That smell

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I’ve recently been trying to get more organized. My storage space in particular was very chaotic and I’ve put a lot of work into getting that cleared up. I realized during a yard sale a couple weeks ago that a lot of what was in there wasn’t worth trying to sell – it was just making my best items harder to see. So, I’ve been a purging a lot of my more mediocre stuff, putting the rest in “free” boxes on the curb that others can then hunt through. Most ends up getting taken, and the things that don’t probably weren’t worth saving. I have a lot less clutter now, and most of what remains is very yard sale-able.

Otherwise, I had a couple blog posts worth of stuff in storage just sitting around waiting to get photographed. It all came from a run in Rosemont I did a few months ago, some of which I discussed in a recent post. I came across this pile later on that day. It was pretty unpleasant to look through because everything stunk badly of cigarette smoke. I found some good stuff regardless, most of which is easy enough to clean. A lot of what you see here will end up in a free box though, as not all of it is worth the time it will take me to remove that nasty smell.

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I saved a few larger tchotchkes, including a weird vintage mug (marked “©MK” on the bottom), a brass duck, and a ceramic elephant with a multicoloured glaze. This person was really into elephants, and you can see below.

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I mostly saved smaller items, four of which were in the shape of elephants. Two were keychains, one was a small brass figurine, and another was a brooch. The brooch (just left of the spoons) is actually quite nice. It’s marked D’Orlan on the back, which is a Canadian costume jewellery company that produced some very nice pieces. Similar brooches are selling for between 30-60$ on eBay, and mine is in very good shape aside from the fact that it’s missing the rhinestone eye. I otherwise saved a couple Las Vegas casino chips, two silver plated spoons, two pocketknives and a Duran Duran pin.

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I also saved a silver ring that looks to feature an amber (or perhaps faux amber) crown …

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… and a metal crucifix.

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I consider this to be a classic Montreal find. Inside this grimy bullion cube container was …

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… a collection of old bridge tokens. It seems like a lot of people collected these as I’ve come across them several times now, sometimes in large quantities. They were used between 1962-1990 to pay the toll at the Jacques-Cartier and Champlain bridges. They’re not worth much, but again make for good yard sale material.

Character study pt. 2

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A little over a month ago I wrote a post detailing some cool stuff I found over several weeks in Hampstead. The bins sat full at the end of the driveway for nearly two months until last night when they finally made their way to the curb. A bunch of old carpet sat next to them, indicating that renovation of the house has begun.

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I saved a few small knick-knacky pieces. On the left is an old pottery piece made to hold teaspoons. I’d guess that it was made in the 1940s. At top left is a dutch silver plated comb (marked ZILPLA90). There is some corrosion but it should clean up alright.

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This thing is a bit strange. It’s marked Birks and is made from sterling silver. It opens up to reveal a tiny mirror that measures around 3 x 2cm. On the back is a little fold out stand. It’s probably just a very small compact but I would think most people would prefer to have a larger mirror. I can’t find anything quite like this online, so if anyone knows anything about it let me know!

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This art deco era lamp might have been my favourite find. It has a great cast iron base and works totally fine.

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The bottom is marked Electrolier Montreal. I couldn’t find out much about the company, though it seems that it was bought out at some point by Sylvania.

I’ll keep my eye on this spot though I doubt it will produce again. The good stuff is typically long gone by the time renovations begin.

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Otherwise, I came across a box of junk in NDG.

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Inside was a tin full of screws and other miscellaneous bits and bobs. However, I spotted some interesting pieces amongst the clutter.

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They were WWII-era brass Canadian military (likely Navy) buttons. A couple had strange screw backs that I hadn’t seen before. They’re not worth much but make for cool yard sale material.

Speaking of yard sales, I did two this weekend and they went very well! I’ll discuss this more on my next sales post, which is due to come out sometime next week.

Recent sales (August 3 – August 16)

I’ve listed a lot of new stuff in the past few weeks, some of which sold very quickly. Below is an account of my sales from the two week period beginning August 3 and ending August 16. The vast majority of these items came from very well-to-do neighbourhoods.

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1. Big DVD collection: Sold on Kijiji for 180$. This was a lot easier than I expected and I was very happy to be able to unload them all at once. I’m sure I could have gotten more money selling them on eBay but by selling locally I saved myself a bunch of work and stress. Found not long ago in Mount Royal.

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2. iPod Nano: Sold on Kijiji for 50$. Found in Westmount May 2015.

3. Binoculars: Sold to a reader for 10$. Found May 2015 in Mount Royal.

4. Yard sale: Many small items for 198.75$. I just missed the 200$ mark but I’m happy with the total. I plan on doing another sale this weekend; it’s supposed to be quite nice out.

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5. Mexican silver cufflinks: On Etsy for 35$. Found nearly two months ago in Westmount.

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6. Busted Samsung laptop (for parts or repair): On eBay for 70$. This sold within a few days of being listed. I love it when that happens! Found late June in Westmount. Positive feedback already received.

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7. Polaroid film (expired 1983): On eBay for 60$. Another quick sale! Found a few weeks ago in Mount Royal.

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8. Metzler Germany Zeiss Umbramatic sunglasses: On eBay for 100$. Found mid April in Hampstead. Positive feedback already received.

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9. Welch Allyn diagnostic set: On eBay for 65$. These were medical diagnostic tools of some kind. I wasn’t able to test them but they still sold for a nice price. Found a few months ago in Westmount.

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10. Chanel sunglasses: On eBay for 150$. A nice sale! These were in great condition. Also found a few months ago in Westmount.

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11. Sterling Silver WWII US Navy ID bracelet: On eBay for 100$. This was a great piece, one I would have kept myself if I was richer. The sale was a bit weird, as about five days after I shipped the item eBay sent me an email telling me not to ship because the buyers account no longer existed. Well, it was too late for that! I didn’t get a tracking number so there’s no way to prove I sent it if he tries to scam me, though the fact that the guy’s account is likely suspended makes it difficult to impossible for him to complain to eBay. Anyways, I hope it all works out, and the experience has taught me to get tracking numbers more often going forward. Found nearly a year ago in St Henri.

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12. Small change: Converted to a more portable 34.83$. The person who guessed 40$ was closest! I also traded three American dollar bills for 3.80$.

Total: 1048.25$, 12800.75$ since the new year began. This was one of my best two-week periods in a while. It definitely helps having more things listed on eBay. I’ve been using Kijiji more often lately, and will likely continue to do so for items with general appeal or that are annoying to ship.

New listings

As usual some of these prices are negotiable, particularly if you live in Montreal and are able to come and pick it up.

1. Vintage die-cast Lesney Ford Anglia toy car
2. Vintage Sony F1 Walkman
3. Signed Marcel Marceau 1973 Program
4. Birks 1967 Centennial Catalogue
5. House Beautiful “Discover Shibui” August 1960
6. Michele Richard Expo 67 Theme Song
7. Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo – Expo 67 Program
8. Expo 67 Restaurant Program
9. Soviet Union Today Expo 67 Magazine
10. Championats D'Europe Monaco 1947 Swimming Program
11. Vintage Die-Cast Volkswagen Caravette Lesney Toy Car
12. Rare 1950s Montreal Restaurant Menu – Au Lutin Qui Bouffe
13. Vintage 35″ Johnny Bench Louisville Slugger, Hillerich and Bradsby
14. United Colors of Benetton sterling silver cross pendant
15. Rare Birks sterling silver tea strainer
16. Georg Jensen card file organizer
17. Vintage 1980s calculator: Sharp EL-509a
18. Ray Ban Clubmaster sunglasses (Sold! Will appear on my next sales post).

The links below don’t open a new tab when you click on then, so if you want to stay on this page just do a right click and choose “open link in new tab.”

19. Getco silver feather pendant (Etsy)
20. Mexican silver bookmark (Etsy)
21. Mexican silver orchid brooch (Etsy)
22. Silver eternal knot pendant (Etsy)
23. 10k gold tri-coloured heart pendant (Etsy)
24. 4 Vintage Henselite Lawn Bowling Balls and carrying case (Kijiji)
25. Voigtlander Perkeo slide projector with portable case (Kijiji)
26. 1940s-50s Royal Futura 800 manual typewriter with case (Kijiji)