The Story of the Thrift Store Detective

I read an interesting story in yesterday morning's Ottawa Citizen about a woman named Chelsey Brown who is a 'Thrift Store Detective.' As an eBay seller, I often wonder who the people were that appear in the photographs that I find. How old were they when the photograph was taken? What was the occasion of the picture? Where did they live? What path did life take them down? 

Highlights of the items that Brown has found in her adventures include letters, photos, cards and even Second World War ration books. Instead of selling these items, however, she has instead undertaken the difficult job of attempting to return them to their original families. Once she was returned love letters written in the 1960s to the original recipient. Imagine that. I wonder how that woman felt when she received those letters back and what the rest of her love story would tell.

Anyway, Brown starts her process with items that have a clue of some sort like a name, a date, an address or some other helpful hint.  The Citizen says that her success rate is 80 percent. Pretty amazing and definitely very interesting for those items that return home.

I doubt that I would have the skills necessary to tackle such a job so I will stick with reselling the items that I have found that generally have no obvious link to the past. The vintage black and white photographs shown above are all without any identifiers. No names, no dates. 

I think there is a moral here and that is to cherish a few items from your past and to make sure that they are identified as such for the next generations. I do remember one elderly friend who did this and who put little notes on or with things so that in the future family members would know where they had come from and the importance or family connection of each item.

Do you have pieces of treasured ephemera that tell a story from your past? I would love to hear from you.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

MORE READING:

Discover these and other vintage B&W photographs in my eBay store.

Read the complete Thrift Store Detective story.

Woman returns Holocaust letter to family 75 years later. 

Follow Chelsey Brown on Instagram.

31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS: Emma Bridgewater Diamond Jubilee Mugs

This Emma Bridgewater mug is another darling piece in the line that celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. It measures 3.5 inches in height and holds 10.5 ounces of your favorite hot beverage. You can click here to see what mugs from this series are currently available from eBay.

The product line, however, included other attractive pieces like a teapot, a dish cloth, a plate and an apron.

I am a tea drinker -- I always put tea in my coffee mugs and I would really put this beautiful Emma Bridgewater Diamond Jubilee teapot to good use. It is also made in Emma Bridgewater's factory from English earthenware. It measures 8 inches tall and holds 4 cups of tea, brewed exactly as you like it, of course.

One review that I read was from a buyer who says that she purchased this teapot for her 88 year old mother who is British. She says that her mother loved the sentiment "Steadfast and True" that is written on the teapot as well as the fact that this teapot celebrates the Queen and her Diamond Jubilee. The teapot now resides in the center of her mother's treasured display!

When I first wrote this page, these pieces were available on Amazon. However, when I was looking today I discovered that there are not many of these items available there anymore. You can, however, find them on eBay by clicking right here. 

Any of the pieces in this set would make a wonderful gift idea for someone who follows the life of Britain's Royal Family and who has a royal memorabilia collection. I would love to own them all and I do not have a Royal Family collection. How about you? Are you a fan? Of the Queen and her family? Of Emma Bridgewater?

You never know
what mugs I might
have in store for you!
Brenda

This post previously published elsewhere by the author in 2012.