Wanna know how I find all those bizarre cool and unique things I post? If your in Connecticut stop by the Brookfield library- the show starts at 7pm. #speaking #treasure #history #picker #pickers #picking #estatesalefinds #estatesale #garagesale #tagsale #cool #unique #storytelling #ted #inspirational #motivational #urbanarcheology #confessions #humor #humour #fun #thingstodo #connecticut #
When 2 of my worlds collide...this estate sale treasure of a book from 1935 on how to cartoon also had play money from 1947 tucked in the pages. That's a a 2fer. // #estatesale #books #oldbooks #huey #toon #howto #thingsfoundinbooks #nostalgia #cartoons #cartooning #draw #drinks #1935 #illustration #illustrator #urbanarcheology #cartooning #humour #funny #bookcollection #humor
Every weekend is another opportunity to not only search for gold, but also provide a useful service to humanity. My good friend Justin Krul (of Just-In Antiques and More!) advertised an estate sale in Sandy Hook CT (still going on as this is being written). My initial scan of the home found it to be extremely well set-up and very clean. My first discovery were some cool albums
My plan is always to make a 2nd and 3rd inspection and each time to look deeper and deeper into the house (with permission). My goal is to find what was missed, the hidey-holes and cubbys that we all consider as safe places...so safe, we forget about them.
A common place to hide items is above ceilings - so much dead space and flat surfaces they are hard to resist. This is where I come in. In this sale I was able to uncover valuables the owner would have left to the next buyer, or whoever may have stumbled across them. Watch this short dig report and see the discover as it happened...
The epilogue is: Justin returned the items to the owner and they were ecstatic and confessed that her father would often hide these things before going away on a trip. This happy ending to the story is what makes Urban Archeology so satisfying to me.
I love album covers. I also love a good treasure hunt. See my latest discovery as it happened in this short video https://youtu.be/SEO0ZG_YN6U #vinyl #vintage #old #music #bawdy #goodolddays #humor #funny #album # #record # stripper #nostalgia #albumcover #estatesale #estatesalefinds #urbanarcheology #listen #recordcollection #photography #treasurehunting #justinantiques #takeitalloff
Found photos are fun. This is a production company still for what looks like a gov't instructional film for servicing a 1/4 ton truck in 1963. 8x10 color glossy photo with no description on the back. #foundphoto #army #1963 #production #miltaryvehicle #truck #repair #howto #glossy #government #veteran #military #service #urbanarcheology #armedforces #vfw #remember #photography #picture #jeep
When you search for those odd bits of paper and gadgets lost in the crevasses of the past, you are bound to uncover items that reveal an odd coincidence. I will share the coincidence further down, but first, watch this 60 second video reveal:
I purchased a mass of papers from Ridgefield CT estate sale where I found a friendly and generous family that was happy to sell them to me. As I examined the basement of this home I noticed several scrap books and papers on top of a large plastic container of still more papers. I stopped and connected with a family member to ask if I could look closer. After a brief pause he exclaimed that the papers had been sorted and I could have the entire lot for $10. I offered my card and explained my goal to researching and share these items in an appropriate manner. A few minutes later I was conversing with more family members who expressed some relief to see these items go to someone who would appreciate them.
Among numerous tax bill receipts paid in the 19th century to the State of Ohio there was one letter that stood out. As you see in the video it was one of those letters were the envelope is the letter. (Scan coming soon) It didn't say much except that "Here is a copy of you policy - Whitman Mead." Inside was a campaign ribbon like I have never seen..
This silk ribbon espouses the benefit of joining the fight for the Whig Party candidate for president: Henry Clay. In these times when we are so divided as a nation it was amazing for me to look up something about Henry Clay the candidate. I learned that the most pressing issue of his campaign was whether or not Texas should be allowed to join the union. Why? Well with all that land there would be a greater need for slave labor...thus jacking up the price of slaves.
The coincidence? As I examined the envelope, I fretted at the fact that I couldn't see the date on the hand cancellation - Inside Whitman Mead has written a date on the top as April 22, 1844.
I looked at the date written there and had to check my phones calendar twice - that date I spend the letter was exactly 173 years from the day he wrote it! To open a gem such as this on its 173rd birthday was truly cause for celebration.
This 1915 report card from Chagrin Falls Ohio lead me down a rabbit hole as most of my discoveries do. Little known facts about this town: home (at some point) to Tom Conway, Doug Kenny cowriter of Animal House and Caddy Shack. And Sam Watterson creator of Calvin and Hobbs. The town of 4000 today was named for the falls on the Chagrin River that flows through it.
Here's How - a 1941 compendium of potent potables. I couldn't turn away from a find like this. A book with wooden boards and brass hinges filled with awesome doodles from an illustrator named Tad Shell. So many cocktails. .. so little time.
