Featured Finds Thread

Pictures of my goodies from yesterday. One image is the sterling, or what I'm pretty sure is good stuff. The silver cuff isn't marked but looks hand cast and hand rounded on the ends. The long necklace next to the rock is hematite, carnelian, and a bitty bit of gold. The other shot is all costume, including reverse-carved lucite and a Krementz turtle with an Italian glass body. The pin is wooden and I have NO idea what the animal is supposed to be. The lighter brown bits are almost certainly bakelite. They haven't been tested yet.

 

Hi,
I love your Queen Mary candlestick.
greg

 

Do you mean this one? I would guess it's supposed to be a deer.

 

Second vote for deer.

Shell cameo, 1930s style:

 

Fawn, rather than an adult deer, I think.

Nice millefiori in that brooch.

 

It's a single; I use it to shoot jewelry - works a treat for some rings and a lot of bracelets.

Yeppers. The cameo is shell, but the frame is ... metal. Lordnowswhat, but not precious. I think it's whatever they used for filigree.

Thanks. MCM crazy maybe fawn.(LOL) The turtle is a piece of Krementz - surprised the holy hobgoblins out of me, since I didn't know they used millefiori at all.

 

Hi,
I used to sell a lot of them. Then I found a red set and loved them but ended up selling them for 125 dollars. One hour later I had a lady come back with 300 dollars
to buy them. Never found another pair of red Queen Mary candlesticks.
greg

 

A Penobscot Indian Basket from the 1920s or so. Poor thing is very dirty, hopefully it will look a little better once I clean it up

 

I've never seen red Queen Mary candlesticks at all, even in pictures. The clear ones turn up sometimes, or did. That poor basket Marie found is definitely in need of a good cleaning.

How does one clean a basket like that anyway? I remember my mother dunking an old basket in hot soapy water once, but I doubt that's recommended. It was something my grandparents found in the basement when they bought their house in 1946. When Grandma died in 1979 it was still where the previous owners had left it. Mom washed it and stuck it back for the next guys. For all I know it's still there.

 

I asked a local collector, he said to use rubbing alcohol. I plan on dipping a Q-tip in it and clean in and between each and every curl, a lot of dust settled there

 

I'd say alcohol will dry the grass threads too much...
Tou may try first to blow the dust with an hair dryer on cool position, while brushing with a SOFT paint brush

 

I agree with kyratango. I would use just plain tap water to moisten q-tips.

I have occasionally given my baskets a gentle shower with the hose to get rid of dust accumulation. When baskets are made the "threads" must be soaked in water to soften them up before weaving.

 

What she said.........I've never used an alcohol on any of my baskets !
If anything wet...a damp soft toothbrush.

 

I tried a soft, dry paint brush first but not much came off. I will try a Q-tip with water first and see how that works

 

sometimes the sweetgrass will hold it's patina.....no matter what you do....

 

Cutting edge electronics

 

I will be watching your listings for these calculators. I think I have all of them sitting on the table behind me. I was hoping to have them listed by now, but it just didn't happen.

 

I used at least one of those! I still have mine from high school around somewhere. The last I checked it still worked. That one's solar-powered and might even be a collectible now.

 

They were, once.