A little off topic, I admit.
(heh)
If you find any Microsoft stock certificates issued around 1985, give me a call!
I frequent the ebay vintage clothing board. There are many ladies who make a living from shopping in Salvation Army and Goodwill stores, yard sales and estate sales. They research the stuff and sell them on ebay.
The board is educational and explains different eras, patterns, etc. of vintage clothes.
There is one woman who sells 70's and 80's junk clothes, but has fantastic stylists and photos. She caters to teenyboppers with lots of cash. Mamastonevintage is the envy of ebay vintage sellers.
My two best finds included a bakelite bracelet I found at the local Goodwill Store which I bought for $1.00 which, when I put it on eBay, sold for over $300.00 and an old framed print by a famous artist I found in a small thrift store that I paid $25.00 for and sold on eBay for over $800.00!
Hasn't "Antiques Road Show" been busted for inflating values and trying to help hoodwink insurance companies?
What you called Depression Glass I actually sold. Mine was actually sold as Westmoreland Glass (McKee, Jeanette, Westmoreland) companies that produced glass dishes and giftware in the early to mid 20th century. It was made in abudance locally...first rule of eBaying, sell something you can easily find yourself.
Found a metal tape measure "H.B. Maynard Co." with case all metal too. It's a hard-to-find item.
Pinging ya DD...;-)
I'm an artist and I'm always on the look out for cheap supplies in the thrifts and curb-shopping.
No treasures yet but I'm still hopeful.
The only thing of interest that I read being hidden in a dumpster was Eric Rudolph.
I have a good story for you. About 45 years ago my father in law found a painting on top of a pile of trash in the basement of an old apartment building. It had been cut out of the fame and was rolled up. It was a painting of Sam Houston painted early in the 1900's (not during Houston's life time). At one time it hung in the Texas state Capitol but disappeared from there many years ago. The story that we learned was that the artist expected to be paid by the state and when that didn't happen, he took it back. It is in my husbands office now, we don't know what it is worth, but I imagine it is pretty valuable. Another one of Sam Houston by the same artist and in almost the same pose, hangs in the courthouse in Houston.
The best story I remember coming across concerned one of smaller NYC museums. Several years ago it was reported that in their archives they found a scrap of paper with some doodles/sketches on it. Well, it turned out to be $12 million Michelangelo [although how to authenticate an unsigned scrap of paper with some minor sketches/doodles is a mystery to me]. And since the old guy was sketching all his life since age 13, there must have been some 20000+ of these.
Bought a copy of "The Sheltering Sky" in the East Village for $5. It turned out to be autographed by the author, Paul Bowles, who has not left Tunisia since the 1950s.
I bought a jewelers roll-up full of them, from a guy on 14th st in DC, for a grand. It contained a couple of expensive watches, worth a lot more than my thou.
One of them, though, was a ringer, I thought. It had the name "Birks" on it. But, upon inspection, I noticed the name "Rolex" in tiny letters, on the bottom of the face.
At home, I opened tha stainless back. The case was 18k yellow, on this rectangular watch. Inside it was stamped Rolex. The movement also had the stamp Rolex!
It was missing the hands, and had no strap. but I had taken it, along with the rest of them.
I took it to a watch repairman at Fair Oaks mall, in Fairfax, VA. He was from Indian, and had lots of spare parts he had brought from retiring European shops. He looked at it, and suggested we send it to Switzerland, for inspection, or authentication.
I got a letter back from Rolex, offering 10 grand for it, so they could put it in their museum. It was made in the early 1900's, by them, for the Birks jewelry stores in Canada. Birk's had 18 specially made with a stainless back, due to the workmen's lifestyle, of those that bought them.
I asked to have it returned, and my watchmaker set some newer ROLEX hands on the beautiful filgreed face. I wear it occasionally, but it is really too dressy and fragile for everyday use. I have a Seiko, for that.
I ended up with over $85k in value, from that $1K investment, but nothing I bought, is for sale... I collect old watches...
http://www.audiokarma.org
Audio finds and refurbs
A true first edition of Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" (with dust jacket) is worth thousands. I found one in my parent's attic!