Show at the Buckhorn Community Centre should be on your calendar during the May long weekend.
Whether you are looking for handmade furniture, garden accessories or ceramic pottery for your home, you’ll find it at this show. There is also one-of-a-kind designer clothing for adults and children, jewellery and woven goods or tempt your taste-buds with local gastronomical delights such as candy, honey, jams and jellies.
Hours on the long May long weekend are Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission for adults is $5 and children under 12 are free. See you there!