Many years ago I was setting in my store in Santa Monica, when a long stretch limousine pulled up out front and double parked in the slow lane. Some might think this an unusual occurrence, but being in a well to do section of Los Angeles, something like this was quite common place. But what got out of the limo wasn’t…….. It was a small elderly man and an equally small woman. Both were dressed to the nines. The watches they had on probably could have eliminated the the national debt in most third world countries. A large, by all standards, Aftrican American man accompanied them to the 
front door and stood outside as they entered. They both had beautiful smiles and an equally beautiful energy about them. I walked up to the front to say hello and introduce myself. The man shook my hand with a surprisingly firm grip for someone of his age, I’d have placed him in his early to mid 80’s. He then introduced his wife who was what we had all hoped our grandmothers would have been like. ………..At this juncture, I have to mention, I had a terrific grandmother. But this little one was right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
“See anything you like Missy”? said the man to his wife. “They’re all so beautiful. I have very fond memories of iron beds like this when growing up”. she said
“Whats the best bed you have?” he asked. I had just gotten in a very collectible bed and pointed it out. “Do you like it Missy?” he said. “Oh yes……it’s really pretty”. she answered. “We’ll take it son” he said. This whole transaction happened as quickly as you were able to read this.
He pulled out his check book and asked how much. It was right around $5000. He wrote out the check as quickly as the figures left my mouth, then handed me the check said “Thank you…..very nice meeting you” and he started walking for the front door. “Wait……..How do you want it refinished, what color, what size, where would you like me to ship it?” I had so many questions and he was just walking out the door. He turned as he got to the door, looked back at me and said “Son don’t worry, I haven’t even built the house yet, we’ll be in touch” and away they went. I went straight for the phone and called the bank the check had been drawn on to verify the funds. It was a bank in West Texas. A lady came on the phone an introduced herself as the bank manager. I said I had just received a check from a customer and wanted to verify the funds on the account. I started reading her the account number, approximately a 13 digit number. When I got about three quarters of the way through it, she started calling out the last figures before I had given them to her. “Lovely little couple in their mid 80’s?” she said. “Exactly” I said. “That would be Mr. & Mrs.__________. Anything he writes is fine.” She proceeded to explain, rather candidly, that the couple had lived modest lives on a west Texas ranch and that the husband was digging a well on the property for water, because the water well they’d had dried up. Instead of hitting water…….he hit oil. Not just a little oil…….one of the biggest fields ever hit in west Texas. It seems they were a real life ” Beverly Hillbillies ” story. They had started traveling and everywhere they stopped, that they liked, they’d buy or build a house. The bed they bought from me that day was one of about 8 other antique iron beds they got in the future. Every one they got from me was always shipped to a different address.
They had become quite enamored with antique iron beds. One of the cute things I remember about them was when I asked what size they’d like it converted to. He said “Son……a double size is more than enough room for me and the misses”. Not one of the beds I sold them ever got converted to any other size than it’s original antique double size.
Wherever they are today, I wish them well. A happier more loving couple, you’ll never find. Their good fortune couldn’t have happened to nicer people.
I hope you’ve found this blog informative . I invite you to revisit my website
to answer any and all questions you might have about antique iron beds.
I also invite you to take a look at our company Face Book page for multiple photo albums on Custom Finishes, Canopy Conversions and a comprehensive “Before & After” King Conversions album.
