Home › What we collect › Other Remarkable Finds
06
Other Remarkable Finds
Toys, pop culture, advertising, books, ephemera, photographs, and objects that don't fit a tidy category. If you can't name it, describe it plainly, photograph it well and tell us where it came from.
01 · Identification clues
- Overall condition and wear, which show how an object was used.
- The base or underside, for maker, patent or origin marks.
- For books, the title and copyright pages: publisher, edition, printing.
- For photographs, the back: studio stamps and handwritten notes.
- For boxed items: original boxes, instructions, price tags, store labels.
02 · Information worth recording
- A plain description and approximate age, if known.
- Every mark or printed detail, copied exactly.
- Quantity, and whether items form a set.
- Missing parts, pages or accessories.
- Any story or paperwork, kept apart from what you can see.
03 · Useful photo views
- The whole object, front.
- Back, base or underside.
- Close-ups of marks and printed details.
- For books, the title and copyright pages.
- For mixed groups, one overview of everything together.
04 · Paperwork to gather
Original instructions, boxes and inserts; receipts or family records; the collector's own notes; and old photos showing the object in use. Nothing needs to be created.
05 · Careful handling
- Keep sets, boxes and parts together as found.
- Don't repair, reglue, repaint, polish or clean.
- Handle photographs and paper by the edges, and leave them in their albums.
- Store paper flat, away from light, heat and damp.
06 · What photos can't show
- Age and origin are often hard to confirm from images alone.
- Reproductions of popular toys, signs and advertising are common.
- A "one of a kind" story is worth noting, but it needs support before it's treated as fact.
07 · Common questions
Can I ask about something I can't identify?
Yes. Describe it, photograph all sides and any marks, and tell us where it came from if you know.
Do you take whole household contents?
An inquiry can describe a mixed collection. Whether and how we can help depends on what's in it, and nothing is accepted until it's agreed in writing.
Should I sort things before getting in touch?
Keep things together where you found them until they're recorded. Splitting sets and boxes can lose context.
Tell us what you've found
Category is pre-selected for you. A short description is enough.
Start an inquiry