Tag: canada

Dusty ol’ bags

garbagefinds40 Comments

Back in November I talked about some exceptionally dusty (or otherwise dirty) garbage in NDG. Most of the stuff was pretty junky and picking through it felt kind of gross, but I figured there was a decent chance I’d find something cool there eventually. This collection of vintage clothing was the best thing to come from my persistence. The items were carefully stored in plastic bags (as seen above) that protected them from the elements, and kept them in near pristine condition after however many years.

A lot of the clothing looks to be from a wedding. I think the yellow dress above, as well as the very similar pink dress below would have been worn by the bridesmaids. Zoom in for a closer look!

Those dresses came with some extra accessories (the other yellow ones might be around somewhere, but I couldn’t find them when taking pictures yesterday). I’m not sure what the top pieces would have been for, if you do let us know in the comments!

The dress above and the shirt below seem to match. For another bridesmaid perhaps?

This might be the only piece that wasn’t made for a wedding. It’s also the only one with a tag – it was designed by someone with the last name of Taxil.

This one’s definitely the wedding dress!

I’m not sure if this shirt goes with it, but it seems to match a little bit.

As you can probably tell I don’t know anything about clothes or weddings – please share any information or memories you might have in the comments! Also, if anyone has any experience selling this kind of thing please lend me your expertise. I’m a bit out of my element when selling clothes, so I’d probably use a middleman (like a consignment shop) if possible.

Finds have been a little hard to come by of late. Still, a few interesting bits and pieces have popped up, which you’ll see on the blog at some point in the future.

Otherwise, I’m curious about a couple things. One, how do you usually find my posts? I’m interested partly because Facebook seems to have a new algorithm for what appears on your wall – my last couple of posts have “reached” about half as many people as they usually do (though “engagement” seems to be normal enough). I wonder how many people rely totally on Facebook to tell them about my recent posts versus how many get here on their own or via email subscription.

Also, I wonder how often you’d like to see new posts on the blog. I’ve thought about writing shorter, more frequent posts, but some of you might be annoyed to receive more frequent notifications via Facebook or email. I’m sure it doesn’t make much of a difference to many of you, but I’m curious to see the results!

Links

1. Facebook page
2. My eBay listings
3. Etsy store
4. Kijiji listings
5. Contribute to garbagefinds.com
6. Follow me on Instagram

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.

Recent sales – January

garbagefinds19 Comments

I sold a lot of stuff in January! That was partly because I experimented with auctions, the results of which were mixed at best. I still prefer to list using Buy it Now (fixed price), though auctions do sometimes work well for very collectible items, and save me the effort of researching prices. Anyways, let’s get to it!

1. Art deco Asprey catalogue: On eBay for 400$. Congrats to those who guessed correctly on my recent poll! This book was in rare condition for its age, and showcased the best products the 1930s had to offer. It took a while to sell, but it found a home once I cut the price significantly. I found it in the recycling bin of an apartment building in downtown Montreal.

 

2. Pavlova Paris 1922 by Payot: On eBay for 30$. This was part of that big perfume haul I found in November of 2016.

3. Sterling silver footed jewelry box: On eBay for 120$. Found this summer in Rosemont.

4. Seiko Sportura watch for repair: On eBay for 40$. This watch had a dead battery and a stuck button. It was in good condition otherwise, so I listed it “for parts / repair.” It didn’t take long to sell. Found in TMR.

5. Vintage street plans: On eBay for 30$. Found in Westmount.

6. Tiny Parker Vacumatic fountain pen: On eBay for 60$. This pen was unusually small, measuring in at about 4 1/4″ long. It sold to a buyer in China. Found in TMR.

7. 1950s Geographia map of New York: On eBay for 30$.

8. Cartier Panthere watch box: On eBay for 60$. Another watch box, another respectable payout. This one was probably from the 90s.

9. RCMP souvenir pocket knife: On eBay for 25$. This sold pretty quickly. Found in Rosemont.

10. Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter: On eBay for 30$. Unexciting but profitable.

11. Ernst Leitz camera lenses: On eBay for 30$.

12. Vintage vacuum coffee filter rods: On eBay for 50$. I have no idea how vacuum coffee works, but these were made to fulfill that purpose. Found in NDG.

13. Winston Churchill photo: On eBay for 5$. Auction #1. I’m reasonably content with this price. I didn’t think it would be worth a lot, and I’m just glad it found a new home. Found in Outremont.

14. Animal figurine lot: On eBay for 10$. Auction #2. This result was pretty disappointing – I would have made just as much selling them for 50 cents each at a yard sale. Plus, that would have been a lot less work in terms of packaging. Oh well, lesson learned. Found in Westmount.

15. Red bakelite beads: On eBay for 360$. Auction #3. This was the one that sold for over a grand originally. Unfortunately, that buyer never actually paid, so I contacted the second highest bidder who happened to live in Montreal. He offered me 360$ cash for just the red beads, which I accepted. I thought the butterscotch beads would do well on their own, but those subsequent auctions failed badly and they ended up selling for just 20$.

So, I guess I learned that red bakelite is more valuable that butterscotch. I figured that certain colours might be more collectible than others, but I really wasn’t expecting that kind of difference! Either way, I’m happy with the result – I expected them to sell for a fraction of that amount. Plus, these beads had sat around for years (literally) and I was happy to get them out of my life. Found in Park Ex.

16. Cartier lighter: On eBay for 85$. It had a few dings but seemed to work fine. Found in Outremont as part of the “Very Rich People” series.

17. iPod Nano, for repair: On eBay for 15$. This had an issue with the hold button, which would stick and make the iPod hard to use. It worked otherwise though, and it didn’t take long to sell once listed. Found on St Joseph in the Plateau.

18. A Critical and Explanatory Commentary (Old & New Testaments): On eBay for 50$. These books were published in 1876. I’ve had them since 2014, so I was glad when they sold. I don’t like when things hang around. Found near Snowdon metro.

19. Sony Viao laptop, for repair: On eBay for 15$. I remember this lady being very upset when she saw me digging through her trash. When that happens I’ll sometimes chastise the person about what they threw out. When I held up this computer as an example of what I wanted (and what shouldn’t be in the trash) she said “yes, take that but nothing else!” or something along those lines.

The laptop wasn’t really worth the effort I put into to (I needed to buy a charger for it, test it, etc., all of which took time). Still, I made a token sum of money and the laptop was diverted from the landfill. The laptop was in good cosmetic condition and came with a clean operating system, but there was an issue with the screen. Found in Outremont.

20. Bakelite cross: On eBay for 5$. Auction #4. I’m sure it would have sold more as a “Buy it Now.”

21. 1976 Olympics ticket stubs: On eBay for 7.50$. Auction #5. These had been on eBay for years, and I decided to switch the BIN to an auction to get them out of the house. Found in TMR.

22. Waterman 52 fountain pen: On eBay for 50$. It had no cap but was in nice condition otherwise. Found near Snowdon metro.

23. Enlarging easel (darkroom tool): On eBay for 30$. Found in Outremont.

24. Vintage Chuck Taylor All Stars: On eBay for 30$.

25. Like new Lole Lily tote bag: On eBay for 55$. I’m not particularly good at taking pictures of clothes and accessories. Fortunately, the results were still good enough to sell this backpack! (As an aside, I’ve seen some terrible photographs on eBay, and over time I’ve realized that my worst photography is still good enough to sell my stuff). Found in the Plateau.

26. Vintage pill / trinket boxes: On eBay for 35$. A similar container was included in the sale.

27. Untested Commodore gaming lot: On eBay for 50$. These were all in excellent cosmetic condition, but there was no way for me to test them. Found in Cote St-Luc.

28. Repetto ankle boots: On eBay for 65$. More mediocre product photography. That cardboard in the heel is to keep the upper parts from falling over. Still, they were in almost new condition and sold for a nice price. Found in the Plateau with the earlier backpack.

29. Certina DS-2 watch, for repair: On eBay for 115$. The second hand was broken off inside, otherwise it was in good condition. Found in Westmount.

30. Mars Technica lead holders & leads lot: On eBay for 60$. Found in St Michel.

31. Lot of 5 untested digital cameras: On eBay for 30$. I’d say that most of the digital cameras I find don’t come with a charger. These were decent digital cameras, but I didn’t feel like putting in the effort required to test them. I assume the buyer was up to the task.

32. Vintage royalty postcards: On eBay for 20$. These were part of that postcard collection I found a while back.

33. Revo sunglasses: On eBay for 45$. Found in Outremont as part of the “Very Rich People” series.

34. Eric Clapton tour slides: On eBay for 30$. Found in Outremont.

35. Chinese food box / fortunes lot: On eBay for 20$. Auction #6. I’m just glad these found a new home.

36. Vintage battery lot: On eBay for 87$. Auctions #7 & #8 – both went to the same buyer. Old batteries are surprisingly valuable! The two batteries in their original packaging sold for 41$, and the 20 C batteries below went for 46$. I forget where I found them, though they might have come from a dusty old pile in NDG.

37. Hermes 3000 portable typewriter: On eBay for 225$. This sold very quickly once I got it listed. Packaging the thing was annoying but necessary – I doubt I would have gotten nearly as much locally. This model seems to be one of the most popular of its era, and I’ll be keeping my eye out for them in the future.

38. Vintage wardrobe: On Kijiji for 220$. This was a great, and very heavy piece. That being said I’m glad it’s no longer taking up space in my garage. I split the money with a friend, so I only made 110$.

39. Vintage dresser: On Kijiji for 50$. I picked this guy up in Westmount.

40. Mid-century cabinet (on left): On Kijiji for 30$. It wasn’t in perfect condition, but was still pretty cute. Found in near Snowdon metro.

41. Vintage eyeball lamp: On Kijiji for 40$. Found on Fullum near Sherbrooke, which I guess is in Centre-Sud.

Total: 2624.50$

Garbology pt.2

garbagefinds20 Comments

After my last blog post I received 93$ in donations. Thank you for that! Any money I receive will go towards maintaining the blog, and ensuring that my garbage picking operation runs as smoothly as possible.

A few different people mentioned the possibility of generating revenue from placing ads on the blog. I’m skeptical of the idea for a few reasons. For one, I don’t think the blog would make much money at its current level of popularity, which is very good but nowhere near the levels of the most viewed blogs. Second, ads are often pretty ugly. Third, I wouldn’t have much if any control over what ads ended up on the site. I don’t want to end up promoting low-quality watches from Alibaba, for example – I want people to buy less junk, not more.

This blog post sums up my views pretty well. However, I’ll admit to not knowing much about online advertising, so feel free to offer a rebuttal in the comments if you think I’m wrong.

Anyways, today I’ll show you a bunch of the old paper stuff from the spot I mentioned in my last post. I don’t think the person who lived here (I presume, because of the age of the items that they are no longer with us) was much of a tosser, given that a lot of this ephemera dates back to the 1940s. That Shirley Temple colouring book, for example dates to the early 40s.

(Just to remind you, you’ll notice a lot more details if you click on these pictures and zoom in!)

Someone here was a Royal watcher – I found lots of clippings and documents relating to the Crown. The scrapbook in the first picture is filled with articles relating to the death of King George VI and the coronation of Elizabeth (1952).

I love finding scrapbooks because they’re always unique, and sometimes contain neat old stuff that wasn’t often preserved.

Those Guy Laviolette children’s books must have been pretty popular back in the day; I’ve found them on a few different occasions now. That Purity cookbook was published in the early 1940s and is in excellent condition for its age. That “Faune illustrée du Québec” book is fun, and should do well at a yard sale.

This stuff is a little newer. There’s a “Photo Police” tabloid from 1980, a program from a 1980s kickboxing event in Verdun, a calendar from a church, a tourist guide to Seattle, and a couple of postcards, among other things.

Here’s the ticket to the kickboxing event. Jean-Yves Theriault has a surprisingly detailed Wikipedia page, which tells us that he won his fight against Danny Macaruso (who does not have a Wikipedia page) on August 23 1983.

The scrapbook at top left featuring the Queen and Prince Philip is empty. Otherwise, there’s a report card from 1946, a gas station calendar, a certificate from 1949, a book titled “Where to Buy Handicrafts in Nova Scotia – 1950,” an old snakes & ladders board, and a couple of typed / handwritten letters.

I’d assume that the Maine pavillion papers (there are two) came from Expo 67. That Labatt calendar is from 1966, while that Horoscope calendar is probably from the 70s. There’s a couple more kids books here, including one titled “L’histoire de Dieu” (History of God). Otherwise we have some old receipts, a train whistle guide (which I think came from an old Muffets cereal box), and a Catholic school workbook.

Here’s a couple more old colouring books, this time featuring Santa and Wyatt Earp. The baby boxer and Queen Elizabeth pictures are clippings – they’ll go into my yard sale collage box.

Above you can find a book filled with Red Rose tea cards (I’ve seen some of the loose cards before, but never the album), some old photos, a receipt book from the 1940s, a Canada centennial dish, a “Want list for Genuine Ford Parts” notebook from the 40s, and an old book sharing “new” coin tricks.

The Newspaper on the bottom left is a St John (New Brunswick) Telegraph Journal from February 21, 1952. It seems that the previous owner(s) had roots in New Brunswick, if you’ve been zooming in you may have noticed other items from the province.

That L’Évangéline newspaper bills itself as “le seul quotidien Français des Maritimes.” It stopped printing in 1982, but apparently it was once the main newspaper for Acadians in Eastern Canada. These folks likely had Acadian roots, based on the presence of those papers and other things you’ll see later on. I like that old Royal Bank receipt book a lot (unfortunately I didn’t takes pictures of the inside), as well as that copy of “The Digester.” I didn’t look at it long enough to figure out what the R.C.L. was, but it may have been some kind of company.

I saved lots of newspapers! We’ll see if anyone wants them at my yard sale. I figure my archivist friend might have interest in the old Montreal papers.

Let’s finish up with some miscellaneous papers. I found a couple different posters advertising Sirbain faux fur.

This large poster looks to be signed by Marie-Paule Belle, a French pianist and singer. I doubt it’s super valuable, but maybe someone at a yard sale will want it.

It looks like someone in the family ran a gas station in the mid 40s and early 50s. I think there’ll be some more old Esso stuff in a future blog post, but I can’t remember for sure. If I’m lucky there’ll more to come, as petroliana is a hot market these days.

This attractive map was made by Eric Aldwinckle for Maclean’s magazine. It shows “The Queen’s Realm,” or the British Colonies as they existed in the early 1940s. This antique map store has one listed at 375$, though I doubt it will sell at that price anytime soon. Still, it might be worth listing on eBay. It doesn’t seem to be very common.

These maps were printed by the Department of National Defense in the 60s. They’re quite large, measuring around 2′ x 1.25′ (from my memory).

Finally, I saved a roll of about 20-30 papers featuring what looks to be aircraft engineering drawings. Each page is headed with “Aircraft Sheet Metal W.E.T. No. (x)” and dated December 1941. These had been rolled up for quite some time, and I had to weigh them down with that cast iron dutch oven to get a decent picture. If you know what they might have been for, let us know in the comments!

Otherwise, I’m starting to get sick of the winter, which I think has been one of the snowiest and coldest in several years. Garbage is still pretty good (if maybe not quite as good) in the winter, it’s just that the actual picking is about 500% more frustrating. A partial list of annoyances include: the cold; the snowbanks; the fact that everything (including my boots) is often damp; the snow and little pebbles that get tracked inside my house, garage, and car; the parking issues and snow removal operations; and the fact that I can’t take any pictures outside. Those factors combine to sometimes make picking feel more like a chore rather than a fun and profitable pastime. Anyways, it’s almost over, right?

I haven’t had much luck picking this week, but I’ve made a few fun finds that will make the blog at some point. Stay tuned!

Links

1. Facebook page
2. My eBay listings
3. Etsy store
4. Kijiji listings
5. Contribute to garbagefinds.com
6. Follow me on Instagram

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.