Featured Finds Thread

Hello -

Great finds as always, Nuff! Love the bakelite tie.dye.cat! I posted pics of a gator pin I found a few weeks ago and I will be listing that this week or early next (fingers crossed!).

morgen94 - Welcome! What a fantastic item. My family had a founding business in Seattle and I am donating some items to different museums as well, as all my family has passed on and I don't want them to end up destroyed and lost forever.

If you are wanting folks to see this, then Washington is a better choice as it receives far more tourists. If you do not care, then I believe Alaska is a better choice IMO based upon what I am reading.

 

I remember the gator pin - very cool!

 

I will be starting a post about the last item in the Antiques section:

I went to the Post Office today and felt a pull like a magnet that I 'must go' (seriously - you have to go today) to the local TS and so I did! Found some vintage labeled Pilgram Glass, a vintage Fiesta platter which I will have to ask about later - it is listed online (and sold as) an experimental piece, some Villeroy & Boch mugs and a fun vintage Parrot wall hanging in the do-it-yourself style ala:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+parrot+picture&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc

What I am most confused and possibly excited by is this piece:



Plenty more pics coming in the actual post. Paid under $7.00 for all the treasures today, so yeah!

Cory

 

I'd recommend the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, part of the University of Washington, in Seattle, as my first choice. You might contact them to see if this would be of interest to them.

Here's a link to their web site, specifically to their Ethnology Research and Collections area: http://www.burkemuseum.org/ethnology

 

I'd recommend the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, part of the University of Washington, in Seattle, as my first choice. You might contact them to see if this would be of interest to them.

Here's a link to their web site, specifically to their Ethnology Research and Collections area: http://www.burkemuseum.org/ethnology

(Sorry for the duplicate post, I must have done something wrong the first time. I meant to reply directly to morgen94 so it would be clear what I was referring to!)

 

Thanks, Funkeysfinds. Nice piece you have there.

Great letter, Morgen.

Chinese Republic (1912 - 1949) Period molded sancai-glazed archaic-style vase with dragon handles and taotie mask.



(sorry about the small army of figures in the background. was taking images for a customer)

 

All those background figures will come in handy when you construct your Great Tomb.

Antiquer surrounded by the Porcelain Army. Excavated in 4000 AD.

 

Thank you all who kindly suggested places to which the paper can go. I will research each of them.

Thank you, Skeezix, for the fascinating information about Dr. Keeley's cure bottles. I was particularly interested in the "Gold Cure" embossed on the bottle, as this is what the relevant obit said about that (with apologies for the length, but it is worth it to include the details, I think):

"The sudden death of Lieutenant Schwatka at Portland yesterday morning was a tragic occurrence of special interest to Olympia, as the eccentric explorer resided in this city for two months during the past summer. He came here from Portland on June 15 to take the Keeley cure. A few minutes after his arrival at the Olympia hotel, and while he was yet sober, he telephoned...for a reporter. It is presumed he wished to make an announcement of his proposed reformation, but the interview he desired was never had, for though a reporter went at once to the hotel, when he reached it the lieutenant's condition had undergone a change and he no longer cared to talk connectedly.

While he remained at the hotel he was a guest who required a great deal of attention, as he did not recover from his intoxication. In a couple of days he was removed to St. Peter's hospital, where Dr. Watt treated him before he was in a condition physically to begin taking the Keeley treatment. The care of the explorer during those first two weeks taxed the patience of the physician and the attendants to the utmost. About the first of July the lieutenant received his first injection of bi-chloride of gold. Usually, after the patient has been treated for three days, he refuses further doses of liquor. It was not so with Schwatka, however. His was no ordinary appetite for drink. The bi-chloride remedy found in him a foe worthy of its gold. But Dr. Watt kept injecting the fluid in him, and he finally succumbed. It was a strange sight when Lieutenant Schwatka at last refused a drink. He said he felt like a liberated slave and he expressed a firm determination to remain sober during the remainder of his life..."

 

These were $20...

Japanese Meiji (1868 - 1912) Period bronze mixed-metal okimono. (this is the 2nd one we picked-up in the past couple of weeks. the first sold for $300+)

American Arts and Crafts Period carved gilt-wood frame by: Foster Brothers. (the frame is quite large (approx: 49 x 29) so just an image of the upper right corner is shown below)

 

Nuff, that Japanese Meiji is to die for, love that little birdi

 

I stumbled across a couple interesting pieces of silver at a yard sale yesterday. There was a large plastic bag filled with mostly plated flatware that I couldn't resist rummaging through. Lo and behold, a early 1850's coin silver teaspoon made by Palmer and Owen of Cincinnati OH in the uniquely Cincinnati fiddle shape shown on page xii in this link

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/beckman/beckman_1.htm

And a horribly tarnished plain round napkin ring that just had "the feel" of sterling although I could not see even the hint of a mark anywhere. Cleaned it up and whoot! Camusso!!

A buck each.

 

Such nice finds everyone.
I don't have a photo yet, but I found, for the first time ever, a Hocking Fire King Curse You Red Baron Mug with Snoopy.

I have found a few other Fire King Snoopy mugs over the years, but when I spotted this mug out of the corner of my eye at an estate sale. I almost passed out. LOL

 

I LOVE the grab bags of plated silverware at my T store,usually there is a piece or two of sterling Great finds Baker

 

What puzzles me is why so many people give away stuff that even to the untrained eye look worth more than pockat change.

Not that I'm grumbling, just wondering.

 

I wonder what the threshold is for "untrained." Same woman also had a sign on one box that said "Yixing teapots and cloisonné. As priced." 10 minutes after the start of the sale there was only 1 cloisonné vase left.

 

I believe some kids will clean out a deceased parent's home and not pay attention to most of what they think is junk?Bad for them great for us pickers.

 

I think I got nearly a literal ton. This is just a few of the boat anchors. I would have bought much more for almost nothing if I had a place to put them, a better back, and a bigger vehicle.

 

Thanks, Shi! That okimono was a nice little score.

I also agree with your quoted post above. From my exp as a picker, my generation (20s/30s) doesn't really care much about the contents (vintage & antique items) within the home after their parents and/or grandparents pass way. They're just looking to get rid of whatever contents in the home so they can put the house up for sale. Not realizing that the contents within the home can be worth more than the home itself. Their loss, our gain. We pick from these folks all the time.

Then you have the ones who have a "trained-eye", who claim to have been in the trade for 40+ years and are "certified appraisers", but sell us the "19th C. Chinese" vase below at 60% their asking cost. The vase wasn't Chinese, but 19th C. Japanese, made by the most famous potter of that era. We flipped it for hundredS more than what they sold it to us for.

Their was another "trained-eye" older dude last week that sold us a 19th C. Blanchard coin silver cup for $2 (two dollars!). We just flipped it for a couple thousand to another dealer/collector a few days ago. We also pick from these folks all the time.

Old, young, it doesn't matter. What matters is research! Some folks just don't take the timeout to research what they have. Or they have so much of it, it's impossible to research every piece. JMHO.

 

This is just a few of the boat anchors. I would have bought much more for almost nothing if I had a place to put them,

Wonderful old kit, I'd call them, and just the decor for the mancave.

There used to be a knob for adjusting squelch, I have no idea what that was but the concept of a squelch control has stuck with me for decades.

I suppose this is old SSB kit no one uses any more. I like the idea that it cost serious money in its time. While a bucket of concrete can do the anchor job, I'd never treat such well made products that way. Heck.plug them in and they'd probably work! Or at least buzz and pop a bit. Whatever happened to atmospherics. I used to like listening to atmospherics if I was far enough out of it.