Finding Gold in France

We've been in France for a couple of weeks now - we've visited the flea markets, the hat factory, the farmer's market and been exposed to some of the local arts and crafts in the area. We've dyed with woad, visited medieval villages and made lots of french-inspired jewelry. We've met wonderful women who came along on our Chateau Getaway - all who seemed to love digging for old bits and pieces, crafting, and eating the local specialties.
Everything was going according to plan - until one day when Lizzie announced we would be visiting one last hat factory in Septfond - on the way home from Montauban. I have been on dozens of old digs, crawled up onto piles of old crates and seen many, many boxes of old stock that was still as fresh as it was at the turn of the century.....but.....I never expected that I would find a factory in France that had been closed up for years and was still brimming with antique stock - hundreds and hundreds of boxes upon boxes of old trim, feathers, flowers and hats - and then another room and another room and another room! As we walked into the old building, first we gasped and then everyone scurried around and found their special digging spot. I just kept wandering around thinking "this is as good as it gets!" - and instantly said to Molly, "shoot everything and shoot deep."
Everyone loaded up a box or two or three and went outside where Guy, the 78 year old owner's son, shuffled through each box and then announced the price - there was really no bargaining with him because he was practically giving everything away. There were a few bits - like the antique scissors and the faded pincushion that he took out of my box - family heirlooms - but otherwise, everything was for sale. Later that evening, as we were all showing off our treasures, someone said "I was putting my hand in dark places I never should have -and finding gold" - exactly what I was thinking! More to come....