Space hopper

The move went well and now it’s time to get organized. My main goal is to develop an effective storage setup for all my junk while also ensuring a separation of my work and relaxation spaces. I have things mostly done, I just need to put up a curtain (to serve as a room divider) and find a solid Ikea-style storage shelf. Maybe I’ll post some pictures when it’s all done!

I haven’t done much picking in the last month or so, and I more or less missed out on Moving Day. However, I’m starting to get into the rhythm again. The weather’s been nice so I’ve been biking a lot, and I came across most of these finds while cruising around my new hood.

Here’s an unusual find. It looks to be a WWII-era life preserver. On one of pillows is printed “The Col. P.P. Hutchison Memorial Life-Belt.” I did some research on the Colonel and found that someone by the same (or at least a very similar) name and title wrote a book about the history of the Black Watch … in 1962. That man was still very much alive when this life preserver was made, and it seems odd that he would be memorialized with a “life-belt” while still kicking. Maybe it’s a long forgotten inside joke.

I noticed this much later, but multiple people signed the back of one of the pillows. Unfortunately the names are all faded and hard to read. The only name I could make out was Ogilvy. This side of the pillow is also stamped with a date: January 30 1941.

Up the road I found a collection of perfumes that look to date from the 50s or 60s.

My favourites were these old Polish scents. I find Polish stuff on a semi-regular basis, which is I think is because a lot of them emigrated here after the war.

The same spot also provided this old toy. It’s called a space hopper, though they seem to go by many different names. These were apparently very popular in the 70s and 80s. I took it home because old toys can be very valuable, but after doing some research there doesn’t look to be much of a market for them, at least for now. I left it on the curb, and I think someone else took it home.

I went on a little bike ride last Friday and salvaged this stuff from some black trash bags. I figured it was mostly a nice yard sale / change haul, but it turns out the Swatch is kind of collectible. The design, which features the Mona Lisa wearing sunglasses and giving a peace sign was sold only at the Swatch store in the Louvre.

There’s only one listing for this watch on eBay and the price is 186 US dollars (or around 240 Canadian dollars). The seller owned four, two of which have sold. Theirs are brand new, but I expect I’ll be able to sell mine for a nice sum as well. I listed it at 150 Canadian dollars, and as usual I’ll let you know how it goes.

On a related note, it’s very satisfying to casually find valuable stuff while biking. I bike mostly for fun and exercise at this point, so it’s a bonus when I end up getting paid to do it!

Just this morning I took a bike ride in Outremont and came across this collection of electronics. I snagged the receiver, leaving the CD and VHS players for other pickers. It wasn’t much fun carrying the thing home though. I’d guess that it weighs around 25 pounds, and I had to carry it in my arms because it didn’t fit in my backpack.

It’s a Marantz Model 2225. I knew it was worth something right away because Marantz is one of the more desirable vintage audio brands. Even when they’re broken they can be sold for parts. Still, I was surprised to see how much this model actually goes for. Serviced, fully functional 2225s have recently sold for as much as 550$, while a non-functioning unit sold for around 175$.

I haven’t fully tested this one yet, but it does turns on (unlike the one that sold for 175$) and is in nice cosmetic condition. On the other hand most of the bulbs are dead, though I think those are easy enough to replace. I’d guess that this receiver is worth 200-250$ as is, making it a very nice get regardless!

I otherwise saved a nice vintage footstool. A cool greek key pattern is carved into the wood. Unfortunately my roommate’s cat has taken to clawing at the fabric, but I’m there to shoo her away more often than not.

I hope to do a yard sale at my new place this weekend. I don’t know if I’ll do another post before then, so check my FB page for updates. Otherwise, you can email me if you want details!

Relevant links

1. Facebook page
1. My eBay listings
2. Etsy store
3. Kijiji listings
4. My donate page

Email: thingsifindinthegarbage@gmail.com. I often fall behind on emails, so I apologize in advance if it takes me a while to get back to you.