On my desk at work I have an HP 16C scientific calculator, which I bought in 1983 for $120.
It is indeed a collectable, and I use it daily. With the manual and case (both of which I have), it is worth about $500.
My putter (golf), if in pristine condition, would be worth around $2,000. Problem is, my dad bought it in 1960 or 61 and used it until he had to quit playing in the 80’s. He gave it to me and I have used it ever since. The identifying markings are barely there anymore (and all original paint is long gone.)
Great putter, though.
G-88 commission rifle? I have one of those too and love it!
I inherited some very old etched crystal stemware from the 40’s. I was told they were worth a $100 a stem. I’ve used it at parties. Usually some woman remarks, “Do you know how much this is worth?” I tell them, “Yes, my guests are worth it.”
Not only has no one ever broken one, but no one ever dropped a glass and spilled wine on my white carpet (well the dog did that in, but I was tired of it anyway). I think once they get this fragile bit of glass in their hands, people stop acting like they’re 18 year olds at a kegger.
When you use it, do you yell out “Shut down all the potato mashers on the detention level”? :dubious:
I have a Griswold #8 cast iron chicken pan and a #9 skillet; they’re both from the 40’s at the latest. I also have a Griswold muffin pan, but I don’t use it much.
I have some Empress China, made in Japan around 1940. My mom hated the china, and used it for everyday, and put them through the dishwasher. :smack:
I have the pieces that survived and use some of them – the small plates are good for a nighttime cookie or two, the soup bowls are really nice, too.
The large platter is in excellent condition – still has the gold rim and the colors aren’t faded – so it’s a display piece.
It’s similar to EMP-3, but with pale green instead of blue.
I also have some lovely amber wine glasses with a twisted clear stem. They were a gift to my great-aunt from *her *great-aunt, and were old when given.
Not so much anymore, but I collected a ton of those skylander figurines, and I actually played with them too.
I have over 400 pieces of Fiesta, both vintage and contemporary. We use about half the contemporary and a few pieces of the vintage. Just picked up a very nice vintage turquoise relish tray set yesterday for a very good price, just need red and cobalt to have one in each of the 6 original colors.
**racer72 **reminds me of my couple of pieces of Fire King. I have 4 of the apricot bowls with the handle. One has a chip, so it’s a cat dish. The others, I use for chili or ice cream. 
Wow! I am impressed! I was just visiting my aunt (85 yo) who was telling me she has at least one set of dishes in every single color they’ve ever made even the dangerous ones, which obviously don’t get used. I don’t know how many pieces she has, but definitely in the hundreds and hundreds.
I also have vintage Fiestaware that was left to me by my great aunt and grandmother. My grandmother had assorted colors and aunt had all turquoise. We use them probably 3 or 4 times a week for dinner.
I have probably 25 old, vintage Pyrex mixing bowls that I use on a daily basis. Not all 25 every day, but at least a few every day.
I’ve only paid a dollar or two each at garage sales, but I often see them for sale at antique shops for ten or twenty dollars each. Would I ever sell them for a profit? Nah, they’re kinda useful and nice looking.
I use my grandpa’s little metal stapler and he died in 1956.
I also use the hand mixer (the kind with the two beaters) that was given to my parents as a wedding gift in 1966. They divorced in 1984.
We also have a crystal butter dish that we use all the time that belonged to my grandmother, no idea how old it is but it IS really old.
I have a Waterford Lismore Claret glass I bought at an estate sale. I use it all the time. Wine always tastes better out of good crystal
Wow, I’d not heard that a 60s putter could be worth that much. (Unless it used to be a pro’s or celeb’s. One of the neatest clubs I’ve ever seen was one of Seve’s old sand wedges: perfectly pristine, except for a gouged, rusted out oval exactly in the center of the face. Realized then that I should probably give up my dream of PGA riches.) What kind of putter is it, Lamar?
I love the thought and I agree with you.
Not sure if mine are “collectibles” exactly, but that’s the reason I use and share the Sommeliers series Riedels I have. They’re great for consuming collectable wine from.
I guess the 1890s through 1940s Haviland china I have is somewhat collectable, and the teacups from that period are noticeably superior to the ones they make today. Lighter, thinner, more translucent: they just feel better. So I use them. I don’t know if the 1950 or 51 Ruger Mark I I have is better than later ones, though I’d at least get one more shot out of a later version. It’s the only .22 I have though, so it’s what I use. Shoots better than I can.
If it still has the original grip panels, is the eagle red or black? Red eagles bring a premium. Bill Ruger’s partner Alex Sturm died early on in company history and Bill changed the color of the emblem as a symbol of mourning. Is yours a true Mk I (i.e. the target pistol with adjustable sights etc.) or a Standard? When the MkII was introduced, people fell into the habit of referring to all the earlier guns as Mk I’s.
The Master Speaks:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/994/is-red-fiestaware-radioactive
Cecil replies:
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You’d better sit down for this, lad. The pigment in red Fiestaware contains, among other things, uranium oxide. The Homer Laughlin China Company, which began making Fiestaware in 1936, was forced to discontinue the red version in 1943 so the uranium could be diverted to make atom bombs.
Gives you pause, no? Well, don’t get too alarmed. The actual amount of radioactivity is extremely low–less than the normal background radiation you get from rocks and stuff. Homer Laughlin says they’ve kept tabs on the workers who used to make Fiestaware–who obviously were at greater risk than the end users–and they’ve never detected any unusual health problems.
The real problem, if in fact it’s a problem, is that uranium is a heavy metal, as is lead, another red Fiestaware ingredient. In 1981 the New York State Department of Health warned that both could leach into food, particularly if it’s acidic. Eat enough tomato sauce or whatever off red Fiestaware, they argued, and you could wind up with stomach disorders, kidney dysfunction, and God knows what else.
Homer Laughlin disputes this. One company official told me he and his family eat off red Fiestaware all the time, and says you’d only run into trouble if you ate acidic foods off the stuff for years and never washed the dishes. If so I have an old college roommate whose days are numbered, but normal humans are probably in the clear. If you’re still concerned, hang the dish on the wall instead of eating off it.
Fiestaware, incidentally, is being made again after a 14-year hiatus. There’s no lead in it now and no red either, unfortunately…
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I dunno, let’s see. (Checks. Nice break from job hunting.)
Red, non-adjustable. Rear sight looks crude as hell, actually, like it was added later or something. Didn’t buy it for its collectable value, just wanted a Mk1 or II to practice pistol marksmanship for a lot cheaper than .45ACP costs. Just happened that this guy was the least flaky seller. I’ll have to find the original manual—he included it—to see if it says anything special about the rear sight.
Does it look like this?
