that's been stashed away for 50 or 60 years.

I'll even settle for a piece of Picasso pottery. Maybe even Paloma Picasso jewelry. Every time I leave the house to go "picking" I tell my husband I'm off to find my Picasso. Someday . . .

One of these days, I'm sure. (meanwhile, I don't hold my breath)
Actually, I'd love to find something of value that I might recognize.

Years ago I found a first issue Currier and Ives behind an gawd awful painting bought at a flea market. I actually bought it for the wonderful walnut frame that I had originally planned to make into a mirror.
Have missed some real goodies along the way.
Now I search for fun, who knows what will pop up.

A stash of ephemera always makes me very happy.

50 or so perfectly preserved 1940s era Captain Marvel (Shazam!) comic inserts of some kind. Not worth a lot, but still cool to find. Yesterday morning I found several late 30s/early 40s Cosmopolitan magazines (before it became the '25 hot sex moves you MUST try' magazine, lol.)

In mint condition at rock bottom prices.

And I got lucky. Twice. Since then, folks have caught on.

Also, Shelley china: teacup trios in the melanie chintz pattern.

Also waterford crystal....

Okay. I better stop now.

I am a diehard fan of the original Battlestar Galactica. When the show originally aired in 1978 and 1979, the science fiction magazines sold jackets for both children and adults based upon the Colonial Warriors uniform. I never ever expected to see one, because I'd never even seen one at a science fiction convention.
I was garage-saling in August and found one of the jackets for $20. It was a boy's size 16 so I can't wear it, and the family couldn't understand why I wanted it. (They kept trying to sell me a box of blank used VHS tapes that they'd recorded on.)
It's not identical to the TV show's jackets. The series' clothes were kind of a Crayola/topsoil brown, and this thing is a dark olive color that looks medium brown in some lighting. It is beautifully made of a very soft corduroy and doesn't even smell musty.

Mine would be to find a large amount of vintage feedsack and vintage cotton fabrics. Im looking to buy some

In perfect condition with no page yellowing of course?

I once accompanied an Austrian friend to a little coin flea market here in Germany. One dealer there heard I was an American, and asked if I knew the difference between the two varieties of 1913 Indian Head nickels. I said that I did. He showed me a Denver mint coin with the reverse side up, and I said it was the good variety. He asked what it was worth. It was worn, maybe "very fine" by coin grading standards. I said it was worth about €100. He asked if I would pay that, and I said, sure, why not. So I bought it, and apparently made his day. From the way he acted, he had paid less than a Euro for it.

I never took a close look at it, figured I'd make someone happy back in Dallas on my next trip to the USA. When I got home, I took it out to put it somewhere where I wouldn't forget it, and saw the date was pretty garbled. That doesn't happen with coins minted in 1913, since that was the first year of issue. There no dies from previous years to re-engrave. Well, whaddya know, it wasn't 1913 at all, but a 1918 over 1917, which was worth many multiples of a 1913.

It happens sometimes. Not the $1 million an Action Comics #1 would be worth in prefect condition, but I am content with modest bits of luck!

My friends at Heritage Auctions in Dallas have seen most everything.

I know nothing about old manuscripts or books, but they said they once got a call from some penniless Iraq vet in Ohio somewhere. He had bought some interesting pamphlet/book at a garage sale for $8 and a friend had told him it might be really valuable. Knowing no one locally who could tell him, he contacted Heritage, who has a department for that kind of thing.

Long story short, it turned out to be an original copy of the Federalist Papers from 1800, and worth a lot. They auctioned it off for him, and it brought something like $80,000. When they heard the guy didn't have a penny to his name, they waived the seller's fee, and paid him out the whole hammer price.

Last edited Sat Sep 25, 2021, 01:45 PM - Edit history (1)

A paperback titled The Horse is Dead by Robert Kleine

An NES Nintendo Bandai Stadium Games unopened

Around the house, I have a pocket copy of baseball rules probably from around 1915. It belonged to Dick Hoblilzell, or was at least bought at the estate sale at his home in Williamstown, WV. I put it in a really safe place

Finally, a 1st edition of The Star Conquerers by Ben Bova. Another item I put in a safe place :/

There's a copy on Ebay, asking $199.

Yes, I did, I'll correct the typo.

I wanted to find that book in a pile of books at the thrift shop for $1. Just a bargain hunter at heart. I bought a hard copy of The Star Conquerers by Ben Bova for $1 at an estate sale, just because the dust cover was great, and it was in good condition. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the edition that is valuable. I don't know where it is right now, but hoping I'll find it as I sort.

I like the early stereos specifically Magnavox, So early they did not put a balance knob on them cause they thought they were better at setting the balance than you were. 1958-60 glorious pieces of Americana The Concert grand had 2 50 watt amps and it took 42 tubes at full speed to drive them. A total of 650 watts of electricity to run. Took a year to get one and were the cost of a new chevy. Not as much anymore but still turn up in estate sales as cherished items. Good ones still only go for grand or so. Today you can get them repaired and play digital music through them with remarkable quality of sound. look around your relatives probably have one. Here is one where they overpriced it Hydro https://www.ebay.com/itm/203494773338