HistoryAPR 6, 2020

40 Times People Found The Most Unexpected Old Things

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Time flies, they say. Oh boy, it does. But it only becomes obvious when you come across something from the past. Quite often, it’s a high school pic of your 14-year-old goth self rocking that camera. That’s a friendly reminder of your cringy legacy full of hopes and dreams before reality hit.

Other times, we come by stuff that’s as old as history itself. And some specimens are weirder than others. Cocaine tablets and a syringe from a 100-year-old nursing kit? Found it. Uranium glassware that glows? Yep. An antique door that helps you find the keyhole in case you’re drunk? Got it. Please enjoy Bored Panda’s compilation of the most amusing objects brought to you from the past by a bunch of people-turned-time-travelers.

#1 I Found This Taped Up In The Toy Aisle Of Goodwill. Couldn't Tell What It Did But Thought I Could Detail It. Took A $3 Gamble And Then This Happened

Cursed_0ne

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659points

#2 My Grandfather Had A Miniature Set Of All Of Shakespeare's Plays. It's 111 Years Old

FX114

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632points

#3 A Nice Couple Found My Great Grandpa's Purple Heart In A Forclosed Home In A Box Labled "Trash" And Returned It To My Family

Phabricated_Phocks

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594points

Some of us get lucky and find some quirky old pieces of history in the attic or after we move houses. That sounds like a good opportunity to make some quick cash, but there’re some things you should know before selling your item to the antique dealer.

Do some research beforehand—go on the internet to find some information, and evaluate the item’s condition. Keep in mind that in most cases, you’re likely gonna get 20 to 50 percent off the real retail price.

Sometimes, antique dealers will ask you to state a price you’d like to get. So get ready for a little bit of negotiation. Make sure the dealer is genuinely interested in what you have, and you are truly ready to part with it. If it’s a precious heirloom from your family, you'd better think twice before selling it.

#4 My Barbershop Still Uses Their Original Cash Register From 1904

baggedlunch

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507points

#5 My Friend Just Found This Little Statue While Digging In His Own Garden

The archeologists from the museum told him that it is probably from a grave dating back to 3-4000 years ago. It has been found in Castell' Arquato, PC, Italy. He proceeded to give it to the Museum Of Parma.

lodeluxMeaLux

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495points

#6 The Filament Of This Antique Light Bulb Is Shaped Like Flowers

Proteon

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478points

You've probably noticed that people use a variety of different terms like vintage, retro, or antique to refer to whatever "old" stuff they have. But these are not synonymous and, in fact, refer to very different things. A true antique, for example, is an object that’s 100 years of age or even older. Every antique item belongs to a different period⁠⁠—for example, Art Nouveau or Art Deco⁠⁠—and these may have a couple of decades separating them.

The term "vintage" usually covers older items in general. If you go “vintage shopping,” you're shopping for items that have distinctive vintage styles and usually date to anything from the '40s to '70s. Meanwhile, the term "collectible" is used for newer items that date to the '80s, '90s, and even '00s. The word “retro” refers to vintage-inspired styles and vibes and may be used for art, fashion, graphic and interior designs, and objects.