Yard Sales, Flea Markets and Antique Shops 2024

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I am fortunate or cursed depending on how you look at it

I share that sentiment. There are some real treasures of out-of-print books with no equivalent on the internet for research purposes.

[Aragorn243]

Decent day today for modern stuff, but a few small things that are older. The big purchase of the day was a pair of large aluminum two sided medical chests, 30x22x20 and waterproof for $15 each. These are gong to be storage for my collection. Next is a 90's issue Map case with a PA National Guard patch sewn on. Then my second WWII US Army whistle and a Sten magazine. $50 for all of it. I wasn't going to take photos of the magazine until I looked at it closely. It's Finn marked SA.

[Flying10uk]

It's Finn marked SA.

With the wartime dispersal maker code of M634.

[Aragorn243]

Nothing military today but a few military related items I couldn't pass up. The first is a Marx Toy helmet, likely from the 30's. They apparently made these as early as WWI time frame but the decals are different. Early WWII is also a possibility but doubt they would continue with this style once the M1 came out. The second is an aluminum WWII grave marker. First aluminum one I've encountered so it is likely a fairly recent production as most are bronze. Also picked up two books, the interesting one is on the Czech Air Force from WWI through 1980.

[browningautorifle]

Is that a giant ruptured duck? Neat piece...of course we never see those here.

[Flying10uk]

The toy helmets were available in the UK in the time frame of the late 1930's to around 1940 or so. What I don't know is if any were UK manufactured or if they were all US produced.

[Aragorn243]

LOL, it is a giant ruptured duck and I never made the connection before you said that. To explain what this is for non-US members, in the US, veterans have flags placed on their graves and these are the holders. This makes my fifth. I have the Civil War, the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII and one that is not marked but is the same design as the WWI so probably another variety of that. These will have a metal rod that goes into the ground and stays year-round on the grave. The small flags with wooden poles fit in the top and are changed periodically.

The UK probably had their own manufacturers of the toy helmets. A book I picked up yesterday has a photo of two boys in the occupied Channel Islands wearing them. They look just like miniature Brodies and are painted green. It is possible Marx made them as they were a big toy manufacturer, but you had plenty of toy manufactureres also.

[Flying10uk]

The first 2 pics were likely taken late 1939 or early 1940 and the last pic around a year or so later. I do still have the teepee seen in the last pic albeit with a few moth holes and I do intend to put it up in my garden in order to take some photos at some stage. Sadly I don't have the toy helmets or the model aeroplane also seen in the pic.

[Aragorn243]

Antique shops today and a true surplus store. Ingersoll Products canteen cup made between 1965 and 1967 as these were the three years they were contracted for and there is no date stamp. Picked this up at a surplus store that I usually only get books at. No books today which is unusual.



We hit three antique shops which I haven't had much luck at for quite a while and found a bunch of web gear and WWII rucksacks at the third. I spent a lot of time going through them to decide I didn't need any of it for the prices he wanted as I already had other examples and the one looked somewhat suspicious to me with a handwritten manufacturer. This I had ignored until last as I thought it was a waterproof bag. Very surprised to see it was a WWII poncho on the tag and then it took me forever to find the tags. Not easy unfolding this thing in a tiny alcove in an antique shop. Confirmed it's WWII, February of 1945. Doesn't look used much, has a handwritten name inside so it was issued. Has one very small cut on the back that is very hard to see. Otherwise, is in great condition, good flexibility. Not sure what the best way to store this might be. It's not hard at all but afraid with age it might eventually crack if not handled properly.











Doesn't have a hood which surprised me. It seems to be better made than the poncho I had issued in the 1980's.

My best purchase of the weekend appears to be a $3 item I picked up at a yard sale Saturday. I am a carpenter so I kind of collect old carpentry tools. Mostly levels but I have some angle bevels also and I found a metal one at a yard sale. Research today shows it to be a pretty sought after type. Patented in 1870 and only in production for a few years the examples I was able to find are selling in the $200-$300+ range. Some were listed over $1000.00. I need an Antiques Roadshow to hit the area again.*

[Aragorn243]

While most everyone knows what the Ruptured Duck is, an honorable discharge pin for WWII service, this served the same purpose for US Navy Reserve personnel. First one I've ever seen, found in a box of cufflinks at the last yard sale I stopped at this morning.