It’s a new year, and I have lots of aging garbage pics to share before they stop feeling relevant. This dumpster was an exciting destination for me in the late summer. I must have spent a few hours in there all and all, pulling out intriguing old junk while trying to avoid cutting myself on broken glass or stabbing myself with nails.
I really had to dig deep in the dumpster to pull out this 1930s light therapy lamp made by Hanovia Chemical in Newark NJ. The top section pops out, so that wasn’t too bad, but the bottom section must have weighed 100 pounds and was sitting at the very bottom of the dumpster. It was quite the feat of strength to get it to the top of the dumpster, and then I used a piece of wood to roll it out.
I brought it to the auction, and it ended up selling for 5$. After all that effort, all I could do was laugh! At least it probably sold to a tinkerer who’ll probably do something cool with it, but if I knew I was only going to make 5$ (- fees) I might have left this beast in the dumpster. At least it was a good workout. Unfortunately, the actual bulb broke before I got there, likely from being thrown in a dumpster, so that definitely reduced its value.
I picked up a whole lotta hardware here – more pics below.
That wrench was the biggest one I’ve ever found, or maybe even seen.
I haven’t been able to test this grinder yet but I’m betting it works.
Otherwise, I picked up a shoe shine box, which included some very old paste made by Palmer McLellan in Fredericton, New Brunswick…
… a few interesting framed things (unfortunately, no group of 7s);
… a collection of old books, mostly for kids (I just brought most of these to the auction in the past week);
… a collection of vintage blankets, many of which were wool (the Ayers one in the pouch on top got a nice price at the auction, I’m thinking 75$ but it sold a while back now);
… and a c.1950s Wood Arctic Junior “Sleeping Robe.” Apparently these replaced wool blankets as the go-to for winter camping and travel in the late 1800s/early 1900s, but were later set aside in favor of more modern sleeping bags starting in the 1960s. You can find a good explanation of the history, as well as more pics here. Vintage camping gear seems to be a popular market, and I expect this old robe to sell for around 200$.
Moral of the story: most of the time dumpsters are full of renovation junk, but occasionally they can get stuffed full of quality junk as well.
Otherwise, the Fiesta from part one only got to 80$ at auction. Thankfully I put a reserve at 100$, so I got them back (at a cost of 10$) and gave them to a friend to sell. She got 250$. It’s often a buyer’s market at the auction, and it’s hard to know whether a specific niche will generate a bidding war, so I’m glad I have a few people now who’ll list this stuff for me. If you put in the effort yourself, you’ll almost always get a better price, I just don’t have time to do it all myself.
Amazing that you kept a sense of humour regarding the $5 for the lamp … I would’ve been right pissed after all that effort. That’s a sweet Eastlake table behind it, and I hope it’ll find its way to someone who’ll do it up right. It’s amazing that there’s so much value in old blankets, and it’s a wonderful thing that you’ve managed to save them. Really glad to hear that you and your seller got a good price for the Fiestaware; it must be great to have extra help to sell your finds. And, kudos on the new car. I hope it will bring you much good luck so that we can continue to enjoy your great posts!!
Haha, well it was always one of those things that would either go for a nice price or next to nothing, and I got next to nothing. But sometimes I get good money for stuff I think is crap, so it all evens out. Vintage wool blankets do very well here, and in general as long as the condition is good. Having help is great, I’m excited to see where my business leads me going forward.
I didn’t know I just absolutely love art deco paper ephemera until I saw that Vanity Fair magazine
That drill, sabre saw and grease gun sell for about $5-10 each. That middle spray gun looks like it was designed to spray Roxatone paint with your vacuum cleaner. Everything got Roxatoned in the fifties, even a few pianos.
I like that style of grinder, you can choose the speed of the wheel, worth about $25 or so. That lamp base would have been a suitable mount for that grinder.
Interesting finds. I like seeing what you find interesting because it gives me better insight into items I would not have picked up previously. I am sure I have scrapped valuable tools for recycling. Robert Louis Stevenson author of the Childs Verses book also wrote Treasure Island. In my in -laws estate I found a first edition of a book The Little Minister by J.M. Barrie. Sadly it was not a first edition of Peter Pan which he also wrote. I think the Jingles Annual from 1939 was an annual release and sells for $20 on ebay.
Your grandpa would have been in heaven poking through all that hardware bric-brac.
I enjoyed the sleeping robe link. There’s always lots to learn when reading your posts! Who doesn’t love learning!
I can never get too much of your adventures in salvaging … In this instance, clambering around in a dumpster. I look forward to every post. 🙂
Hey you have 4 mid century black and white drawer pulls that are unusual in color that should bring decent $ on ebay
Looks like there are five, not four, and the chrome ones are nice, too!
I love your blog.But I am saddened to see that two blog posts ago you had 7391 followers.now you have 7384.Why?Why?