When Pigs Fly Estate Sales & Auctions

September 29, 30 – October 1

Thursday and Friday 10 am – 3 pm

Saturday 9 am – 2 pm

Estate of General Don H Payne

Living Estate of his wife Elsie Marie Bachman-Payne

I am calling this the ‘General and the Princess Sale’. His passion for his military career and her obvious appreciation of lovely things makes for an eclectic review.

Military history is over-flowing in this amazing sale. We unearth more and more documents, photos, manuals each day.  Air Force, West Point, Fighter Pilot, Taipan, Japan, Kessler, 159^th, PACAF Bearcats, educational manuals, letter, photos, medals, souvenirs, correspondence, yearbooks, maps and the list goes on. As constant entertainers, the home has lovely décor and serving pieces with Ethan Allen furniture as a staple. Crystal, pottery, Sterling Chantilly flatware and décor from all over the world are in every corner. Gorgeous clothing fills her closet and military uniforms are included for sale. We will also be including some Designer shoes such as Chanel, Prada and Gucci as well as some lovely jewelry pieces (NO GOLD).

Due to the vast amount of prepping still to come, we will not be able to have photos or descriptions of all items on the internet before the sale. The information and photos we do have will give you a good idea of what is in this event.

Please see the Bio of Don Payne as well his Mother Gladys further down. We are pleased to include many painted pieces from Gladys and hope you enjoy knowing more about her.

There will be a sign- up sheet placed on the garage door late afternoon before the morning opening. By signing in on this list, it reserves you a place in line by order of the list. Be back in line by 9:45 am Thursday morning. Please line up as your name appears on the list. It is a good rule of thumb to take a picture of the list after you have signed your name. ONE PERSON PER LINE ON THE LIST. We will be limiting the number of people inside as well as per rooms. The home is being lived in through the duration of the sale. Please do not try and access the home before the event dates and times. This property is under surveillance and law enforcement is called.

This home is not handicap accessible! Stairs are at every entrance.

Here are some items you will find:

Crystal

Sterling

Military

Air Force

Formal Dining

Thomasville

Ethan Allen

Indonesia

Washer / Dryer

Flatware

Kitchen appliances-small

Vintage cash register

Books

West Point dress sword

Pilot

Fighter Pilot

Aeronautical

Linens

Bedroom Suites

Lamps

Silver plate serving pieces

Military Medals

Air Force Uniforms

Ladies Formal wear

Ladies clothing

Mens clothing

Handbags

Furs

Vintage décor

Signed Salvador Dali –gala

Hand tools

Metal outdoor bistro set

BBQ grill

French style bar height stools

Sofas

Vanity chair

Asian cooking/warming table

Asian metal tray with stand-mid century

Antique trunk

Holiday décor

Jewelry – NO GOLD

Designer shoes such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci – no boxes

Signed Military photographs

Porcelain hand-painted by Gladys Payne

West Point

Payne Pharmacy Items-Historic Garland

And much more….

General Don Howard Payne

Maj. Gen. Don Howard Payne was a 37-year Air Force veteran whose military career took him all across the globe. Payne was born July 18, 1927, in Dallas, but he spent his childhood in Garland.

His parents, Harry Tillman and Gladys Payne, were popular Garland locals who owned the Payne Drug Store and lunch counter, which was a local hang-out on the downtown Garland square. Payne met his future wife, Elsie Marie Bachman, when he was in elementary school. She moved across the street from him, and they were sweethearts ever since. 

After high school graduation in 1944, Payne enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. Payne was never deployed overseas, but he helped from back home. He attended Texas A&M University in Arlington, now the University of Texas at Arlington, for a short time. He left after being admitted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Payne graduated from the academy in 1950. While there, he kept up his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, and they married shortly after he graduated. Payne was soon deployed to Japan and then Korea, where he spent a year during the Korean War. 

Payne later was selected to be on a team at the Pentagon that was involved in determining how to protect the U.S. during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s.

Payne was inspired to join the military by a high school friend, Bill Armstrong, who had gone into the Air Force, and they later attended West Point together. After Armstrong was killed in the Vietnam War, Payne rallied to have a local elementary school named after him.

After serving several years, Payne returned to North Texas and received a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from Southern Methodist University. Years later, he received another advanced degree from the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.

Payne held various tactical command positions win the U.S. and abroad throughout his career, including in Cam Ranh Bay during the Vietnam War. He liked being a leader, and he was a natural at it. He held various leadership positions in the military, including commander of operations and intelligence for the Pacific Air Forces and commander of Keesler Technical Training Center in Mississippi, one of the nation's largest training bases at the time.

Payne received various awards during his 37-year tenure, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, 13 Air Medals and the Bronze Star.

Payne loved to dance, and in retirement he and his wife frequented a local dance club where they enjoyed ballroom and country dancing. He also served on the board of directors of Garland Summer Musicals.

Gladys Marie Payne

Gladys Payne (1903-1959) was an American artist who lived in Texas and Colorado. She is known for her botanical subjects painted on porcelain china. Payne spent the summer months in her Estes Park, Colorado mountain cabin, which was equipped with a kiln to fire her creations. In Colorado and elsewhere, she was a keen observer of flora and fauna, finally replicating her visions from memory in vibrant compositions. Payne’s later work shows masterful control of the brush, often combining free impressionistic strokes to achieve a realistic whole.

 Guidelines for our sale:

Availability of Items:
Unless an item is listed as “pre-sell”, we do not give pricing or availability of items over the phone or email.

Video Surveillance

Our events are covered with video surveillance and we will prosecute any theft, damage or illegal activity on property.

Limit of Persons:
We do limit the number of people into our events based on the size of the home and items inside. Limit 25 persons inside at any time. Some rooms and areas will have additional limitations as well. Please read our signs to keep the flow of the sale moving smoothly.

No Children Inside Event:
Sorry, no children under the age of 12 allowed inside. This includes infants in your arms. Each sale poses challenges such as, chemicals, knifes, glassware, collectibles, metal, swimming pools and hurried adults.

Tax Exempt:
Are you sales tax exempt? You must provide us with the proper pre-printed forms with all your information. We Do Not provide these forms nor do we keep them on site. This is very important if you are tax exempt. We do not provide these forms. Please bring them with you. If you do not bring them, we will assess the current sales tax to your purchase. Thank you for helping us keep the cashier line moving quickly.

Payment Options:
We accept cash and credit/debit over $50. WE DO NOT ACCEPT AMERICAN EXPRESS. No Checks accepted. We reserve the right to refuse any cash/credit or debit cards without proper photo ID. Some purchases may require a time delay if a credit card is used before we hand the item over to you. 

No Warranties:
All items are to be considered used. No refunds or exchanges of any kind. All items as is, where is. Please know before you buy. 

Moving/Packing Items: We do not have anyone available to help move or pack items. If you buy an item you must provide your own Hercules. As with packing, we like our customers to pack their own items to ensure they are pleased with the packing. We provide packing materials and bags until they run out. It is always a good idea to carry some in your vehicle to the sale.

Purses/Handbags/Bags:
No purses, handbags, briefcases, backpacks or such are allowed inside our sales. Please, DO NOT BRING THEM INSIDE. Security will kindly turn you away from the door. Small cross body or waste pouch holders are allowed to carry your wallets and such. Yes, people steal. We don’t think you do, but others not as kind do and we must set this rule into place. 

Bathroom Facilities: 
No restroom available.

Safety:
Please be aware of your surroundings and physical limitations. Access to this sale is up a small landing of stairs. This home is not handicap accessible. We do not provide handicap access  in private homes and ask that you are mindful of any stairs, doors, changes in elevation, items on the floor, hanging from the ceiling, glass doors and such. We are not responsible for any accidents or injuries. Please be mindful of your environment at all times.

Parking: 
Please do not block any driveways, mailboxes, streets or ignore city ordinances. If you get a citation it is not our responsibility.

Holds: 
Any items you ask us to hold must be purchased by you. We do not allow you to hold items as you shop, only to come back and sort and decide. IF you hold an item in your arms or our holding areas, you have agreed to purchase. We reserve the right to ask for immediate purchase of any items held.

When Pigs Fly Team:
Our team is excited to greet you and look forward to helping you find some wonderful and amazing Treasures. We appreciate our courteous and fun customers and thrive on your positive and respectful nature.