Theresa · Mather

The Donkey Wonder Will Solve Your Problems. Yes, you read that correctly. This vintage donkey fortunetelling machine promises to solve all your problems, and to do it for the bargain price of one thin coin. And an exact replica of it and many other wonders could be had at the Victorian Casino Auctions which are held every few months in Las Vegas. After attending a few, I now struggle to avoid them because it is too easy to come away with large stuff we really have no more room for. The siren call of these auctions began a few years ago when I ended up snagging a 1909 C. W. Parker wooden carousel horse in outstanding condition for a few hundred dollars. The next one we went to, we ended up with another Parker horse and two large vintage pinball machines. The pinball machines were going cheap, and well, it was just a crime to let a 1939 New York World's Fair edition Keeney "Red Hot" pinball machine go for less than $225.

I checked the auction catalog for this weekend's auction and I thought we were safe...no carousel horses besides some mass production fiberglass pieces. We really don't need more large antique stuff so I was proud of myself for not even going to the auction. I was minding my own business answering email when Barry walked in and asked if I wanted to go somewhere for the afternoon. It turns out that thanks to the wonder of internet live bidding, he had placed a $25 bid on a "Keeny's Favorite" 1948 horse race pinball game...and won it. No one on the floor outbid him, even at that price. He admitted he had no idea how big it was or if it would fit in the vehicle, but we needed to go pay and pick it up. So off we went to Las Vegas. We got there in time for the last dying rounds of the auction. It turns out the Donkey Wonder replica had gone for a respectable $9500, but as usual at these auctions, items of lesser interest go for pretty low prices.

Faced with a very large vintage machine and armed with a few tools, Barry managed to partially disassemble his new treasure and with the help of auction staff, managed to get it safely tucked inside the SUV...barely. It's still in there because we haven't decided where it will fit in the house. Before returning home, we stocked up on stuff at Trader Joe's since there is no such animal in Utah because of the state monopoly on wine and liquor sales, made a quick trip to Micheal's and stopped at the buffet at the Eureka in Mesquite, near the Arizona border just before you pass into Utah.

For a sampler of what part of the drive is like, click here.

I admit I was slightly irked to make an unplanned trip yesterday, especially when I thought we were avoiding the lure of the Victorian Casino Auction, but I'm glad I got out of the house. It put me in a better mood.