Sometimes my son is good Karma

Sometimes I’ll see a photo that sets off a chain of thoughts…

This one’s about good karma.

Thirty years ago I was building cowboy furniture and trading cowboy antiques for a living, when my son Michael asked if he could go to the Cody Old West Show with me.

I never figured he had any interest in what I was doing, but I was sure glad to have the company on such a long drive.

I always made it my habit to stop in Jackson Hole on the way to Cody. This time my karma was good and I sold $3500 worth of cowboy furniture to a furniture store in Jackson.

Next, I headed for Billings, Montana. There was a row of antiques stores on the edge of the berg’s skid row that often yielded some pretty good treasures. My luck was running’ high, and I found a circa 1930’s Pendleton Rodeo souvenir ceramic cowboy hat for $10. I remember telling Mike, “This’ll buy us a steak dinner tomorrow night.” 

Sure enough the next day, the first day of the Cody Show, I sold the Pendleton ceramic hat for a modest $50. It came pretty close to paying’ for two steak dinners back then. And, with my karma still ridin’ high I bought a beautifully carved, modern Bohlin saddle at auction for $800.

I reckon Mike was my good luck charm ‘cause I sold that saddle the next day for $2400.

Believe it or not a few years later, as I was leaving a casino, something made me stop and place a bet on the roulette table. I bet on 17, son Mike’s birthday. It hit and was a sweet payoff.

The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar photos are vintage RPPC from my collection. The ceramic hat photo is a different one that I've owned for 40 years.

Thanks Mike for being my good luck piece.