Showing posts with label collectibles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label collectibles. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

4/17/18 Report - Bluetooth Hoard Found By 13-Year-Old Detectorist. More On Beach Access Legislation. Older Paper Money In Circulation.


Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source: TheGuardian.com link below.
A 13-year-old boy and an amateur archaeologist have unearthed a “significant” trove in Germany which may have belonged to the Danish king Harald Bluetooth who brought Christianity to Denmark.

René Schön and his student Luca Malaschnitschenko were looking for treasure using metal detectors in January on northern Rügen island when they chanced upon what they initially thought was a worthless piece of aluminium.


But upon closer inspection, they realised that it was a piece of silver, German media reported.
Over the weekend, the regional archaeology service began a dig covering 400 sq metres (4,300 sq ft). It has found a hoard believed to be linked to the Danish king Harald Gormsson, better known as “Harry Bluetooth”, who reigned from around AD958 to 986...


Here are two links for more about that.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/16/treasure-of-legendary-danish-king-bluetooth-unearthed-in-germany

https://www.livescience.com/62323-king-bluetooth-treasure-found.html?utm_source=notification

Another good archaeological find made by a young detectorist.

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Here is what FlaglerLive had to say about the beach access bill signed by Governor Rick Scott and how Flagler County is responding.

Your free access to many beaches in Flagler County is not so free anymore. A new law that easily passed both of Florida’s legislative chambers and that Gov. Rick Scott signed in March bars local governments from unilaterally enacting ordinances that protect the public’s “customary” use of beaches in front of private property.

Starting July 1, governments that want to adopt such ordinances much go through a laborious process and essentially have a legal action involving every beach-front private property owner, proving to a judge that the public has customarily used every one of those parts of the beach for a long time...


Here is the link.

https://flaglerlive.com/120856/beach-access-florida/

If you've been trying to figure out what the bill will or won't do from the articles that appear in the press, this on might help clarify a few things.

Thanks to Brian B. for that link.

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A lot of people check their change for older coins, but it might also be a good idea to check your paper money as well.

I cashed a check the other day and got a couple fifty dollar bills, and they turned out to be older bills.  They were 1990 series, which doesn't seem old for coins, but it can make a difference in paper money.

1990 Series Fifty Dollar Bill.
I found these are offered on eBay for $65 or $75 dollars.  I don't know how well they sell at that price.

The first thing that stuck out to me and told me these bills were older is the small 50 within the circle.  There are other differences, of course.

A couple things to look for are low serial numbers, and star bills.  Star bills are sold for a more.  The last letter in the serial number would be a star rather than the "B" you see above.

As with all collectibles, condition matters.

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We are having a small surf and some good low tides.

Expect the surf to increase a bit Thursday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

8/5/14 Report - Bertha Now Close To NC. Tungsten Ring? Antique Jewelry Maker's Marks. Hot Wheels & Action Figures.


Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.

Funny Things Found on the Beach At Different Times.
You can't always find an unusual item of historic significance like the gold pyx that was recently found by the crew of the Booty.  In fact, some days it is hard to find much of anything.  But no matter what big treasure you are trying to find, there is always something little that you can find along the way. 

Why in the world would I post a picture of these silly toys?  I'll tell you, but first I'll answer an email from Hans.

Hans J. wrote and said, I don't believe that unknown ring would be Titanium- Ti is very light like aluminum and I don't believe they make rings from them. I think you may have meant Tungsten- a common replacement for gold.

Also, I don't see a 'like' button on posts. Maybe you have to be logged in?


I'm sure he is right about the ring that I showed.  It is very heavy.  I noticed how heavy it was as soon as I picked it up.   Much too heavy to be titanium.  I should have thought of that before typing.

The "like" button that I referred to might not actually be a "like" button.  What I was talking about is the g+1 button that can be found at the bottom of each post.  I'm not sure if that is properly called a like button or not - evidently not.  I just noticed one day that some people were using it, and I found the feedback helpful.  Despite all of my posts, I haven't taken the time to learn anything about social media or promotions.  I just post.   Someday I'll have to learn to take this web stuff seriously.

Thanks Hans.


I was expecting another video of recent finds from a Spanish galleon, but didn't get it yet.  Maybe soon.


On the earring that I showed yesterday, I found that it was stamped with a very small "IBB CN."  Very small, but could be seen with my Celestron digital microscope.

I looked that up and found that IBB is a company that distributes high-end fashion jewelry and watch brands, including; Guess, Nautica, Marc Ecko and Gc.   It is a Canadian company, so that probably explains the CN.

In the process of researching the earring I also found (actually I need to credit the wife) a great web site on jewelry and particularly antique jewelry maker's marks.  Here it is.

http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Category:Jewelry_Maker's_Marks

I'll probably add that web site to my reference links list.  I've found a number of good reference sites to add to the list lately.



As I've said before, I like a lot of different kinds of things.  I like bottles, fossils, gold nuggets, rings, artifacts, and the list goes on.  I even like old sinkers and fishing lures. Economic value isn't the only thing that interests me.

I like recycling things.  I like picking up something that has been lost and is lost and returning it to usefulness.  I don't like waste.   I hate to see useful things go to waste, no matter how big or small.

You know all of those little cars and toy that you find on the beach?  They might be toys but some of them can be worth something. 

1970s - 1990s items, especially toys, are collected by a lot of people who like to recapture their childhood.  As unexplainable as it might seem to some of you, items that are a few decades old can be more valuable than items that are centuries old.  It just depends on what you like.

Kovels Komments said,  Hot Wheels are hot. A 1973 pink toy Ferrari sold on eBay for $3,009, a record price for a Hot Wheels toy sold on eBay. It sold with its blister wrap. Antique Trader lists four other Hot Wheels worth more than $2,000 today: a mint-in-the-box 1969 blue Redline Oldsmobile 442, a yellow Redline Cipsa Mexican Sand Witch, an ice blue Redline Oldsmobile 442, and a dark purple Mustang Boss Hoss car with a black roof.

Of course the most valuable ones would be mint in box, but there are a lot of Hot Wheels collectors and if you find one of the more sought after models in decent condition, it might be worth something even if it is not in great shape.   Here are just a few that I dug up.  

 




A few detectorists collect Hot Wheels and other similar cars.  It is one more way to enjoy your day, especially when you aren't busy digging gold coins.

The little car above is in much better condition than the picture shows.  It has metal flake paint. 

Hot Wheels cars can be easily researched.  Check the bottom for markings.  It will show the year.

Of course you can detect those little cars, but there are other toys that are plastic, yet you can find them, and they can be worth a few bucks too.  Action toys from the 1980s are very popular.

At the top of the post are a few of those that I've picked up on a beach.  I've sold a few.   My uncle always said, "Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."    These silly toys can often be sold for a few dollars, and that is better than many of the items you will dig.  I know a lot of people have no interest in this type of thing, but not only do I like them, they also help pay for batteries or whatever.

Masters of the universe toys (MOTU) are very popular.  The first one that I found I quickly sold for a few bucks at a comic book store.

The purple thing on the left is a Wendy's promotional item from a few decades ago.  It falls in the advertising collectibles category.

I don't know the guy on the right at all.

Here is a web site about the most popular action figures from the 80s.

http://gadgets.gunaxin.com/the-30-best-action-figures-of-the-80s/34730


NHC Image of Bertha.


On the Treasure Coast today the wind is still out of the west and the surf is running around one to two feet.

Bertha is up by North Carolina and is decreasing in strength.




People who dislike how thy are treated usually treat others very poorly.  That is part of the reason they aren't treated better, but the bigger reason is that they unwittingly treat themselves poorly.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

9/26/13 Report - Clifford's Pirate Ship Salvage, St. Lucie County History Museum, Old Bricks & More



Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

On The Site of the WhyDah
Clipped rom Foxnews video
See FoxNews link below.

Yesterday I commented on the local salvage season coming to an end.  The same thing has already happened up north.

Yesterday Fox News did a piece on Brandon and Barry Clifford who have been salvaging the Whydah.  They said they won't be back out on the Whydah this year but will be moving from Cape Cod to Africa to hunt the wreck of one of Billy the Kidd's ships.

One reason I wanted to comment on that is that I've been talking about treasure museums a little.

The Clifford's said they don't sell anything they find.  So what do they do with it all?   They have traveling shows.  The public gets to see what they've found.  And as I've been pointing out, the public is interested in such things.

Here is the link to the FoxNews video on the Cliffords treasure search story.\

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/25/yellow-brick-road-leads-to-massachusetts-pirate-booty-explorer-says/

Cannons From the Whydah.
From FoxNews video.
There are some interesting trends in the responses to the blog poll.  It is too early for me to comment on those, but I think we'll see something interesting.

Of course, other groups do something similar.  Odyssey Marine Explorations Inc. also has traveling treasure shows or displays.

Whyday Anchor
From Foxnews Video.

I still remember many years ago when I stopped at Art KcKees treasure museum down in the keys and the museum was closed but Art came out to talk.  He was known for that sort of thing and personally gave many private tours to delighted tourists.



Back to the poll blog on treasure museums.  Dennis S. wrote to let me know about an omission.  I actually thought about this at the time but didn't include it.   I can't do it now with the poll already running.

Here is what Dennis said.

I saw your poll on museums.  You might want to add one. The county museum in Fort Pierce,  \ http://www.stlucieco.gov/history/ , west bound side of the causeway, is interesting. It has a small section on the 1715 fleet,  It has two charts of the 1715 lease areas on the wall.. The picture of the bullet [in the blog] reminded me of the WWII section of the museum. I was surprised at the size of the amphibious base on the south side of the inlet.  It took up the entire north end of the island. I knew about the SEAL training on the north side of the inlet but nothing about the amphibious training base on the south side of the inlet.


Thanks Dennis.  There are still a lot of left overs from the WW II exercises that pop up on the beaches from time to time.


Things besides silver and gold change in price.

KovelsKomments says,

An annual "World Wealth Report" study of the most profitable luxury-item investments for 2013 says classic cars have gone up 28 percent since the end of 2012. Coins are up 9 percent; stamps, 7 percent; watches, 4 percent; Chinese ceramics, 3 percent; and jewelry, 2 percent. But antique furniture is down 3 percent and fine art is down 6 percent.

That should help your argument if you've been trying to get your wife to agree to your purchase of a collectible car.


Did you know that some people collect old bricks, especially the ones with the names or initials on them?  Not only are old bricks collected by collectors, they are used to add that extra touch to new homes and buildings.

I like the old bricks with the names or initials on them. 

Sometimes you can find a brick on a beach that actually came form an old shipwreck.  Keep your eyes open for those.  They were often used in a ship's galley.  To me, they make an interesting find.  The galley bricks will generally be of different dimensions than modern building bricks.

Reclaimed bricks are popular for building modern homes because of the attractive and distinctive look of the aged clay.


On the Treasure Coast the surf will only be about one foot Thursday but the low tide will not be very low.

The surf will pick up to about 3 - 4 feet by Saturday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net



Tuesday, July 16, 2013

7/16/13 Report - Gold Coins and Other Treasures & Collectibles Receiving a Lot of Interest


Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com

Gold Coins Found by Capitana
From ABC News Video

Yesterday I posted a photo of the 48 gold coins that were recently found by Greg Bounds of the Capitana.  Thanks to Capt. Martinez of the Gold Hound who sent me yesterday's picture of the coins.  

I said yesterday that I'd have some more information about the coins for you today, but first I want to mention another important part of the story.

Capt. Martinez said the guys on the Capitana are some of the hardest working people that he knows and they really deserve the find.  You can see these treasure hunters are close knit group, and you can see how they respect and root for each other.  They know what it takes.  They also all experienced a big loss not too long ago.

In his email with the photo of the coins, Capt. Martinez mentioned "Jeff" showing "the way" to those gold coins.   If you go back in this blog not too long ago, you'll read about a diver from the Capitana that passed away on a dive.  It was diver Jeff Croy.  When those gold coins were recently found, I'm sure that everyone working on the Capitana was reminded of Jeff, as Captain Martinez suggested.  And I'm sure that Capt. Martinez was not the only one that felt Jeff had a part in the discovery.  They probably felt that Jeff was now looking down and smiling with them.

Treasure hunting is more a story about people than things.  It is about the journeys that people go through in life - the ups and the downs- the sorrows and the successes, and the things that make the journey worthwhile and that make people better as a result of the journey.  I'm sure that all who were there were not only over-joyed by the find but were also fondly reminded of their recently departed friend.

About the coins, Capt. Martinez said they are a beautiful mix of Bogota, Mexico, Lima coins. Some are dated.  And, of course, they are believed to be from the 1715 Fleet.

Congratulations to those of the Capitana and all who seek treasure in this life and beyond.


Here is a video about the gold coin find.

http://main.aol.com/2013/07/15/divers-find-300yearold-go_n_3599244.html?1373905181

And another video on the find from ABC News.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/07/treasure-hunters-find-gold-coin-trove-off-florida/



I have been thinking for some time about talking about some of the detectorists that I knew back in the day.  I might have mentioned yesterday that I was thinking of doing that.  It seems all the more appropriate now.

Yesterday I started to do that but ended up talking about my first metal detectors - the Whites from Sears and Reobuck and the Fisher Aquanaut 1280. 

I purchased my Aquanaut, which quickly became my work horse, at a small shop not too far from the Fort Lauderdale airport back in the eighties.  It seems that the shop is still there.  Back then they sold jewelry and metal detectors and maybe a few other things.

Anyhow Jerry ran the shop with his wife.  Jerry was a hyperactive guy that seemed like he was in always running in high gear and had all this energy ready to break out.  His wife, who was usually at the shop (I forget her name now), was just the opposite.  She was super calm - very mellow.  Very much the opposite of Jerry. 

Anyhow, Jerry told me that he had been out detecting every low tide for the past month or so.  That is two low tides per day!  With his energy level, I could see him doing that.  I don't know what all he found, but I'm sure he had some of it for sale in his shop.

Jerry did good jewelry work too.   If you brought him a drowned Rolex, for example, he could get a new face or movement and you'd have a working watch.

Jerry and his wife also held club hunts in those days, mostly at Hollywood Beach, and put out tokens and things for prizes.  I doubt that they still do that.  From the little research I did, the shop is still there and sells detectors.  From what I've seen, it seems they sell Bounty Hunter detectors now, and maybe others.  I haven't been to that shop in many years so I'm not sure exactly what they are doing now.



Kovels keeps track of user searches and creates a list of the collectibles that people seem to be most interested in.  Here is what they said.

The Kovels.com Top 10 list indicates the current interests of collectors who visit the website. During June 2013 antique enthusiasts were busy researching:


Bottle collecting has become a popular American hobby and bottle enthusiasts looking to add a few new items to their collection can find plenty to choose from at flea markets, bottle shows and at many auctions. There are many categories of bottles—bitters, beer, whisky, soda, mineral water, ink, medicine, poison, fruit jars and historic flasks among them. A rare sapphire blue flask made in Bridgeton, New Jersey, circa 1825 – 1840 sold for $28,750 at a Glass Works auction last month. It has a sloop on one side and a star on the other. It's thought to be one of only three of its type known.


It is good to know what is hot.  Bottles are evidently popular, however the bottle market for common bottles is nothing compared to what it used to be.  Excellent rare high-priced bottles are doing well though.

The internet did that to a lot of collectible categories.  Common items are now easy to find on the internet so the prices have dropped for everything but the more exceptional items.

Here is the source link to the Kovels article.


http://www.kovels.com/2013070912793/latest-news/kovelscoms-top-10-antiques-and-collectibles-searches-for-june-2013.html?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kovels.com%2f2013070912793%2flatest-news%2fkovelscoms-top-10-antiques-and-collectibles-searches-for-june-2013.html&utm_campaign=Kovels+Komments%3a+Top+10+Antiques+and+Collectibles+Searches+for+June+2013


I noticed that this blog blew through 600,000 hits a day or two ago.


On the Treasure Coast this today the surf is predicted to be 2 - 4 feet then decrease to down around  1 - 2 feet over the next several days again.  The wind is from the east.

It is raining again early this morning.

Low tide this morning is around 8:30 AM.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net