N&W RY CO Heart Shaped Brass Lock
Category Archives: Unique Items
Vintage B&O Railroad “Wreck Train” Toolbox Garrett Indiana
Rare B&O Railroad Wreck Train Box
Here is a really cool historical transportation and railroad item that is truly hard to find. As a matter of fact this is the only one I have ever seen in real life or online that came off of the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad. It is a rather large tool chest with 3 removable sections. It is painted with the B&O Brand and says “Wreck Train” Garrett Ind. It even ha a very neat lid handle that is brass and has the B&O mark on it as well.
Vintage Garst Brothers Dairy Light up Clock
Nice Vintage light up Roanoke VA Garst Bros. Dairy clock
These clocks use to bring $600-$800 but with so many of them in the area (Roanoke VA), most of the main collectors already have one and the price has been dropping over the past 5-6 years. You can pick them up for about $200-$300 and even less from average people that have them in garages and basements. I saw one sell at a yard sale for $50 this past summer (which was a great deal!).
B&O Railroad Wreck Train Tool Box
B&O Railroad Tool Box of off of the “Wreck Train” complete with marked tools.
RARE 1929 VGN RYCo Virginian Railroad Switch Lock Value
Virginian (VGN) RYco Railroad Switch Lock
Here is a find example of a VGN Railroad (Virginian) lock that we uncovered in a local estate. This lock is in GOOD condition from 1929 and complete with the original chain, switch plate cover, and VGN marked slaymaker lock switch key. The key alone is worth $60-$100 depending on the market. These VGN locks are worth $600-$1200 depending on the market you sell in and the condition and particulars of your lock. The lock you see photographed was sold for $655 for a fast sale, however it could have sold for $800 easily if more time was invested in the sale. This lock sold within 5 minutes of being listed online.
VGN Switch Lock Value $600-$1200
Wow! Bracelet Man Makes Appearance
Vintage Bracelet Man
This guy came in to my old antique shop we had setup at a flea market in VA – he strolled in to shop a little. Can you guess what he purchased from our jewelry selection?
Bling Bling??
Vintage Soap Box Derby Car
Vintage Soap Box Derby Car Found Under Old House
While under a home in the crawlspace the homeowner found this old vintage soap box derby car and called us to buy it.. So we did. Take a look – Pretty neat display piece.
Unique Scrapbook find leads to hidden vintage treasure
Unique Vintage Scrapbook Entries Hidden Treasure
You never know where vintage and antique treasures are hiding. When looking for small valuables keep your eyes open they can be tucked away in the most peculiar places.
Finding antique photo albums and scrapbooks from decades ago is very common. Scrapbooks and albums were a big part of keeping memories in the old days. This scrapbook has a lot of interesting articles within.
Late 1930’s (40’s) Leather Scrapbook Featuring A German Shepard On The Cover. Appears to be your average scrapbook…
A page containing a handmade Valentines day card from a man to his sweetheart. A sweet gesture and crafted with love! Money could have been tight back in the old days for some families and hand made cards were common.
But wait check out the inside of this creative card…
In vintage folkart style this man creates a piece of art with a hidden surprise for his sweetheart. Do you see it?
Look closer at the drawing he made representing his sweetheart. The money he saved on the card literally went in to the card…
Take a look he gave his sweetheart a hidden gift and it is apparent that she valued the love he put in the card more than the hidden treasure as she kept the card intact for the remainder of her years. A sweet gesture! This is a very neat piece that we will frame and keep intact so the love they shared will be remembered.
A silver dollar back then went a long way and was not easy to save for most… The next time you find an old album or scrapbook keep a close eye out for hidden treasures! The treasure in this case is not the hidden coin but the creative art this man created.
Daisy & Violet Hilton Conjoined Twins Sideshow Autograph
Daisy & Violet Hilton Conjoined (Siamese) Twins Play Bill Promo – Autographed – Famous “Sideshow” Twins
A really cool sideshow promo piece found in Virginia – Daisy and Violet Hilton Conjoined Twins – Academy Theatre Lynchburg VA show Feb 20th 1945. America’s Original Siamese Twins!
Wikipedia: Daisy and Violet Hilton (5 February 1908 – 4 January 1969) were a pair of English conjoined twins. They were exhibited in Europe as children, and toured the United States sideshow, vaudeville and American burlesque circuits in the 1920s and 1930s.
The Hilton sisters toured first in Britain in 1911 (aged 3) as “The United Twins”. Mary Hilton took them on to a tour through Germany, then to Australia, then in 1916 to the USA. In true sideshow manner, their performance was accompanied by an imaginative “history”. Their controllers kept all the money the sisters earned. In 1926, Bob Hope formed an act called the Dancemedians with the sisters, who had a tap-dancing routine. When Mary died in Birmingham, Alabama, the girls were bequeathed to Mary’s daughter Edith Meyers, and Edith’s husband Meyer Meyers, a former balloon salesman.
The couple took over management of the twins. Held mostly captive, the girls were beaten if they did not do as the Meyers wished. They kept the twins from public view for a while and trained them in jazz music. Violet was a skilled saxophonist and Daisy a violinist. They lived in a mansion in San Antonio, Texas. The 1930 US census records the twins as Meyer Meyers’ nieces.
In 1931, the sisters sued their managers, gaining freedom from their contract and US$100,000 in damages.They went into vaudeville as “The Hilton Sisters’ Revue”. Daisy dyed her hair blonde and they began to wear different outfits so as to be distinguishable. After vaudeville lost popularity, the sisters performed at burlesque venues.
Shortly after gaining independence from the Meyers, the Hiltons sailed to the UK on the Berengaria in December 1932.They spent most of 1933 in the UK, and returned to the US in October 1933.
Violet began a relationship with musician Maurice Lambert, and they applied in 21 states for a marriage license, but it was always refused.
In 1932, the twins appeared in the film Freaks. Afterwards their popularity faded, and they struggled to make a living in show business.