Apothecaries were the pharmacist’s of years past. They were medical professionals knowledgeable in formulating and distributing medicines. An interesting profession with many interesting tools! As we sorted through the old wood-working shop we certainly were not expecting to find apothecary items. In fact, we were sorting through old woodworking tools and hardware and were a [...]
Agora Marketplace Antiques favorite barn finds Architectural Salvage Old Barn Doors
While searching through old barns you can learn about the history and function of items. You also learn a lot about the people who owned them. We briefly mentioned in our last blog that the barn owner’s father loved to keep “stuff”. We didn’t fully understand why until we needed miscellaneous hardware and tools to [...]
Agora Marketplace Antiques favorite barn finds Stone Springhouse Cold Storage
While taking a break from our barn antique treasure hunt, sounds of a cast iron bell rang in a gentlemanly baritone ring. Wondering what it was about, we headed down the embankment along side the barn. Our generous new friends were pointing us to the open door to wash up for lunch. There’s nothing like [...]
Agora Marketplace Antiques favorite barn finds-Antique Cast Iron Spittoon
Spittoons are canisters that act as receptacles for chewing tobacco. This is a bit of information that my wife wished she knew before picking it up out of the box of miscellaneous collectibles. In late 19th century America they were quite common. Spittoons were typically found anywhere adult men were found. Adult men were the [...]
5 Tips for Finding Antiques and Collectibles in your Old Barn
Our very first barn adventure was at our client’s gorgeous estate in the Philadelphia region. The fantastic old barn was part of a gentleman’s farm that operated some years ago. It was full in all four compartments leaving, what seemed like, an endless supply of high quality and interesting antiques and collectibles. Tip #1- Safety [...]
Letters from a Philadelphia grand juror- Prison Art Model Ship
The following is taken from a family journal of a Philadelphia family who traces their ancestral line to before the founding of America. It records the experience of one uncle who served on a the grand jury in Philadelphia and ultimately lead to the purchase of a prison art model ship that has been in [...]
