Tag: free

Selectric

garbagefinds27 Comments

I’m having another yard sale this Saturday if anyone wants to come! I’ll be at 5051 Brebeuf from 12-6pm – maybe a bit later if things are going well.

DSC04715

I’ve been going to Saint Michel regularly this past month or so, in large part because the trash there is picked up the same day as in Ahuntsic. Saint Michel is a funny choice because it’s not a particularly rich neighbourhood, in fact it’s one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city according to this map.

When I go to wealthy neighbourhoods I’ll most often find something that makes the trip worthwhile, if not particularly exciting. When going to Saint Michel (or other working class neighbourhoods) I’ll often come home empty-handed. Picking there is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but there’s always the chance that I’ll come across truly great. It hasn’t happened yet, though.

Either way, I have saved a bit of neat stuff on these runs. Just nothing that will make me a fortune. My roommate works with wood, and thinks she can make this vintage table top look really nice. If the project works out I’ll share a before and after!

DSC04678

The same spot provided this wall hanging. It’s made from moulded wood chips and would probably look best in a cabin. It’s signed by a “Gui” and dated 1972.

DSC04670

I also found this old contraption. Do you know what it is? There are sturdy hooks attached to both ends, which might give you a hint. It seems a bit out of place in the city, though a lot of these neighbourhoods were farmland not long ago.

IMG_0296

Otherwise, Saint Michel provided me two vintage 25lb barbells (one of which was taped to a metal pole, so that the previous owner use it to do some scary lifts) …

DSC04725

… and some vintage mugs and cups. The cups and saucers on the right were made by Fire King. Some old Fire King stuff goes for a lot of money but these aren’t particularly valuable. On the right are knockoff Pyrex mugs made by a Mexican company called Termocrisa. They may be imitations, but they’re still well made and feature cool vintage designs.

DSC04719

In Rosemont (which is slightly more well-to-do according to that map) I saved some buttons (inside the tins), some nice pottery …

… and a cool vintage IBM typewriter. It’s an old Selectric, which was apparently a very popular model back in the day. I have it listed on Kijiji for 80$.

DSC04562

I found this neat near-antique electric fireplace just down my block.

DSC04565

It was made in Montreal in the 1920s. I’m not sure if it’s intended to be a decoration or an actual heater.

DSC04569

The company that made it was called “The Magicoal Electric Fires.” One can safely assume that they’ve gone the way of the dodo.

DSC04684

A different spot in the Plateau produced a whole bunch of shells and other sea objects. There’s some sand marked as being from Gaspesie, so maybe this was picked up while beachcombing there.

DSC04688

There are a fair number of teeth in the collection. If anyone knows what animal these came from let us know in the comments! I would assume that they’re from a sea creature, but I can’t be sure.

Otherwise, I saved a whole bunch (a lot more than shown here!) of books related to magic, the paranormal, astrology, and alternative and new-age medicine in TMR. I don’t personally have an interest in any of these topics, outside of the herbal medicine stuff, but lots of other people do. Come to my yard sale if you want to check them out!

Recent sales (April 11 – 24)

garbagefinds21 Comments

The strong sales continued, this time bolstered by a successful yard sale. Otherwise, I’ve been feeling a little burnt out and unmotivated so I’m trying to take it easy. I realize I need to figure out a better plan for organizing my junk and a better setup for taking photos. These are things that regularly stress me out and would be easy enough to fix. For instance, acquiring a light box for photography would make my life a whole lot easier! Right now I take all my photos outside, which is effective but unreliable because the weather (especially wind, rain, and the level of sunlight) makes it a real hassle sometimes. Thinking about it now it just seems silly that I don’t have a real photography setup.

It’s been relatively quiet on the garbage front lately, but I have made some great finds (including some ridiculous stuff in the McGill Ghetto during move-out day) that I hope to share with you in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

1. Yard sale: 310$. As described in my last post. It was a beautiful day and I managed to unload a lot of stuff, so I really couldn’t ask for more.

DSC03881

2. Hemmi Bamboo slide rule: On eBay for 80$. There’s some money to be made in old slide rules! Found a little over a month ago in Cote St-Luc.

3. Arcadia of my Youth DVD: On eBay for 55$. Another anime DVD from that collection I found last fall in the Plateau.

4. Golden Dior luminizing makeup jewel: On eBay for 20$. Found this January in TMR.

IMG_0201

5. Sirius Sportster Satellite Radio: On eBay for 40$. Found last year in Montreal West.

IMG_0376_result

6. Lot of 1960s / 1970s Private Eye (British satire) magazines: On eBay for 40$. Found last fall in the Golden Square Mile.

DSCN2943

7. Very Canadian sterling silver bracelet: On eBay for 50$. Found September 2014 in Outremont.

8. Michael Kors perfume: On eBay for 30$. I think I found this on Cote St-Luc road in NDG.

cigholder

9. Sterling silver cigarette holder (with ejector): On eBay for 60$. Found last fall in the Golden Square Mile.

IMG_0305_result

10. Paolo Soleri bronze bell: On eBay for 90$. This sold quickly! Found a couple months ago in Montreal West, but just listed last week.

11. Silver earrings: On Etsy for 20$. Found in the Plateau back in the day.

12. Silver ring: On Etsy for 35$. Also found in the Plateau back in the day.

DSC04131_result

13. Harper’s Bazaar magazine – December 1955: To a reader for 50$. This came from an old magazine collection I have yet to mention on the blog. This issue is worth more than most because it featured some drawings by Andy Warhol. Found last week in Westmount.

14. Magazine / ephemera lot: To a friend for 40$. I recently met someone who does collage art, and we’ve worked out a deal where she buys old magazines and other paper items from me. She doesn’t need the items to be in perfect condition, so this sale included the magazines with ripped covers from the collection mentioned above. It’s pretty easy money for me, and a good deal for her as well.

Total: 920$, 9833$ since the new year.

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 long time to get back to you.

Privilege pt.3 (and more miscellaneous finds)

garbagefinds37 Comments

spot

The finds at the “privilege” spot began to dry up after I came across that iPad, but I still managed a few nice gets.

DSC03730

I found a Tilley hat that looks to have never been worn. These hats are made in Canada (a rarity these days) and are considered “legendary” by many. I remember my dad having a very similar hat at some point. They look to sell for around 40-50$ used.

IMG_0468

Here’s another like-new hat. This one went into my yard sale box.

DSC03726

I expect this hardly used Marc Jacobs purse will go for a tidy sum on eBay.

DSC03732

Here’s some random stuff, including a bike repair tool (never opened), a bluetooth speaker (which I sold recently for 27$), and a tiny camera made to fit on your keychain.

DSC03717

There were a few flower pots, one of which nicely matched one of my plants.

IMG_0365_result

I also found a cool Fossil watch. It needed a battery, but I switched it out and now it works like new. It’s a nice design, and again looks to have been barely used. I listed it on eBay for 110$ + shipping.

The house now has a huge dumpster out front. The new owners are doing some renovations. That’s a common cycle actually, to the point where I now perceive the presence of a dumpster to be a missed opportunity. When I see them I always wonder if I could have found some great garbage there in the weeks and months prior, when perhaps the previous owner was getting ready to move or was clearing out the house. Either way, I can’t worry too much about that kind of stuff, as it’s clear I find more than enough garbage as it is!

DSC03718

I’ve made some other decent finds in the past few weeks, including a handful of change in the Plateau; …

DSC03814

… a cool vintage Victor “His Master’s Voice” belt buckle (Plateau);

IMG_0463

… a debit machine, which is unfortunately missing a part of its power adapter (though this might be easily replaced – TMR);

IMG_0458

… a gold-toned hammer of some kind (TMR);

IMG_0448

… some coins, old bills, and other stuff (TMR);

IMG_0447

… a nice kid’s tea set (TMR);

IMG_0445

… more foreign coins and bills (TMR);

DSC03816

… an “Oh! Canada” board game / educational kit, which was distributed for free to Canadians in the 1970s by Trudeau appointee Keith Spicer in an attempt to promote bilingualism (Montreal West);

DSC03747

… an unusual, and probably hand made electronic device of some kind (any ideas as to what it was made to do? – Plateau);

DSC03697

… a camera / gimbal for a drone, which while likely broken still sold recently for a nice sum (TMR);

DSC03823

… and a few small boxes of printing blocks (Montreal West). These things are actually pretty cool. Many are solid and brass, and altogether they are very heavy. I think most were made between the 60s and 80s. I don’t expect they’re worth selling on eBay (particularly given the cost to ship a package that heavy) but I think they’ll be a hit at a future yard sale!