As a long time collector, I purchase what I like. Sometimes that means picking up a piece of junk, with no purpose but to look different than the last twenty pieces of junk I collected. Now you know that’s only one side of my collecting if you have followed me before, as I have reported many nice, some OK and other weird collectibles around the cottage.
It’s fine to collect odd things but as most collectors of a certain age know, at some point you want to start to unload the collections.
I’ve had experience selling through several venues, from garage sales, antique malls, antiques shows and on-line sights. Collectors’ Quest has been offering a “Market Place” for just that purpose, and we hope to expand your collecting experience with improvements coming your way soon.
But here’s the rub with my outlandish collectibles. They don’t fit neatly into a category. That’s OK if I’m selling at one of the “booth” locations where someone or other will find a good looking “what is it?” and decide they can’t possibly sleep at night if they pass the thing up. But on-line selling requires a category. Dolls and toys and Pez dispensers. Action figures and football cards know their place.
But I have yet to fine a category for a gold plated bolt and nut.
Well, you blame me for buying that oddity in the first place, but in my household I get to share the blame with Wifey. Since we both worked in or with heavy industry for more years than I’ll admit, we both find interest in industrial gismos that only an engineer could love. Look at this bail or spool, it’s made of metal with wood disc’s captured in each end. One end has a slot so a dog could drive the spool around. The other end has a groove where a pulley cord or belt would provide the method for turning. Who but me would consider this piece a collectible?
And how about this gauge. A hand points to a dial registering 100 to 500, but does not identify a unit of measurement. While the eagle on the face was what attracted my attention initially, on inspection I found the small print Patn. S 24-1687 but even that is a mystery. Oh! More wonderment, it has no wire or pipe connectors on back.
These two clamps were both made by and signed Luther Milwaukee. One is marked “Steel Vice Clamp , C1” and has the long pin hole at top. The other, with the split pin hole is marked “Dimo Vice Clamp, C1. Purchased as a set at an estate sale, I could not ascertain the special application for the pair. For that matter, I’m not even sure they can be considered a pair.
At least when I have to sell then, I will know they fit under a category of tools, and I can always check with Tom The Tool Man, he’ll know what’s up with them.
