Over the past couple weeks I’ve tried trading some of my finds on a Facebook bartering group. I’m pretty happy with the results so far. I’ve managed to unload a bunch of stuff, often the same day I post it, and always get a decent return for my efforts. It’s also a cool way to meet new people, some of whom are very passionate about the random items I’ve been posting. That being said, trying to organize and keep track of all these trades can be exhausting, so it’s important I don’t overdo it.
Most of what I trade is stuff that isn’t super valuable (ie: not eBay worthy, or at least not worth the hassle) but still very cool, or items I just want moved as soon as possible. I always ask for consumables (like food, coffee, tea, or beer) because I really don’t need any more stuff!
This post features a collection of miscellaneous finds from the past few weeks, some of which have since been traded. I’ll let you know what I got for the items when applicable!
I came across this vintage TV while out on a run in NDG. For whatever reason I have a fair bit of nostalgia for old televisions; I took it in spite of the fact that it had been snowed on and I didn’t think it was likely to produce any value.
The TV ended up working fine and I traded it for a cool musical instrument called a melodian. I consider that a pretty good exchange! In general there was a lot more interest in vintage TVs than I imagined there to be, and this experience will encourage me to pick them up on a more regular basis going forward.
Another spot in NDG produced many interesting, trade-worthy items. These old reels contained old 1930s cartoons (primarily featuring a character named Scrappy) and also a few silent movies.
They weren’t all in great condition, but someone was happy to come by and give me a 6-pack of beer for them regardless.
This old (but still soft) paint set netted me two bottles of homebrew …
… while these unopened film canisters, which expired in the 1970s brought in another 6-pack.
You may have noticed a lot of these trades are for beer. I’m not an alcoholic, I swear! It’s often just the most convenient thing to trade for. Beer takes a while to go off, so I don’t mind if I have more than I need. I’ve also done trades for home-cooked food, but not everyone likes to cook.
The same spot produced a cool Freemason medal, given out for fifty years of service …
… and a very old Tiffany box. I wish there was something in the box, but I should be able to make some money from it regardless. I’ll be keeping an eye on this place going forward.
In Montreal West I came across a vintage Strombecker road racing set …
… inside of which was a bunch of old die-cast toy cars, mostly from the late 60s and early 70s. These can have some value – I’ll clean them up and likely sell them as a lot. The track might be worth a bit of money as well.
In TMR I found a bag stuffed with three vintage hanging shell lamps. They need a little love but are very beautiful regardless. I look forward to setting two of them up in my room.
Otherwise, I saved a collection of small objects in NDG; …
… an old cigar box full of mementos from that same spot;
… a large collection of student newspapers from the late 60s and early 70s, which a local archivist was more than happy to take off my hands (Plateau);
… some junior pilot wings (Plateau);
… a tupperware container full of pennies (TMR);
… a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles serving tray (TMR, traded for 6 beer);
… a vintage aluminum grease holder, which looks to sell on eBay for around 40$ (Westmount);
… and some cool brass items (Westmount).
The nicest of the bunch was an early 1900s bookend by the Frost Workshops of Dayton Ohio. That company was a notable part of the Arts and Crafts movement that was prominent at that time. I was vaguely familiar with the movement thanks to an episode of Antiques Roadshow I watched back in the day but learned a lot more upon researching this piece. Apparently practitioners had anti-industrial leanings and emphasized the value the craftsmanship over mass machine production. I suspect these artisans of times past might turn in their grave in they knew what kind of junk we were producing today!
I saw that a similar single bookend sold for around 70$ on eBay and priced mine accordingly.