Inspired by this thread, and assorted recent findings.
You inherit a plot of land with a barn on it. It’s in a foreign country. We’ll assume it’s Italy so there’s no inheritance tax to pay. You visit the property and open the barn. Within you find something. What do you choose? It will be fully attested, with a full history and a unique serial number if need be. It cannot be anything that will significantly affect the world economy, so no wishing for a duplicate of all the gold in Fort Knox, and it cannot be anything that was originally unique, so no duplicating pure works of art. It must be one single thing.
I’d go for an Arado AR 234, the world’s first jet bomber. There’s only one AR 234 left in the world (in the Smithsonian) and I’d like for there to be another. Failing that, and on a smaller scale, I’d like to find a Faberge egg.
First thing that sprung to mind? A wooden box, stuffed with straw, that turns out to have a set of pressed glass tableware in a lovely blue color. Service for twelve including the usual serving dishes. I’d die a happy flodnak
I would like to find the Amber Room stolen by the Nazis and hidden away in Italy. Before I returned it to the Russian people, I would briefly use it to panel my basement.
A sock knitting machine. In working order, with all the spare parts and the original instruction book. This is more likely in Canada than Italy, though.
Ah. :dubious:
You want crotch pheasants.
And the clap.:D:p
Lovely.:rolleyes:
I’d like a crate of furniture from the 1920s. Art Deco, Art Nouveau (sp?), or Arts & Crafts movement, if you please. Paints & decorative items from the era are good, too.
Or crates & crates of old books & magazines (1930s & older).
Does it have to be outside the US? Everything I thought of would be illegal, or at least difficult, to import.
If I found a classic sports car here, getting a salvage title, and then registration would be no problem, but as I understand it, importing and registering cars that were not made to US standards is not easy.
I already have a barn, located right here in the U.S. of A.
First thing that popped into my mind when I read the question was Anna Kournikova. I’d like to walk into my barn in the morning and find her there. Right next to the sacks of horse feed and the convenient bales of hay.
A box of interesting medieval or renaissance books, some of which are as yet-unknown cooking or dance manuscripts. Umm, and some gold/jewlery/gems, so I can pay to have them translated.
I lived on a farm when I was 3 yrs old. We didn’t work the farm, but there was cool stuff left in the barn from the previous owners. The coolest thing was an old hay wagon with big wooden wheels. My favorite memories are of playing in the haymow with my brother and sister.
