I came across these bags in the same place I found the kitten picture from my post on April 15th. I thought originally that it was spring cleaning waste but based on what I found today I think someone might be clearing out a house. The items are getting older and more interesting. I took home a bunch of stuff and also left some at the Give Box.
I pulled this old-style metal fan and a few tins (marked Kodak) out of one of the bags. I almost left the fan, which I tested using the outlet outside of a grocery store, at the Give Box but my friend convinced me keep it. It’s got a great baby-blue color and the only problem with it is that the cover is a little busted. I may just take the cover off given that I don’t have any small children running around that could get hurt by it’s metal blades.
One of the tins ended up being a retractable aluminium cup.
This logo was imprinted on the top and bottom. I couldn’t make out what the top part says other than the word “Ever.” Regardless it’s a great tool for camping, though it also may have been something a soldier would use as well.
Also in one of the bags was this “Lady Schick” portable consolette hair dryer. I tested it and it actually works! I can definitely make a little bit of money off this. It’s in great condition for it’s age.
This envelope contained some old x-ray images. They’re marked as being from 1986. My room-mate may use them for art.
I pulled another cast iron pan out of the bags. This one’s a sturdy Canadian piece, marked on the bottom as being by Javelin out of Joliette, Quebec.
I’m not sure why someone would name a cast-iron pan making company “Javelin.” This is truly the opposite of a javelin. A javelin is a light spear and this is a formed piece of a mountain design to cook with. I guess one similarity is that it’s good exercise to throw a javelin and it’s also good exercise to lift this pan from your cupboard to the stove.
Anyways, the only problem was that it was quite rusty. I figured I could fix it up though and took it home.
I scrubbed the hell out of it with steel wool and it, sure enough, ended up being a perfectly fine cast iron pan. I really like the flat design which works really well for pancakes and lots of other stuff I’m sure. I still have to re-season it put I expect it’ll become a fixture in my kitchen.
Finally a little toy that you can shape in all kinds of different ways. I’d never seen one before and I think it’s pretty cool. Definitely better than the Rubik’s cube in my opinion, though I definitely have some bias as I always sucked at them.
Later on I came across these bags just south of Mont-Royal on de Bullion (or one of the streets next to it). Inside the bags was a lot of food, toiletries, and some trinkets such as the plastic turkey on the far left side. I ended up leaving some stuff of the stuff I found in a “safe” location for others to find later.
I found these nice earrings inside their little jewelry box. I think the stones could be jade. These might be great for my Etsy store or maybe a yard sale.
A little bottle made of some kind of metal. I’m not sure what it would have been for – maybe perfume. The top unscrews to reveal a little dipper thing with a flat end.
Here’s a couple of solo earrings to finish us off. The one on the left is marked as being 925 (sterling) silver and the one on the right is marked as 10k gold. The gold one, though I can’t sell it on my Etsy store, still may be worth around 15$ for melt.
It’s getting to the point where I’m finding silver extremely regularly. It’s not worth a ton on it’s own, but if I amass a whole bunch of it I’ll make a decent amount from it’s melt value.
I’ve got to get to work but I’ll be going out later today for sure.
hi martin,
i so enjoy reading of your daily finds.
the hair-drying machine is spectacular, as is the vintage fan.
carry on!
Sweet finds.
The fan and the hair dryer look to be early 1970s.
That’s definitely a little perfume bottle. It looks silver. Maybe some marks will appear once you’ve cleaned it. It’s is somewhat similar to this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/FAB-ANTIQUE-ENGLISH-STERLING-SILVER-SHELL-SHAPED-SCENT-PERFUME-BOTTLE-c1898-/111001379714?pt=Antiques_Silver&hash=item19d832a382
Here’s a page of collapsible metal cups http://www.etsy.com/market/Collapsible_cup?ref=listing_tag
That is a nice little geometric puzzle. Is it wood, or ceramic?
My bet is the triangle puzzle is actually plastic. My brother had one when he ws a kid in the early/mid-80s.
That’s the spot! That’s where I found those watches! Guess I should have kept looking, eh? Nice finds!
I think throwing your javelin should be a new Olympic sport. 🙂
Maybe this article on how to identify antique cast iron cookware will be useful to you in the future. http://www.ehow.com/how_5612856_identify-antique-cast-iron-skillets.html
The fan is DARLING! Fans are big in the US. Vintage, cute shabby chic fans! You could sell it on etsy!
I love that you’re being green AND that you are outing the wasteful people who throw things away and not even give them to charity! Good on you!
That toy thing is called a Rubiks Snake I believe. Me and my sister, here in the UK, had exactly green and white ones like that. V cool. Still loving this blog btw!
Did you know that residents of the Plateau received almost 2000 notices of garbage infraction—people putting out the garbage at the wrong time and the wrong place and also execssive amounts of garbage?There was a story in 24 HEURES,the free French newspaper last Wednesday and a front-page picture showing garbage pictures?Other arondissements are far behind in garbage violations.Sud-Ouest was no.2 at about 1,000 violations and Outremont third.I work as a contractor in the Plateau often.I have also worked in Rosemont,Ahuntsic,Outremont,Verdun,NDG,Westmount,etc.I also see that the Plateau residents throw out far more garbage than elsewhere?Your streets are lined with coffee cups,beer bottles,debris etc as well as the alleyways and side streets.After work,I sometimes pick up and salvage good discarded furniture ,recyclable cans,artwork and good books in my van.But that is only if I am working in that area on a day.You should compare the junking habits of the Plateau with other residents.I have not done any formal studies on this,but basing this on my observations.Please read the article in last Wednesday ‘s 24 heures and see the picture.The Mile End residents seem to throw out the most garbage of all.I love your blog,but how can you people claim that Plateau is a cool,green,environmentally friendly place?It is not.Keep scavenging.Any answers ?
I don’t think I’ve ever said that the Plateau is a especially green. It’s good to remember that it’s a big neighborhood full of lots of different people, from lots of students (as the Plateau includes the McGill ghetto, but students live all around the area) to all sorts of different cultural groups. It’s also has a major commercial (St-Laurent and St-Denis) and bar scene which brings other Montrealers and tourists to the area.
I’ve thought about comparing garbage habits of different neighborhoods sometimes but in the end I don’t think I can really know anything based on what I do. I’d say that each trash day contains the garbage of about 50,000 different people and I can’t make any assumptions based on what I may find from one person in one day.
My dear friend, this very toy you found is available to purchase in almost every dollarama accross the city. However I find your blog to be pretty interesting. People nowadays throw all sorts of valuables without even thinking to recycle it or that someone might need it. Sad.
We need more boheme like you.
I have not seen a retractable aluminum cup like that since I went camping decades ago with the scouts. What a walk down memory lane!