This spot was legendary for tossing many little boxes full of junk. It also produced the most silver coins of any house ever (at least for me). The coins in this beat-up old jewelry box were mostly American mercury dimes, with a few other mostly American coins from that era mixed in.
The box also held a tiny surprise that I didn’t notice until after taking this photo. You can see it wedged in between the bits of wood on the left.
It’s a little gold padlock pendant. I’d guess that it’s Victorian and 15k gold (the hallmarks are indecipherable). Regardless, very cute.
Other notable items from that haul included a real old Oris watch, a souvenir key from the 1933 World’s Fair, and a bracelet made from late 1800s Guatemalan silver coins. I also like that old medicine box, which I’d guess dates to the 30s based on the font.
Another little box held a mix of actual junk and fun bits & pieces, including some old charms (I think), some dip pen nibs, a hunk of Victoria-era seal wax, and a few bullets.
Here’s some more stuff that was loose in a bag. I really like vintage electronics, so that funky handheld calculator clock radio was a fun find. Collectors like these as well – I think it’s worth around 50-60$.
Here’s some more interesting bits, including an old silver ring.
This thing looks pretty old. I’m guessing it’s a pocket watch fob, and made with vermeil (gold plated silver) in Victorian times. There was a lot of Victorian era stuff in this house…
Many parts of this story remain. In the meantime, I’m doing another sale at the 4096 Coloniale space tomorrow starting around noon. I’d like to unload as much stuff as possible before the real cold gets here. There will be a carload of new stuff that wasn’t at the last sale, and a bit of fresh junk that hasn’t seen a single sale.
I think your charms are Mexican milagros (miracles).
Ah neat, I think you might be right
Crazy that people are just throwing away silver and gold!
Totally agree! When things considered that silver and gold actually are the only true money that exist. People need to keep their gold and silver as an insurance for when the Fiat currencies collapses and paper money become worthless!
Great photos!
Is there any Quinine in the medicine box? Might come in handy.
Ahhhh … love this kind of stuff. I could poke, poke, poke around and examine those kinds of things all day long. 🙂 Wanna hire me? hahaha
I remember those old “charms” from birthday cakes, when I was a kid back in the 1950s. Each slice had one, and every kid at the party would find one when she ate her piece of cake. I’ve seen all of the ones in your pic. In fact I chanced across a couple in a box of doodads at my parents place just yesterday.
Interesting, thanks. I never got any in my cakes!
I love your blog during the pandemic even more.I ran into a high school friend who told me she is a minimalist,has embraced Marie Kondo and is emptying out most of her apartment.What an idiot!I thought-but refrained from making any comment.
Read this classic response to Kondo written by someone on the internet.When people are losing their jobs left,right and centre people junking good stuff is dumb.Read the response.
Marie Kondo needs to shut up
This woman has built a fucking empire by essentially telling people to throw away most of what they own.
First off, why would any idiot pay someone to teach them an “organizational technique” that “organizes” everything you’ve worked all your life to provide for yourself neatly into the garbage can? That’s not a revolutionary new skill set. That’s the kind of bullshit advice that stupid louts give you when they walk into your home and don’t like the same things you like. “Why don’t you just throw all this crap away?”
Secondly, it’s becoming people’s new religion. There were already asshole “minimalists” before she came along who, not content to throw away everything they own, also thought it was their job to tell others to do the same as if it were some kind of moral law.
If you really need somebody else to tell you to throw away stuff you don’t want, you probably need a psychiatrist. If you’re so stupid that you’re going to let some random shyster like Marie Kondo bully you out of enjoying your own possessions, I’m not sure what cure anybody has for you.
That watch thingy has a square end; I think it’s the key to wind the old watch with. Or possibly to wind a clock.