Yesterday's News - Gold in Those Ads

Do you have any idea of the value in Tin Signs, Cardboard Standups, Tin Cans or other forms of old advertising?

Let me help you: these items command some of the highest prices in the antique and collectible market. I want to share a great story with you.

Once I was called to a house to pick through the possessions of a elderly woman that had gone to be with God. Her family was cleaning out the house so it could be sold. They took me into the house and, after they had taken the things they wanted, there wasn't a thing there for me. But as I was leaving I asked, "What is in the dumpster?" I was told, "Just the things we have no interest in."

My inquisitive nature demanded that I take a peek. My eyes almost jumped out of my head! There in the dumpster were some of the best antique "Advertising" pieces that I had ever seen. I asked if these were going to be throw away and was assured that it had no value to them.

You have heard the term "Dumpster Diving" and that is what I did– head first into that dumpster. I filled my pickup with hundreds of pieces. After many months of selling these treasures I tried to figure what the total was of what I had sold. I stopped at $25,000.00.

That old saying "One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure" was sure true in this case. I have thought about this many times and asked myself if I should have given the owners a part of the monetary gain from the sales. But because of the length of time it took to sell the items I lost track of the owners. I would like to continue about advertising in tomorrow's blog. Will you please tell us of where you found treasure in someone elses trash?