The Treasure Hunters by A M
February 6th, 2010 10:00 PM
and totally surprising finds
like this book of records from 1904. I left most things where I found them, except for a bona-fide 8-track tape, something I had never seen before,
a potato masher, which I plan to boil before using, given the general skeeviness of the whole place, and, the big find, a light up, moving reindeer!
I have long wanted one of these, not to inflict on my neighbors at Christmas, but to gut and light on fire. (In the ancient Norse tradition, straw goats were burned at midwinter for Thor. My plan involves newspaper and lighter fluid stuffed in a metal reindeer, which seems like a close enough modern approximation to me.) As soon as I can get all the plastic crap off, and hopefully remove the servos, which my partner is excited about, I'm planning a firey test run in the back yard.
GI Joe grooming kit
For the man in your life who views shaving as an assault on a hostile force.
Stuffed horse
Now with bonus mohawk.
I'm not sure why I took this picture
I was looking for a big book to make into a book safe, and I guess in the process I found this book amusing.
His Master's Voice
This was a gorgeous leather-bound book of Victrola records from 1904. Treasure for sure...except that I don't have a record player. Tragically, I didn't get it.
Headless rooster
A headless glass rooster full of olives.
Reindeer!
This is one of those moving, light-up reindeer people put on their lawns around Christmas.
Soccer trophy
For a Shannon Speakman. There turned out to be nearly a dozen soccer and baseball trophies for Shannon and a Brendan who I assume was her brother.
Trophy
The labels didn't show up as well as I had hoped.
Painting with mailbox
I can't remember if this was the one on some kind of metal, or on canvas. I liked it, but not enough to take it home.
Canvas with dartboard
I like thinking about a story for this one.
More trophies
I'm not sure how they wound up scattered in different bins.
Back-UPS
A piece of computer history.
Embroidery spool
One of my companions identified the cardboard as a shorthand chart, and was very excited about it. It all looked like squiggles to me.
Photo album minus photos
The previous owner had taken out all the photos, but there were some captions left behind.
Arts and crafts
This was a serious work of craft -- it's maybe a foot in diameter. I wonder who made it, and what they did with it.
Datebook
I loved this peek into somebody's life. This page has notations for doctor's appointments
Jacket
Someone's Air Force camo jacket. Evidently a lot of armed forces stuff winds up at the Bins. I thought there was some kind of declassification protocol, but looks like not.
Frog
A neon frog, with little holes in the top like a salt shaker, and also a packet of sprinkles.
Masher
A potato masher. I wound up taking this home, where I was told that we already had one. Sigh.
Inexplicable little number tiles.
I didn't find nearly all of them. My theory at this point was that they were from some kind of Advent calender.
Lamp
Some things just don't need tassels.
The Incredible HULK
I might have grabbed this on the assumption that it was valuable, but it was clearly pretty recent -- it had something about a Lord of the Rings movie tie-in in the front.
Well, nuts
This one poked a big hole in my Advent-calender theory. I have no idea what those tiles were for.
Steamer trunk
This was probably four feet high. I was very tempted, but by that point my companions had basically a shopping cart full of stuff, and I doubted that I'd be able to get it home.
8-track!
This is an actual 8-track, older than I am. I bought it mainly because I had never seen one before. It's some band I've never heard of.
Reindeer again
So, after much debate, I managed to talk myself into buying the reindeer. I have big plans for it, but first I need to strip all of the plastic crap off, which may take a while.
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It's amazing, the things you learn about people from what they give away.
You get points from me for the Photo Album Minus Photos, but you lose points for not recognizing The Incredible Hulk #1 which was published in 1962. And I want to know the band on the 8 track. Y'know some of us are old enough to have owned and enjoyed 8 tracks.
It's true, I am woefully undereducated with regards to comics. That particular one must have been a recent reprint of an older gem, given that it had Viggo Mortenson and Elijah Wood inside the front cover.
The 8-track is of "The Isley Brothers", "3 + 3", featuring "That Lady"
Ooh, The Isley Brothers are great! I wish you had an 8 track player so you could listen to it. And that is a particularly groovy track you just laid your hands on. Isn't it? Good job.
And even a reprint of The Incredible Hulk #1 is a good read even if it's not worth anything.
Urban archaeology!