So, it turns out that my watches are radioactive! An eBay buyer told me that his watch was giving off 28usv/h (whatever that means) on his Geiger counter. He said he loved the watch, but that I should probably make sure to store them safely.
The radiation comes from radium paint on the dials which was commonly used for luminescence pre-1960. From what I’ve read, it’s pretty harmless to wear radium watches, but some caution is warranted. It seems like most of the danger comes from opening them up and inhaling paint dust. Another concern is that they can give off radon gas, which is probably the main potential danger here, given that I have about 200 and they are all concentrated in one little box.
Fortunately I’ve kept most of them in a bin in my basement, but I’m thinking that maybe I should store them in a bin outside. Radon is a natural gas (most of it comes from uranium in soil from what I’ve read), and apparently ventilation will take care of most of that issue. It’s just not something you want a lot of in your house.
The more you know!
Otherwise, here’s a few quick finds from the past couple of weeks. This jewelry is the nicest stuff from a batch that was probably tossed by some rich kid. The 2nd chain from the bottom, and the two smaller pieces to the right are all gold. The heart most likely has little diamonds too, though I haven’t tested them. The rest is silver (the gold-toned stuff is gold-plated silver) – that necklace with marcasite is a standout piece.
I’m guessing someone older in the house tossed that Sheaffer Targa fountain pen. It’s marked “AT&T International” and has a nice 14k nib. They seem to sell for around 100$, though the engraving might reduce the value somewhat.
Those folks also tossed a jar full of coins. I was looking to cash them in, but my local Coinstar doesn’t seem to be working. Oh well, no big rush on that front.
Otherwise, here’s a bit more jewelry from a spot not far from home. I was hoping the turtle or the chain would be gold, but those were gold plated silver as well. Silver is good, but gold is more valuable. Regardless, a few nice (Egyptian-inspired) pieces here, and a pile of broken chains and etc for the scrap guy.
And finally, I reached a milestone today. 1000 feedback on eBay! That means a different coloured star, but mostly it’s just a big round number that symbolizes how long (and how successful) I’ve been doing this. I don’t get feedback every time, so I’ve actually sold probably somewhere between 2000-2500 items, most of them in the last decade. That’s a lot of (mostly) garbage!
Links
1. My eBay listings. Sign up for eBay (Canada, US). Search for something you want / research something you have (Canada, US). — These are Ebay Partner Network links. If you create an account or buy something after getting to eBay from these links, I get a small cut of the profit!
2. “Things I find in the garbage” on Facebook
3. Follow @garbagefindssells on Instagram (this is managed by a friend, I’ve quit Instagram for the time being)
4. Email: thingsifindinthegarbage@gmail.com. Note that I really suck at keeping up with my email.
5. Help support the blog, or just buy me a coffee! PayPal link below.
You don’t want those watches turning you into some kind of Marvel mutant.. 🙂
Gold! And silver! And cash! Zowieeeee.
Congrats on the ebay feedback milestone!
Ah, yes…radium! Have you read about the “radium girls”? They were the women who painted radium on watch/clock dials and used to make the brushes into a more precise point by putting them into their mouths. They also used to paint their nails and faces “for fun”. Little did they know, they were slowly killing themselves. The glowing dials of the watches made it easier for soldiers to see the numbers while in the trenches. Nice finds, by the way!
In our area we have issues with radon gas in the basements of houses (it comes from the soil and is all natural). As it seems, you are fine if you keep ventilating your home. I think your watches are still a great find and you should be safe as long as you do not store them unprotected right under your bed. 🙂
From the photo of the watch face in the post, it does indeed look like the radium was hand-painted. Very interesting. So happy to see that you continue to make some nice jewelry finds; that must be so motivating! Thank you again for all your posts, and here’s wishing that you make some spectacular discoveries in 2025!