I could practically stand in one place and see the offbeat but pleasing items waiting for me to notice them. How could I avoid an elongated chair that reminded me of the sleek build of…
Category: Tins
Some years ago, a friend and I were visiting a nostalgia convention when we came upon a vendor who was actually selling vintage items. He was one of the few; there were mostly tables with DVDs…
Aunt Sally’s Pancake Flour as a lesser-known Aunt Jemima’s
Posted in Advertising, African American women, collectibles, and Tins
Both the image and the product name on the metal tin poster surprised me. The tin featured a young black girl wearing a clean dress with a white pinafore, and a bright smile. She had red…
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,…
As soon as I saw the name on the tin half-buried under other items on the auction table, an image formed in my head: A woman lying prostrate on the floor, her head slightly raised…
I did not notice the containers when I walked down the ramp to the long yard at the back of the auction house. My mind was focused on the box lots on the tables. That’s…
Brimfield – African American tintypes and a lot more
Posted in African American women, Books, collectibles, Photos, Tins, and travel
I listened as the owner of the booth told a customer about his radio show and how he could guess a caller’s collectible or antique item without seeing it. I found the notion unbelievable, and…
Blackface makeup in a tube
Posted in Personal items, Plays, theater, and Tins
My friend Rebecca alerted me to the bright yellow tube in the vendor’s case. On the front was a man in blackface with huge white lips wearing a tux and white gloves, and the product…
Readers ask about Coke, newspapers and books
Posted in Ephemera/Paper/Documents, Reader questions, and Tins
Many of us have items that we inherited or were given to us, and we know very little about them. Since I write about auction finds with a little history to them, I get questions from readers about…
Collections that baffle me: (rusty) soda cans
Posted in collectibles, and Tins
“Tell me this isn’t someone’s collection,” I said incredulously to the auction-goer browsing next to me. Spilling out of a ripped plastic bag was a stash of rusty soda cans. They looked like they had been…