Things you have had forever.

When I was first married almost 47 years ago.. we lived in Navy Married Quarters.. and in those days they were fully furnished right down to the teaspoons.. . They were the ideal homes for newlyweds which we were, so we were able to use all the 'pusser's stuff.. while we saved for our own, to ultimately replace things ..

When my ex left the navy and ultimately we moved from our last Quarter, they did an inventory, and everything that was there when we went in should be there and accounted for when we left.. or we pay a fee...( fine)..

Among the kitchen utensils when we went into the last Quarter was a Carving fork & Knife , which had clearly been used for many years by previous occupants but the quality of the fork was of such , that I decided I was going to take it ..and I did.. and paid for it at Inventory.. ( a nominal fee)... I still have that fork today.. that's well over 40 years.. and it's actually dated 1954 on the handle.. which means it's older than me..
 

I've moved so many times -- maybe 50 times -- not always by choice, and sometimes internationally. Often I didn't have a car, and I could certainly never afford a mover.

In the past there were a few heirlooms and other items I might have wished to keep, but it was not to be.

I do have lots of old stuff though. Clothes that I've worn for years, and second-hand dishes and other things.
 
I started collecting tools when I started racing motorcycles as a teenager. I still have all those tools plus more. Couldn’t live with out them. When I moved out from my parents house (in CA) I noticed I was missing a 3/8” tap handle which I finally replaced. 35 years later I found my old tap handle in a storage bin at my Mom’s house in AR. Could not believe it!
 
While living in Missouri (Misery) I visited some normal auctions. Speaker. Gavel and "Yo!" Was indicating a bid.

While normally the average stuff would sell for pennies. Old farm tool, pickaxe, mattock even old garden tools went for $$$. If they were rusty. All the better. Today's cheap junk wouldn't last.
 
Things cross a line from outdated to vintage. I have things I regret I got rid of and things I'm glad I kept.
I'm also glad I didn't get inherited items until I was old enough to know their true value.
 
Happyflowerlady said:
I have some old Franciscan Desert Rose china that I have loved and carried around with me for over 50 years now, through all the moves of that lifetime of wandering from one place to another.
Most of the time, the dishes have been packed away in the box , and seldom used.
My mother had old Franciscan and also Fiestaware from way before I was born, when she and my dad lived in Southern California , before moving back to north Idaho.
Some of my collection was from finds from yard sales and thrift stores over the years, and a couple pieces from eBay.

For the first time ever, they are now going to be housed in a china cabinet !
My husband made me a beautiful china cabinet just for my Franciscan and my vintage teapots. He is not quite finished yet, so I am not putting anything in until it is completely done; but here is how it looks, and I can hardly wait to use it .


View attachment 258986I al
Click to expand...

I had a huge set of Franciscan "Desert Royale" that my late husband bought for me back in the 1970's, which I had added onto piece by piece over the years. It was fine when I had a large china cabinet to store them in while bringing them out for Thanksgivings and Christmases, but without a china cabinet (no room in this house), I just had them stored in packers out in the garage.

One day, I loaded them in the car and took them to my granddaughter's house. I said, "Here, they're yours, whether you like it or not." She actually was delighted to get them. I also unloaded my 16-place-settings of utensils on her, too. I can't imagine any occasion these days where I'll need more than the 12 place settings I have now. Four place settings usually suffice. Any more than that and everybody gets paper plates and plastic utensils....so there!

As for old stuff, I have my grandmother's Griswold cast iron Dutch oven that she got as a young bride in 1921 which I use all the time. I have a tiny little chair that her step-father made for her for her 1st birthday. I have one of her dolls. I also have the gym suit she wore in the 8th grade. And a bunch of other bits and pieces.
 
When I got out of the US Navy, all I had was what was in my duffle bag. I leased an apt. in NYC. On the way to picking up the keys, I bought some Oreos. There was a coupon on the back for a free cookie jar. About 2 weeks later, I got it. Turns out it was the first thing I ever got for my apt. Now, it's a collectors' item worth about $90- 46 years ago.
 

Attachments

  • smiley.jpg
    smiley.jpg
    30.7 KB · Views: 0
Grey striped blazer 004.JPG
The past? I tend to live in it. These clothes are new(ish) but they are all hand made from original patterns.
The blazer is cut from a 1930's boating blazer pattern that my tailor had. The trousers and shirt are both cut from
original late 1940's patterns, my wife made them after finding the patterns at a stall at some vintage event
that we were at. The hat is also of 1940's vintage, made on a hat block dated 1942.
The shoes, they really were difficult, no pattern, just a photo:
shoes df&mp.jpg
The spectacles are 1940's frame with my prescription lenses.

At home we still use my grandmother's silverwear cutlery, most of our crockery were wedding presents. We have a 1922 radio, which back then, was called a wireless. Still have, and use, our first landline phone.
phone.jpg
We still play records on vinyl. Streaming, wtf is streaming? We have a 1948 jukebox.

422746823.JPG

And of course you all know that my horseless carriage is a 1947 MG.
But did you know that it's actually a 1937 design? Production was put
on hold as the factory went over to producing war material for WW2.

MG Day 2022.JPG
 
RadishRose said:
I love that Desert Rose pattern. Use it! Enjoy it, please.
I have the Franciscanware sea shell pattern. I've lost a few over the years, but I use it all the time.
Click to expand...

I now have my Franciscan all put out in my china cabinet, and am enjoying being able to see it, and now I will start actually using it to eat from and not just keeping it stored away.

26678A1B-BEB4-43EC-88BF-A577EF9BA317.jpeg
 
In another post yesterday I mentioned that I was considering using my mother’s dishes from the 50s. She would buy a few pieces with each pay cheque. She was a single mom.

Yesterday, I asked my kids if there was ever a chance they’d want them. A resounding no meant I got two plates from the cupboard and will be using all the dinner plates. They will go in the dishwasher and if they break, better that it happened in my house rather than in some strangers’ when I’m gone.
 
horseless carriage said:
View attachment 259153
The past? I tend to live in it. These clothes are new(ish) but they are all hand made from original patterns.
The blazer is cut from a 1930's boating blazer pattern that my tailor had. The trousers and shirt are both cut from
original late 1940's patterns, my wife made them after finding the patterns at a stall at some vintage event
that we were at. The hat is also of 1940's vintage, made on a hat block dated 1942.
The shoes, they really were difficult, no pattern, just a photo:
View attachment 259157
The spectacles are 1940's frame with my prescription lenses.

At home we still use my grandmother's silverwear cutlery, most of our crockery were wedding presents. We have a 1922 radio, which back then, was called a wireless. Still have, and use, our first landline phone.
View attachment 259160
We still play records on vinyl. Streaming, wtf is streaming? We have a 1948 jukebox.

View attachment 259161

And of course you all know that my horseless carriage is a 1947 MG.
But did you know that it's actually a 1937 design? Production was put
on hold as the factory went over to producing war material for WW2.

View attachment 259162
Click to expand...
Pretty Cool :cool:
 
All my dishes are thrifted, coffee mugs.

I had a stainless pot from the early 80's and it wasn't new when I acquired it. I finally bought two new pots at K-mart in the mid 90's, Revere Ware, stainless copper bottom. Still made in USA. Can't get those anymore new. I used my 1 quart the most and wanted another so I bought one from Etsy. I was lucky, it was in fabulous shape and I can't tell it from my original now. I really like the more modern Corelle casseroles before they shipped production off to China. I look for them still in the thrift stores though I probably have enough. Wouldn't buy a plate new.

I'll even buy silverware thrifted. I got some great Oneida forks and spoons, made in U.S. 25 cents each
 
Just married in '67, went with Army hubby to Germany for three years. The former couple who lived in apartment we rented left a plain wooden rolling pin, and it had a flat side! I still use it to this day!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top