“Stories to Share” - Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog – Stephen's First.

Yours for the Taking - Thanks to Teamsugar.com

I love to hear stories from our members and today I heard a doozy. Stephen related to me how a member of his family was tearing down a building and found a old shotgun behind the wall. This might pass as just another story but it was what they found with the gun that makes the story rather interesting. You see there were membership cards for the Communist party with the gun. Can you imagine what those walls could tell if they could talk? Not to mention what value these items might have if there can be documentation found on these individuals.

This happens everyday as when a couple purchased an old movie theater and in the process of removing the building of the lot they found where as insulation for the walls the owner had stuffed that space with old movie posters. Because these posters hadn't seen the light of day for perhaps fifty years, they were in mint condition. Have you seen the prices that vintage movie posters bring today and if you were fortunate enough to find hundreds of them as they did, how you would feel? Yes, you could retire like royalty and I am sure they did.

My uncle dated a girl in Lewisport Kentucky, you know, one of those small towns that didn't even have one stop light. The girl's parents owned the theater there and I have often been temped to contact her to see if by any chance the family still possesses posters or other memorabilia from the movies during the 30's to the 50's. What am I waiting for you must be asking and my answer would be, I don't know.

There is no rhyme nor reason when it comes to finding treasures as this next story will prove. I was working for my Dad in the oil fields while in high school and found a chest full of treasures. My friend and I were making our money for the summer by painting oil tanks and digging ditches for the pipes running between the tanks and wells. One afternoon we decided to explore the old farm buildings that were literally falling down. In one of the barns we found this old trunk and inside were some of the first school books ever printed plus records from the Civil War. There were also tin photographs and other miscellaneous items. We asked the farm owner if we could keep the chest and contents and his answer was yes because he had no use for them. I didn't really know the value back then but if I had kept everything in the chest I am sure that I wouldn't have to worry about Joshua's college expenses today.

I am sure that if I continued to think, there would be many other stories to share with you about treasures and the unlikely places they can be found. All of you have heard about great treasures that have been found in old farm wells. They were often used to hide family items such as money because people didn't trust the banks and often they were too far away to use anyway. Also if you run across any handmade furniture, be sure to check for hidden drawers or false backs because, like the well, these were places of safety for valuables.

What are the lessons to be learned here? First, treasures can be found anywhere so don't limit your thinking to one or two areas. Second, items were often stored in old chests and trunks so be sure to look in the basements and attics for these and then examine their contents carefully. Third, if it is old it is worth some of your time to check for its value.

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