Monday, March 7, 2011

"Antique Keys .50¢ ea."

found objects
waiting to become necklaces
I can be curious. I open lids. Sometimes to my detriment, but this time I found fortune and utter delight:  A pile of antique keys aged to perfection!  Too charming. Romantic, mysterious, symbolic and utilitarian all at once--Mine!

They came in a humble, grubby little paper box with a brown water stain and fading label and postmark on its lid, and a slip of linen cardstock stapled to its side, with "Antique Keys  .50¢ ea." carefully handwritten inside a fancy ink-stamped frame.

I don’t remember what I offered for the whole batch—it was only a few dollars—but I thank my mom for having taught me the value of haggling, and I was thanking the seller for being so unattached to the keys and willing to let them go for an insignificant amount. I mostly thank art school where I learned what wonderful pieces of art can be made from found objects.

I hung out with that box of keys for a few years, not knowing what I wanted to do with them. It’s likely that I tied them on a string and hung them in plain view because that’s what I always do with things so cool I don’t want to forget.  Out of sight, out of mind...you know--The Hoarder's Creed?  Eventually I would pair those keys with some leather reclaimed from thrifted vintage coats and make a pretty simple wallet, as quirky and imperfect as you please!

Sometimes I blush a little when I see the very first ones I sold online—not to mention the documented evidence of knowing nothing about photography!  But I also glow with pride a bit when I look at how far I’ve come from that serendipitous day at a neighborhood flea market where I took some things nobody wanted and turned them into some things that quite a few people have cherished.  I call them Urban Heirlooms. 

What’s the neatest thing you ever found? What did you do with it?

8 comments:

  1. At my one of my favorite flea markets, I found a large box filled with letters and postcards from Europe in the 1920's. I still haven't found a use for them, aside from displaying them in my house, but they are so lovely.

    I LOVE your work, btw. The juxtaposition of the antique keys and leather is so appealing.

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  2. Thanks, Lulu :) Vintage images are another thing that's fun (and addictive) to collect. Those letters and postcards might be invaluable to some collage artists!

    I hope you'll share your display ideas on your blog once you find a use for them.

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  3. What a great story! I also found a box of vintage postcards from Europe at a flea market once. I don't think I'll ever use them in a craft. I can't think of cutting them or gluing them. I've given some away to friends who loved them also, but they both framed them.

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  4. My Hideaway, thanks for sharing that! European postcards are pretty popular I see! I love the elegant writing on the backs of them.

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  5. that's an awesome score! i'm jealous! (ps. found your blog through the etsy blog team forums )

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  6. Thanks, Jody! But don't be too jealous--the keys in the second picture were not in that initial box; they are what I have in my current stash after much treasure hunting. :)

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  7. wow, what a find! i just love old keys, and you've put them to beautiful use!

    one of my best finds was a HUGE stash of vintage lucite and czech glass beads i got on ebay for a song. helped me start my first etsy shop :)

    xoxo,
    lesley

    p.s. found you via the etsy blog team!

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  8. Lesley, sounds like you really lucked out. I love glass beads too. Thanks for sharing!

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