I’m used to seeing stuffed and mounted animals at auction, even an elephant foot made into a cigarette stand. But to my surprise, I recently stumbled upon a stuffed and mounted wild turkey. The full-sized creature seemed…
Author: sherry
The many incarnations of the noble typewriter
Posted in Antiques, collectibles, and Equipment
Most of the typewriters on the tables at the auction house appeared to be in good condition, bearing little of the dust I’ve seen on some that have been stored in basements for years, unseen…
A time when you got a prize in your washing powder
Posted in Advertising, dishware, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Glassware
On first glance, the fronts of the small trade cards were not very impressive. They held lithographic color images of children tending cows, riding horses, riverboating and fishing. “Kazine Card, Over” was printed on the…
Fancy little match safes to keep you from catching on fire
Posted in Advertising, collectibles, Personal items, and Tins
The first time I came across a match safe at auction, I wasn’t sure what it was. It was about the size of my palm, a little bigger than a pill box, and simple. Likely,…
Questions from a 1930s “Negro History” contest
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and School
The bound sheets of paper had faded with age and the text had been typed with a typewriter whose ribbon needed changing. That told me a lot about the time period of this document, along…
Inkwells recall a different era of keeping in touch
Posted in collectibles, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Personal items
The emerald green inkwell caught the eye of my auction buddy Janet. She had intended to bid on it, but she was in another room waiting for a sweet little antique Underwood typewriter to come…
Early 20th-century take on Wedgwood’s slave medallion
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and history
The pencil drawing had all the hallmarks of the famous Wedgwood slave medallion from the 18th century. It showed an African American man, chains around his wrists and the words “Am I Not a Man…
Selling the vast record collection of a lifetime
Posted in Auction, Broadway plays, and Music
When I finally walked into the basement of Maynard Bertolet’s stone house, I should have felt claustrophobic, but I didn’t. Before me were thousands of vinyl pop and classical albums he had collected over more…
Picture Stories: Stepping out in style
Posted in Photos
The wonderful photos kept coming. For several weeks, black and white photos with a mix of people, events and celebrations turned up on the auction table. An auction-house staffer told me that a dealer brought them…