Image Number: W-0122-00-00

Title: Fool's Gold

Publication Date: 27-March-2025

When Acquired: Early 1970's

Whatnot History: I casually collected rocks and minerals as a 10-year-old, never as a rockhound but usually received from my dad and grandfather. The neatest collection I had was contained in a wooden box with many labeled samples. The best thing was that some of the mineral samples glowed when a UV lightbulb was shined on them.

This mineral is an example of Iron Pyrite, also known as Fool's Gold for its resemblence to real gold.

Lot Count: 2

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0123-00-00

Title: Shredded Money

Publication Date: 27-March-2025

When Acquired: Sometime in the 1980's

Whatnot History: I have no clue when and where I got this whatnot, other that it probably came from the Denver Federal Reserve Bank gift store (do they even have a gift store??

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0121-00-00

Title: Fruit Fossils

Publication Date: 26-March-2025

When Acquired: 1987 to 1991

Whatnot History: I grew up on the East Coast in Rhode Island. The humidity in Rhode Island can be quite oppressive in the heat of the summer. The worst were what we called a "90-90 Day" which translated to a 90 degree, 90 percent humidity day. On those days if you stood completely still, you would become drenched in sweat and nothing could stop it.

After I graduated from college, I moved to Colorado. In Colorado, the temperature sometimes exceeded 100 degrees but the humidity stayed at a low 10 to 20 percent. On those 100 degree days everyone carried on as usual and we would remind complainers "... but it's a dry heat".

Back in Rhode Island, if you left a piece of fruit, say an orange or a grapefruit, out on the counter for a couple of hot and humid days, the fruit would very quickly turn into a disgusting, fuzzy green blob.

Not so in Colorado. No blob, no green, no fuzzy, no disgusting.

In my casual observation, nothing bad seemed to happen to the fruit. So I decided to run a fossilization experiment to test this out in a somewhat scientific method. Over a number of years starting in 1987 and continuing until 1991, I placed an orange or a grapefruit out on my desk and watched what happened. I anxiously watched the fruit for any telltale changes. Other than shrinking in size and turning brown, nothing bad happened.

I kept my test fruit and even after 30 to 38 years, nothing bad has happened to the fruit.

Lot Count: 2

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0117-00-00

Title: Frog

Publication Date: 19-March-2025

When Acquired: Sometime in the 1990's??

Whatnot History: This frog is just one of many whatnots that I inherited from my paternal grandparents and my paternal great aunt and uncle. As a small child I was delighted to look at (but DO NOT TOUCH!) many different whatnots all over their houses.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0118-00-00

Title: Scottie Dog

Publication Date: 19-March-2025

When Acquired: Sometime in the 2010's??

Whatnot History: This dog is just another one of many whatnots that I inherited from my paternal grandparents and my paternal great aunt and uncle. As a small child I was delighted to look at (but DO NOT TOUCH!) many different whatnots all over their houses.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0119-00-00

Title: Driftwood Whale

Publication Date: 19-March-2025

When Acquired: February 2024

Whatnot History: I picked this piece of driftwood on the beach in Trinidad, California. I shook off the sand on it and turned it all over in my hands. I suddenly noticed that the driftwook looks the front half of a whale. That's a keeper!!!

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0116-00-00

Title: Heavy Chain

Publication Date: 18-March-2025

When Acquired: Sometime in the 1970's??

Whatnot History: I have no idea where I got this chain, maybe in Newport, Rhode Island, but more likely I found it in the abandoned quarry off of Brown Avenue in Johnston Rhode Island.

This is a hefty whatnot. Each of the three chain links is 5" by 4" and the links are made of 1" diameter iron.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0115-00-00

Title: African Bowl

Publication Date: 17-March-2025

When Acquired: Spring 2005

Whatnot History: I went on an African safari back in 2005. We started out in Arusha, Tanzania and visited a whole bunch of national parks including the Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti National Park.

The wildlife was incredible - lions, elephants, leopards, hyenas, rhinos, hippos, antelope, eland, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, cheetahs, birds of all kinds.

Highlights

• Lying in bed in our tent the first night listening to lions roar and chuff.
• Ngorongoro Crater - If you have only one single day to visit Africa, spend it here, you can see an amazing amount of wildlife.
• An early morning balloon ride over the Serengeti followed by a champagne breakfast once we landed.

I found this bowl in a market in Arusha.My two-week safari in Africa is at the top of my all-time vacation list.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0113-00-00

Title: Mail a Coconut

Publication Date: 10-March-2025

When Acquired: April 2012

Whatnot History: Not many people know this, but the United States Postal Service allows you to mail a coconut from Hawaii to anyone you like in the United States. All you need to do is to walk in to a Hawaiian post office an tell them clerk that you want to mail a coconut. I do not think that all Hawaiian post offices offer this service, but I have mailed a coconut from Maui and Molokai.

In my case, the post office had a bin full of coconuts and a basket full of markers. I addressed the coconut and then decorated it appropriately, purchased the correct postage, stuck the stamps to the coconut and away it went. Cool!

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0114-00-00

Title: Mail a Coconut 2

Publication Date: 09-March-2025

When Acquired: Spring 2015??

Whatnot History: Not many people know this, but the United States Postal Service allows you to mail a coconut from Hawaii to anyone you like in the United States. All you need to do is to walk in to a Hawaiian post office an tell them clerk that you want to mail a coconut. I do not think that all Hawaiian post offices offer this service, but I have mailed a coconut from Maui and Molokai.

In my case, the post office had a bin full of coconuts and a basket full of markers. I addressed the coconut and then decorated it appropriately, purchased the correct postage, stuck the stamps to the coconut and away it went. Cool!

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0110-00-00

Title: CRIB-DERBY

Publication Date: 03-March-2025

When Acquired: Sometime in the middle 1970's.

Whatnot History: My dad always enjoyed playing card games of all sorts and as my brothers and I grew old enough we were taught how to play these card games and we too enjoyed playing card games.

We played Hearts, Spades, Pinochle, Tripoley, Americana, Canasta, sometimes at home, sometimes at our grandmother's house (with a bottle of Hires Rootbeer!).

Cribbage was one of the card games we played, but since it really was best played as a two-player game, the games were played by Dad and one of the brothers. We used this CRIB-DERBY board to keep score of our games. I do not know when and where Dad got the scoreboard but I estimate that he got it sometime in the 1950's and that I took possession of the scoreboard in the 1970's.

In my research I found the CRIB-DERBY scoreboard for sale on ebay for anywhere between $11.99 and $26.40. Just remember that you should be wanting this relic as a keepsake and not something to sell.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0109-00-00

Title: My Jeep

Publication Date: 25-February-2025

When Acquired: June 2001

Whatnot History: On October 19, 2024 my yellow 2001 Jeep Wrangler was destroyed in a head-on collision with another vehicle. I was not the least bit injured in the collision considering that the Jeep was parked on the street next to the home where I live and that I was at home in bed and asleep at 4:30 am when the crash happened.

If you would like to read about what happened to my Jeep, click the following link for the complete story about the affair: My Jeep

So how do whatnots get wrapped up in this whatnot history? Well, after the police officer completed his accident report, two tow trucks showed up on the scene and hauled the two vehicles away. There was debris all over the place and one of the tow truck drivers did a great job sweeping it all up.

A few days after the accident, I noticed that there was still a fair number of small pieces of wreckage on the street and in the rocks along side of the street. There were pieces of glass and metal but mostly it was pieces of plastic. I started to pick up all of the stuff I could find and in a short amount of time I had a nice pile of assorted pieces of both vehicles.

Then it hit me - Hey! I can throw all of the pieces I found into a mason jar and display the last remains of my Jeep and the car that hit the Jeep!! Cool! So I did exactly that and created a new whatnot to add to my collection.

Lot Count: 2

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0108-00-00

Title: Small Green Vase

Publication Date: 14-November-2024

When Acquired: Sometime around 2015.

Whatnot History: This green glass vase belonged to my grandparents. My guess is that my grandparents acquired the vase sometime in the 1950's or earlier, which means that the vase is at least 75 years old. Does that mean that the vase is an antique? I'm not sure.

There is a trademark on the bottom of the vase.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0107-00-00

Title: Sugar Shaker

Publication Date: 13-November-2024

When Acquired: Sometime around 2015.

Whatnot History: I am not sure what to call this jar. Looking on the internet for similar jars, I would identify the jar as either a sugar shaker or a flour sifter. I am going with sugar shaker.

This pink glass jar belonged to my grandparents. My guess is that my grandparents acquired the jar sometime in the 1950's or earlier, which means that the jar is at least 75 years old. Does that mean that the jar is an antique? I'm not sure.

There are not any names, numbers, or trademarks on the jar.

I liked the jar because it was unusual and looked old.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0106-00-00

Title: Round Lava

Publication Date: 12-November-2024

When Acquired: Sometime in the early 2020's.

Whatnot History: Lava rocks can be found almost anywhere you look on the Hawaiian Islands. Volcanic eruptions of lava are what created Hawaii. What makes this piece of lava special is that it must have spent some amount of time in the ocean where the waves and tides managed to round, smooth, and flatten the rock. I'm sure there are plenty more round, smooth, and flattened lava rocks to be found in Hawaii, but this one caught my eye and I had to have it.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0105-00-00

Title: Blue-Green Bottle

Publication Date: 17-October-2024

When Acquired: Sometime in the late 1970's to early 1980's.

Whatnot History: This blue-green bottle most likely belonged to my grandparents. I don't think that it is an antique, rather, I think that it is a replica of an antique. My guess is that my grandparents acquired the bottle sometime in the 1950's which means that the bottle is somewhere around 75 years old. There are not any names or trademarks on the bottle. I liked the bottle because it was unusual and looked old.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0103-00-00

Title: Blue Vase

Publication Date: 29-September-2024

When Acquired: Sometime in the late 1970's to early 1980's.

Whatnot History: This blue bottle most likely belonged to my grandparents. I don't think that it is an antique, rather, I think that it is a replica of an antique. My guess is that my grandparents acquired the bottle sometime in the 1950's which means that the bottle is somewhere around 75 years old. There are not any names or trademarks on the bottle. I liked the bright blue color of the bottle and flower pattern on the face of the bottle.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0104-00-00

Title: Sea Bricks

Publication Date: 29-September-2024

When Acquired: Sometime in the early 1980's

Whatnot History: For those of you that don't know what sea glass is here is a short introduction:

In the days of yore, it was a common practice to throw waste generated by humans into the the ocean, usually close to shore. Waves and rocks on the ocean floor would combine with the waste and pulverize any material weaker than the rocks. In the case of glass bottles bottles, they would be crushed and broken into small pieces. The ocean, however, was not done with the glass pieces. The rocks, pebbles and sand would continuously rub and grate the glass pieces which would smooth out the sharp edges of the glass. Eventually, some of this smoothed out glass fragments would wash up on shore. Humans would then see the often colorful sea glass and some humans would even collect the glass and put it on display. I am one of those humans and I have collected sea glass for more than 65 years.

One day, back in the early 1980's, I was out on the Cliff Walk along the coastline of Newport, Rhode Island (Easton's Beach to Bailey Beach). In addition to beautiful ocean views and mansion views I was always on the lookout for shells and sea glass. On this particular walk I came across what looked like a low brick wall that had broken apart and fallen into the ocean. What really caught my eye was a few pieces of brick that did not look rectangular and instead looked round. Sure enough, the one of the brick pieces that I found was composed of two pieces of brick held together with mortar and the whole thing was rounded. The same forces that smoothed out and rounded sea glass worked on brick walls.

Lot Count: 2

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0102-00-00

Title: Borden Dairy

Publication Date: 17-September-2024

When Acquired: Sometime around 1978?

Whatnot History: I started first grade in 1965 at Brown Avenue Elementary School in Johnston, Rhode Island. Brown Avenue was a small school with six classrooms for grades one through four. The school did not have a cafeteria which meant that everyone would pack their lunch in a lunchbox or lunchbag and bring it with them to school. I had a Get Smart Lunchbox that I was very proud of. It came with a thermos that could be filled with milk, juice, Kool-Aid - whatever you liked. The only problem with the thermos was that the inner container was made of glass. So, if you accidentlly dropped your lunchbox or one of the school bullies grabbed it and tossed it out on the middle of the playground, you ended up with a milky/juicy/Kool-Aidy bottle of shattered glass. I believe that this happened to me at least once or twice.

Hey!! How does Bordens fit into this story? Sorry, let me get back on track. Our school did not have a cafeteria but we could buy a half-pint bottle of milk any day you needed. The milk was provided by Borden Dairy and would cost you four cents per bottle. The milk came in glass bottles, similar to the ones in my whatnot collection pictured here. A year or so later, the glass bottles were replaced with paper cartons and the price was increased to five cents a carton. Click Here for more of the history of Borden Dairy and don't forget about Elsie the Cow!!

Lot Count: 2

Show Whatnot Lots   

Image Number: W-0101-00-00

Title: Trivet

Publication Date: 01-September-2024

When Acquired: Sometime in early 2016

Whatnot History: My first memory of this trivet was when I was only two or three years old (1960 or 1961). The trivet sat on a low shelf in the kitchen of the house where I grew up. The shelf was low enough that I could look down at it. I don't know why the trivet was important to me, it just was. After my dad passed away in 2015, I found the trivet and it has been in my collection of whatnots ever since then.

The initials "J. Z. H." and the date "1951" can be found on the underside of the trivet. With a little bit of Googling, I found that the initials are for John Zimmerman Harner and that the combination his initials and date refer to the design of the trivet which was called the "Family Tree Cast Iron Trivet". Click Here   Or Click Here for more info about Mr. Harner.

Lot Count: 1

Show Whatnot Lots