Collectomania - Showcasing A Collector's Passion

If you are a collector, or if you have ever known a collector, you will understand how passionate they can become over collecting what can sometimes be thought of as very obscure objects. I personally know this myself as a collector of Baby Feeders. Not every one shares my passion and in fact many would ask 'why on earth do you collect baby bottles?' To me it is the fascination of the social history and the development of these everyday items. I like to collect things that have been used by the average person in their everyday life and have become a piece of social history.

Karen and I, with our close friends Cliff and Judy, went along to see the Collectomania display at the Queensland Museum a few weeks ago. We are all passionate collectors and were curious to see what sort of collections would be featured in the display. It had been indicated that some of the collections might be considered quite weird by some people. We wanted to see what other people were actually collecting. The following photos probably show a bit of a biased view as they are mostly of the collections that appealed to me.

 

The first thing that you see at the exhibition, just before you enter, is a cool red tractor in front of a wall of number plates.

I was immediately drawn to the number plate collection as I have a small collection myself fixed to the front of my shed.  Some rather unusual ones here. Makes me want to look out for some more for my shed.

The first thing that hits you when you get inside is this huge Ceiling Medallion from the old Regent Theatre.  This theatre was built in QueenStreet, Brisbane in the 1920s. It has been the centre of an ongoing battle to save it. Most of this historic building has now been lost except for its heritage listed foyer.

Regent Theatre Ceiling Medallion information.

Other Regent Theatre items included a row of seats, some heavy curtains, a chandelier and spot light.

I just had to take a photo of this Fire Fighting Collection seeing that my eldest son Laurie is a firefighter. We gave him a fire hose nozzle like the one featured here when he graduated as a fire fighter. See my Fire Fighting Collectables post.

Fantastic collection of Padlocks and this is only about half of what was on display.

Someone even collected old Washing Machines. Nice to see some old washing powder boxes in original condition. How many of these would have been saved?

There was an incredible collection of Beaters. I was amazed to see how many different types and mechanisms there were. Again, this is only half of what was on display. Well worth seeing, especially if you collect Kitchenalia like I do.

Another amazing collection. This time it's a collection of Salesman's Samples of Sanitary Ware (bathroom fittings). I wonder who would collect things like these??? These samples are not easy to find.

This collection is an example of the entire possessions that an immigrant coming to Australia in the 1950s was allowed to bring with them. They were only allowed to bring one suitcase. In that suitcase would be the sum total of their earthly goods. So much must have been left behind. Great sacrifices were made to begin a new life in Australia. Fascinating insight into our immigration policies after World War 2.

Here we have an interesting collection of all sorts of things that were just found around a country property. I think these came from somewhere like Blackall. A collection that really wouldn't have cost anything to put together but is clearly preserving our countries farming history. I suppose that is why I like this collection so much as I really collect things for their history. Interesting to see they found a Chinese soy pot on the farm (top shelf). These are often found on the goldfields.

Not all collectables on display were old. This was a fantastic display of World War 2 German Soldiers. Apparently the owner chose to collect German soldiers because of their colourful uniforms. Other countries mustn't have been as flamboyant as the Germans.

Detailed diorama of a German garage during wartime.

There's also a very detailed model of Bilbo Baggin's Hobbit Hole from Lord of the Rings. This model was made by Maddie Chambers in England in 2010. You can read all about it and see lots more photos in her blog.

You can stand on a stool and look down into each of the rooms. The amount of detail is incredible. The longer you look, the more you find. Has to be seen to be believed.

Detail of the front door of Bilbo's Home.

There were many more collections on display but the ones above were what I consider to be some of the most interesting. Some of the other collections included snow globes, stickers, spoons and even finger nail clippings. Although I would never collect some of these things, the exhibition did show how varied people's collections could be. It also showed that you don't have to spend a fortune to compile an interesting collection. After all, I am sure the collection of fingernail clippings didn't cost much if anything at all!

Why not go along and check it out for yourself and make your own mind up about the different collections on display. It's on at the Queensland Museum, Brisbane until the end of the year and entry is free.

My Collectorama Treasures - June 2013

Went to Collectorama on Saturday. It's a huge Antiques & Collectables Fair held four times a year, in the Nambour Show-grounds on the Sunshine Coast. Today, being the first official day of winter, meant a cold and dark start for me if I was to get there before the gates opened. You guessed it, I ended up arriving about a half hour after it had started. Still got reasonable parking though and don't think I really missed much.

I spent about three and a half hours looking around, picking up a few treasures and catching up with a few friends here and there. I started with the lower covered area.

My first find was a Salter No. 8 flat iron or sad iron on Ashley's stall. This type of iron aren't rare but they are usually to be found in a rather poor condition. This one (pictured below) was in very good condition and also very reasonably priced. Ashley always has many old irons for sale as he is an avid collector of irons as well as many other metal items. Lately he has been selling of his surplus at bargain prices which has enabled me to add to my own collection of irons which forms an important part of my overall kitchenalia collection.

Next I found this tool pictured below. The stall holder said it was for measuring the thickness of sheet metal and the gauge of wire. Not sure if this is correct as I can find no evidence of it ever having any markings on it that would indicate this. I showed it to another stall holder who thought it was more likely to be a special tool used for bending wire. But bending wire for what purpose remains unknown so it looks as though a lot more research will need to be done by yours truly. 

I found another item to add to my kitchenalia collection. This time it was a nice tin mould, maybe for jelly or something similar. Looks a bit like a beetle doesn't it? I believe it is supposed to be some type of fruit shape.

It was time to check out the two storey main pavilion next. You often find some of the better (and unfortunately dearer) items in there.

At one of the downstairs stalls, run by a nice guy from Maleny named Steve, I came across a convict brick with a large impressed heart mark. He believed it to be a genuine convict brick and after a bit of research, I am inclined to agree with him. Looks like another item that will require more research and a post of its own. I had bought some things from Steve before, namely rabbit traps, so knew that his prices were very reasonable to start with and that he was also open to consider any reasonable offers. I noticed that he had a huge circular saw blade on his stall but unfortunately it was already sold. So glad I talked to him about this because he told me that he had another one at home that I could buy. I gave him my card and he said he will bring it along to the next Collectorama in September for me. Don't know how I'm going to wait till then to get it. Hope he doesn't forget and sell it before hand.

Upstairs in the main pavilion I found the rolling pin shown below. I already had a few rolling pins but none with ends like this one. It's also quite a long one and in very good clean condition. Would be great for making pizza because of its length. Another nice addition to my kitchenalia collection.

I finished the morning by looking around the other covered area (the split level one) to see what else I could find.

The following two items were both from the same stall in the higher section of the split level area. I was lucky to see them as they had only been put out just before I'd come along (at least that's what the stall holder said). The DeWitt's Antacid Powder tin seems to be over half full but as the lid is stuck firm I have no way of checking this.  It looks as though someone has unsucessfully tried to remove the lid. Still a nice tin with good graphics. Probably dates from the 1950s.

The second item from this stall is a very tiny bottle of Alophen Chocolate Coated Pills (a laxative) with it's original box. It still has six pills left in the bottle. It has a very interesting ingredients list on the label that says the pills contain both strychnine and belladonna. I think the need for constipation relief would probably become a minor secondary problem after taking these pills.

On the same level I also found these two galvanised pitchers. The stall holder believes they were most likely used to bail out the dirty water from washing coppers. As he had about six identical ones (and he said he still had more at home) I am inclined to believe that they would have been used to scoop out feed or grain either on a farm or in a produce store. They are very strongly made and in good condition. I will probably plant them up and use them in my garden somewhere.

I also found some old Edison cylinder records (nine all up) on this upper level. Their cases weren't in very good condition but all (except for one) of the cylinders were very good. I've only ever had three before so now I have enough to play with when and if I ever get my own Edison Cylinder Gramophone. Also, the stall holder only wanted $10 for the lot which made them even more attractive.

One of my last purchases of the day, found on the lower level, was a child's Puss in Boots plate by Bristol, England. This goes nicely with a child's bowl with similar decoration that I already have from the same English company.

Last but not least was this yellow New Zealand Number plate form the early 1960s. It has already found a good home mounted securely on my shed along with all of my other number plates. Good colour for a 50 year old plate.

Oh, and of course no visit to Collectorama would be complete without stopping by for a chat and to buy some roasted macadamia nuts from Hamish. His stall turned out to be quite the meeting place on Saturday with George, Fay and Gordon, all from my bottle cub, also turning up for a chat while I was there. 

The next event that I am looking forward to is the Caboolture Swap Meet Show & Shine on Saturday the 22nd of June. Never been to this one before so hope it turns out to be a good one.

Some Treasures from Dayboro Day Antiques & Collectables Fair

Last Sunday, I went down to the Dayboro Day Antiques & Collectables Fair. It's only on once a year and although fairly small, I usually find something nice there to add to my collections. I only did a quick visit this time as I wanted to get back home in time to go to church. I did manage, however, to get there well before the 8.30am start and was actually about the third person through the door. Never been that early to any fair before.

At the fair I found six treasures which I very happily brought home with me. Below are a few teaser photos of what I found. Some of these items will be featured in more detail in future posts.

My first purchase was the most unusual and also my favourite find of the day. I bought it from Kate, the owner of one of my favourite, small, antiques shop, "Tikki Boo", at Clontarf. Kate always has something interesting for me in her shop and her prices are also quite reasonable. This time I bought a sewing box (?) made from some old Laurel Kerosene tins, most likely during the Great Depression. A great piece of Australian history. I plan to do a special article in the near future devoted entirely to this most ingenious item.

Next I found an early card game called "CHOOK CHOOK". Apart from some water stains on the outside of the box, it looks as though it has never been used. This game probably dates from the 1930s. 

The next stall belonged to another two favourite dealers of mine, Ash & David. I very seldom pass their stalls without buying something and this Sunday was no exception. They had a very nice hand forged branding iron in a 'fleur de lis' or crown design. A little dearer than I usually pay for a branding iron but the design was worth the extra. One day I will do a special post on all of my branding irons. I just want to fire them up first and brand a piece of wood to see how they all turn out.

Ash & David also had a nice child's trio in a Noah's Ark design which I just had to have to add to my juvenalia collection. This probably dates from the 1950s / 60s and was made by "SYDNEY BRITISH ANCHOR ENGLAND".

The last things that I bought were from a stall owner who usually always has some interesting things at good prices. I have bought a few things from him over the years including my very first piece of Australian domestic pottery, a Diana trough vase. This time I found six Warning signs (4 aluminium and 2 steel) and an old galvanised bucket. I think the signs have probably come from some high tension power line towers as they warn of the dangers of climbing such towers. I wasn't really after this type of sign but how could I refuse when he only wanted $2 each. I intend to hang one or two of them up and then use the rest to make some signs of my own. There is no way that I could have even bought sheets of aluminium or steel this cheaply.

Not sure where I will use the bucket yet but I know it will look great somewhere in my garden.

Overall a very worthwhile visit. Came home with some nice treasures and caught up with a few friends. Looking forward to next year's fair.

Still More Mulga

I wasn't actually planning to buy more mulga wood items but they just seem to keep popping up out of nowhere. I had decided that if I were to buy anymore, they would have to be in excellent condition and very reasonably priced. You would think that this would limit what I would find, but no it didn't. I have found pieces of mulga in excellent condition at both of the last two collectables events that I have attended. The prices were reasonable so they had to come home with me to be added to my growing collection of mulga wood.

The first items are a pair of small vases. I found these on a stall at the Banyo Swap Meet just over a week ago. It actually turns out that the stall holders had been next door neighbours of ours, probably 25 to 30 years ago. It's a small world, isn't it. This swap meet is only the second such event that I have ever attended and I must confess that I think I could easily get hooked on them. Although they are primarily put on to cater to the car enthusiast (this one was put on by the EJ & EH Holden Car Club), they do have a lot of collectables for sale as well. You seem to be more likely to get a bargain at these swap meets than at a designated "Antiques and Collectables" fair. The next swap meet I plan to attend will be the "Caboolture Swap Meet Show & Shine" on Saturday the 22nd of June at the Caboolture Show Grounds. This is just up the road from me so I should be able to easily make the 7.00am start. Just hope it isn't too cold. The low entry fee to most swap meets is also another added attraction. Most seem to only cost $3 to get in.

The pair of vases are labelled "AUSTRALIAN MULGA SOUTHERN SERIES". I hadn't encountered this brand before so I was happy to add this new brand to my collection.

The pair of "SOUTHERN SERIES" vases (just over 15cm high)
Photographed using flash.

Other side of the vases
Using flash again to bring out the rich reds of the mulga wood.

Underside of each vase showing the "AUSTRALIAN MULGA SOUTHERN SERIES" brand stickers

Same two vases using natural light only.
Notice the differences in the turning of each vase especially around the top rims.
No two pieces of mulga wood are ever the same.

Other side of the vases photographed in natural light.

Much browner in colour.

The next item of mulga wood was found last weekend at the Caloundra Antique & Collectables Show. When I first saw it I didn't even know what it was. I asked the dealer and he thought it may have been for holding rings on a ladies dressing table. It didn't look feminine enough to me for this purpose. I now believe it may be a desk tidy for something like pins or paperclips. Maybe someone can help me here to identify its actual purpose. This piece was obviously originally bought as a souvenir as it has "From Ulladulla" in gold lettering on it. Coincidentally, this piece is also labelled "AUSTRALIAN MULGA SOUTHERN SERIES". 

Small souvenir pin? dish with raised centre.
7 - 8cm in diameter

Souvenir  pin dish "From Ulladulla"

Underside of pin dish showing the "AUSTRALIAN MULGA SOUTHERN SERIES" brand sticker

When I concluded my last post on mulga wood I asked the question of "Will I buy any more mulga wood?". Well the answer has clearly proven to be yes but I am now definitely only looking for those special pieces in great condition.

My Rusty Ploughs as Garden Decor

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get two rusty ploughs (well one is actually a disc harrow) for my new back garden. I had seen them on Gumtree a little over a week ago and went to check them out last Sunday afternoon. Fortunately they were only about ten minutes drive away. Nice when something you want to buy is that close. As I walked up the driveway I spotted the plough in the garden (fell in love with it straight away) but couldn't see the harrow anywhere. I met the owner, Lynette, who took me over to where I had seen the plough and proceeded to point out the harrow hidden amongst some plants in the same garden. After a little trailblazing through the garden, a rather large and somewhat rusty piece of farm machinery began to be revealed. I wasn't sure we would be able to get it out of the garden, let alone even lift it. But then Lynette said the magic words, "We've just dropped the price down to $20 but if you buy the plough my husband, Scott, said you can have the disc harrow for free". I now knew I definitely wanted both ploughs.

Now I needed to work out how on earth I was going to get these things home. So who do you call when you need something big moved? Why, your little brother, David, of course. After all he does have a trailer. I felt a bit like Mike from American Pickers as he often calls his brother when he needs something big picked up. Anyway, David kindly said he would love to help his big brother. So along with David, myself and my son, Rob, we were all set to go.

To cut a long story short, we met up at Lynette and Scott's place and set to work loading the trailer. We had to dismantle the disc harrow into four pieces (a bit of angle grinding here and hammer and cold chisel there) as there was absolutely no way we were going to move it in one piece. Even then some pieces were extremely heavy. Half an hour later and my ploughs were on the way to their new home. Another hour later and they were in place in my new backyard garden (not completely bolted back together though). All the heavy moving finished by lunch time.

A few hours work in the afternoon saw the disc harrow all bolted back together and looking even better than it did before we moved it. Thankfully, I had saved all of Dad's tins of old rusty bolts and managed to find just what I needed in these tins. Very happy with the way it all turned out and very thankful to  Lynette and Scott for their generosity and to David and Rob for their brawn. Couldn't have done it with out you guys.

Below are some photos of my new toys. I just love them.

My ploughs

The Horse Drawn Disc Harrow (C1900?)  Nice rusty patina. Both steering levers move but only one still really works 

Poor old tractor seat is rusted completely through but now stays firmly in place thanks to a little rusty wire

Ten lethal chopping discs on the harrow, five each side

The Single Furrow Horse Drawn Plough (Circa late 1800s?) 

Love the flowing lines of this type of plough. Very sculptural.

Cool cast iron handles with nice rusty patina. Not sure what the numbers mean, maybe a design number?

More numbers on the plough - P 1852 (Maybe a patent date?)

Sweet lines

The Disc Harrow and Plough again

Photo showing full extent of my new backyard garden. Still a lot more plants to put in. Can't wait for them all to grow

Hmm! I now have two pieces of nice rusty farm machinery. Does this constitute the beginning of another collection??? Looks like there is still room for some more.