Are you feeling down, emotionless, lacking ambition and self-confidence? Well, have I got the cure for you! Tucked inside a box lot I got at auction this week was a small ziplock bag with a…
Month: July 2010
Every now and then, I come across what appears to be a collection that makes no sense. Maybe they aren’t collections but souvenirs that someone bought or collected on a whim, and then just kept…
Sometimes the smallest things can say so much. A nod, a note, a gift. They can also contain a mystery, taunting us to solve them. One such mystery captivated me at auction this week. I had…
The scent of perfume bottles
Posted in Beauty Products, bottles, and collectibles
I don’t wear perfume but I do love the bottles they come in. Many of them are works of art, as refined as some of the fragrances they hold. I’ve found a few in box…
Redd Foxx & women over 40
Posted in Performers, and Records
The first time I saw the comedian Redd Foxx was at a club at the foot of the Las Vegas Strip at a time when the strip ended. He was smoking his trademark cigarette and…
I can’t imagine having the stuffed head of a black bear hanging over my fireplace mantle. I can see it now: When I move left, its eyes stalk me. When I move right, they still…
For years, I collected children’s books illustrated by African American artists. I imagined that that these artists found it liberating to be painting for children, their stories simple yet imaginative. I’ve never found any of…
Do you remember Rickie Tickie Stickies? I didn’t when I first found a bunch of them in packages while inspecting a box lot from auction a couple weeks ago. I was going to toss them until…
Cups that are too sweet for tea
Posted in China, and collectibles
The tea cups and saucers were beautiful sitting there on the table, all very elegant and poised. They obviously had been someone’s collection – they appeared to be well-cared-for, with no chips and not a…
Discovering the identity of a Tuskegee airman
Posted in Black history, history, and Photos
Back in November, on Veterans Day, I wrote about some photos I had found at auction of 10 African American soldiers, apparently taken during World War II. Since the photos had been done by the…