Attics and Basements: SEARCH CAREFULLY for Old Treasures Old Treasures can be in unusual and unexpected places when clearing out an old house, basement, attic or even CLOSET!! Be very careful...
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - We were helping clean out a recently deceased relative's home to get ready for sale and realized that when somebody has lived in a certain spot for a long time, they tend to put things away and forget them!
We were looking to sell some of the old things for another relative who had been left the house. And they just did not really know what can be sold as far as vintage collectibles and memorabilia. There really were no antiques (over 100 years old), per se but things were showing up, back to about the 1930s.
Many collecting areas are included in the 30s, 40s, 50s etc. So, a plan was made to look carefully to make sure that there was not something stuffed in a forgotten hiding place. I found that when somebody lives in a house for 40 or 50 years; tastes change; interests change; kid's grow up and move out; no pets any more etc. so there are groupings of items that get stuck away in a box or under a chair in an unused (filled-up) closet, expecting they'll be needed again and they never make a reappearance.
This was the case in this particular basement. Remnants of past interests were present: hunting, fishing, needlework, woodworking, family fun, huge amounts of record albums: 45s, LPs and 78s (three different periods), glassware that was replaced but "too good to throw away" etc. were everywhere, tools that were obviously from an earlier time and passed down, magazines for various hobbies, aquarium sets and accessories and really a lifetime's worth of stuff just crammed in where it fit at the time and saved for a rainy day.
I find that people (some from the Depression era and some NOT) also have a tendancy to put lots of things away that have a small break (a chip, crack, bend or whatever) because "somebody might need it and it might be better than they have" The story above is pretty much how refuse companies and dumpster delivery stay in business and do WELL!
But, if you are a collector or you sell sometimes, you must look very carefully. Rhyme or reason maybe came into play when something was put away but TODAY, things that are together, may have been placed 50 years apart so never leave a stack of dishes or pile of books without looking at each one, because something nice (and worth some money) could easily have been added to the stack at a different time that the stack was created.
