Giant house filled with tons of cash and antiques!!!

My girlfriend?s great grandmother passed away a couple months ago (surely for the better as well, she was quite ill.)

She lived alone in a VERY large house, and never threw anything away? ever. The house is so packed that it is hard to describe. Like, she boxed things up and put them in a room back in the 40?s, then worked her way out of the room over the years, into the hallway, down the stairs? etc. It is PACKED!

So far we have found several thousands of dollars, and we have only been in her bedroom! No where else! Seems like in every garment in her closet there were bills. Boxes and canisters of coins are everywhere (approx 20lbs of wheaties and lots of silver already!). Unopened toys from the 60?s and 70?s (dolls, Disney stuff, etc)

I have dreamed of something like this since I was little, and now I have a part in it!

Some of the neatest things so far are:

Sears .22 bolt action rifle
VERY sharp sword with sheath
Tons of wheaties
Lots of silver
Lots of 1930-1950?s foreign coins
Unopend toys (Dawn dolls, Disney yo-yos, space things)

I also found an empty box for one of those wall safes that looks like an outlet, so now I have to check every outlet for things!!

She stashed money everywhere, and she was very wealthy (large inheritances, played in stocks). In fact, her safety deposit box alone yielded bonds for my girlfriend?s dad ($1000 bonds dated from his birth in the 50?s!) and almost $40,000 in cash!

So, I?ll keep everyone posted, I?ll take pictures, and I also would like some advice on where to look (aside from the obvious) for hiding places! This is a very old house (1800?s) and also has a garage (packed to the hilt!)

EBay!

(...unless you want me to set up an auction site here at TreasureNet! ;)  I might be willing to do that - since it sounds like you would have a lot of stuff to help kick start it! )

Sounds like fun!

(sorry to hear about your girlfriend's great grandmother though )

haha yes, ebay will probably be the way!

Don't forget to metal detect every inch of her property!

Wish I could, but I have no detector! If this were my money, I would easily be able to buy one, but it is my g/f's familys $$!

Whatever you do , dont throw anything out. There are collectors for everything! Go through absolutely everything ,including the canned goods in the cupboards,laundry detergent bottles everything. People hide money everywhere,including the freezer,shoes buckets etc. My grandma taped bills to the back of pictures and stored coins in paint cans????If she had one safety deposit box,then she probally had another. Older people wont keep everything in one place, including banks. Make detailed lists of what you have...then you could let several top antique dealers/book and gun dealers know ?and let them duke it out over the prices, if you dont go to ebay.....Good Luck

Many older homes had hidden passages that were boarded up...pantries under stairwells or a servants stairway,cupolas.A stair tread that lifts or false ceiling in closet(usually lifts up) . I have seen backs of closets where there is a panel and actually extends four to five feet further back. I lived in a home where there was a hidden panel three foot tall (it slid sideways) in the dining room ,that just went into a tiny room behind fireplace....

Wow! All sorts of things to think about! I've found GLASS Windex bottles! 1950's tissues! About 20 unused tubes of toothpaste, expiring from the 80s till still good! She not only kept everything, but seemed like she was stocking up for the end of the World!

Even metal cap Pepsi bottles!

What city is this home located in? Would love to see the pics. Also remember to look in the furniture, false drawers, knobs that screw off the bed frames,etc. Look inside sewing machines,pianos,etc. Women tend to think a little different when hiding things. They wont hide money in something they think a man would rob,....like a tool box for example. 

1st thing to do is MARRY THE GIRLFRIEND! Then...

I've been involved in clearing away the stuff from total pack-rats before. Things that you wouldn't suspect are hoarded like it was more valued than gold.

Places; Floor vents,between walls, inside radios, inside piano, inside books and magazines. Things that got painted over to look as if it hadn't been messed with. One old guy had a slot hole in a wall in the bedroom that he'd stick his coins and bills in. Loose floor boards,wall boards, Hidden dead spaces inside,around stairs,doorways. Does it have a basement? Check with detector and dont get a cheap one!Dont have 1? Wish I was in your area!

 Around fireplace, check for loose bricks/stones. I've pulled a tabacco tin out from a wall outlet that was hook'd to a long wire that had $1500, so yes Its the Thrill of the Hunt! Check those cans!Lots of things can be made with fake bottoms. Tape or glued back together items, things that will come apart. Inside dolls,toys. If their sealed in the package they're worthy of a dealer in these types of toys looking at them.
Some people would buy jewelry to keep instead of cash. Check it with a Jeweler.

One place was a 4 bedroom house that was little paths from front door to kitchen to bedroom to bath, everything else was stacked floor to ceiling with everything. Some of it boxed but mostly just trash. Get a roll-off dumpster, but not everything should go in it. Lots of little bits that are worth big $'s used to be worth only a boxtop! Some of this will get the yardsale, which is THE worst way to dispose of anything. Only sell here what didn't sell on Ebay.

Keep a log of what and where you find something, places that were used, get used again.

Aufinder01
Type at me for advise,or for other places if these work.

Here's some ideas of hiding places (pasted from another site):

1. Bulk dry goods such as jars of rice and flour can hide small valuables and be kept out of the way on the back shelf.
2. Condiment containers, such as mustard and mayonnaise jars in your refrigerator, can also hold small items.
3. Aspirin or brown pill bottles inside the medicine cabinet can be a good bet.
4. Packages of frozen vegetables can be thawed, and refrozen with items inside them.
5. Tennis balls with a small slit in them will return to their original shape. Squeeze the ball to open and stuff, then scatter it among others at the back of a closet.
6. Vacuum cleaner bags can hide baggies with valuables inside them.
7. Stuffed animals can be cut open (gently, and not around young children) and used as unlikely containers. Cut along a seam, stuff and re-sew Teddy before returning him to his friends.
8. Ceiling light fixtures can be unscrewed, and small valuables may be placed within the electrical box underneath.
9. Composite "rocks" that have latchable, enclosed spaces within are available through mail-order catalogs. They can be placed outside in the garden.
10. Book safe: glue most of the pages of an old, uninteresting hardcover book together. Use a coping saw to cut a hollow area out of the middle. Drill starter holes for the saw. Then glue the box made with the pages to the back cover and let dry thoroughly. Stash on your bookshelf among other books.
11. Steps and flooring have natural hollow spaces underneath. Carpentry skills are required to effectively create a seamless surface that escapes detection
12. Hollow core doors can have sections cut out of the hinge edge to give access to the space within the door. Use the cutout piece as a plug
13. The tops of poster beds unscrew. Hollow spaces can be drilled out in the posts themselves.
14. Coffee cans/jars buried in the yard/garden.

For some pictures of common item safes (outlet safe etc.): http://www.info-anyone.com/Diversion%20Safes.htm

Here are some pictures!! I will post some of these things in the "what is it" category too.

Picture 1: Some of the wheaties (all non-wheaties have been pulled out)
Picture 2: Lots of Mercury dimes and silver Roosevelt dimes
Picture 3: Silver quarters, nickels, a much damaged Peace dollar, and Eisenhower dollar, steel pennies, etc
Picture 4: Can you say silver certificates? All of these bills are 1957 and OLDER
Picture 5: Minty silver certificate
Picture 6: 1928 $2 bill
Picture 7: Sears .22 rifle
Picture 8: Seemingly a Japanese WWII sword, definately used
Picture 9: A WWII Japanese parade sword
Picture 10: Close up of sword in Pic 8
Picture 11: Old Band-Aid boxes

Remember not to touch the surfaces of coins.

READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!

that samurai sword is the real deal,!thats stingray skin under the leather wrapping,also the royal kersanthimun* seal(?)..wow i dream of a house like this!!!

READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!?

Did I do something wrong?

that samurai sword is the real deal,!thats stingray skin under the leather wrapping,also the royal kersanthimun* seal(?)..wow i dream of a house like this!!!

Please tell me more!

Hope no one doubts the poster here. This is an interesting story, thanks for posting it.

That's why I posted pictures! My girlfriend's dad said he just found some pistols and lots of fur coats... I'll get pictures soon as I can!

Also, I looked up that first sword... it is indeed a WWII Japanese sword, and they sure are going for a bunch on ebay!! The other sword is for parades in Japan, but is also WWII vintage.

Aaron,

The reference to the "Beekrock" story is a long posting about a fellow who inherited a house full of trash and mysteries.  He was somewhat mysterious about the things he supposedly "found" and then one day he just stopped posting.  Many readers felt like they were lead along and then duped.  Your story has no relativity to that story though.  I (and we) appreciate your posts and can't wait to see more pictures.  Quite unusual to say the least.  Hopefully you'll be able to use someone's detector to hunt walls, fireplace (if one) and the yards.

Keep us posted and good luck!

David

the beakrock story has alot of good advice for where to look in old houses. I would recomend the read for the educational aspect of where to look in the house.

Don't post anything about where the house is, not even the state. Nobody needs to know.

Ok, I won't!?

READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!?

Did I do something wrong?

I saw that you posted in that thread, so I guess that you did see it.
You could write a book about searching houses.  You could call it...
AARON'S EXPRESS.
 

WoW!!!!!! Don't forget the obvious places, in sofa and chairs under the cusions, also under all drawers as people use to tape paper money and coins there. Keep us posted and happy hunting.......

Wow, Aaron. Great adventure...with pics to boot! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. We're excited for you and extremely envious for ourselves  ;)

A cousins wife just died. he came from Columbus Ohio to visit me last month. Said he's moved out of his big old house built in 1891 and has put it up for sale. Even though it's more than 800 miles from me I asked if I could metal detect around the house.
He said that a neighbor had already done that.
he said this guy turned his detector on and walked slowly up the stairs. Getting a good signal under a wooden step he convinced my cousin to take up the board. The signal persisted. After cutting a large hole in the stair case he "discovered" a ceilng light to the room below.

When you laugh hard it hurts

Wow Arron...what  treasure hunt you could be in for. Don't let any of the other realitives just start throwing stuff away. I have seen that happen. Some people that aren't into "old" stuff think you should just get rid of all the junk.

If and when you do start selling on eBay,make sure you give us your username.Maybe post it in the eBay treasures section on this forum.I know i'll be looking and bidding when you do.Truly an unbelievable find of a house.

Updates!!!

Here are some of the newest finds! I feel like a pirate!! Haha


First item is a VERY small pistol, about 4? long! It says ?North American Arms? on it. Any idea of the age? Also, I KNOW it is loaded, but I do not know how do unload it. I will bring it to a gun shop.



Second is a Smith & Wesson ?32? ?CTGE?. No other details on that one!




Next up is a good one. This has Japanese writing on the butt, but I cannot decipher it.




Here is a HORRIBLE idea! It?s a PEZ dispenser? and the candy comes from the barrel! Let?s just put guns in our mouths! Haha



There are LOTS of furs; I?ll just post a few:





And this old sewing machine, like new with all the accessories! Dated 1952.





I?ll keep everyone posted!

Here are some toys:

Pic one is of some cars.



The clear one is a Schuco 1005. It is the rarest color and min perfect (NOTHING wrong) shape. It is a wind up car.

The red car is also in perfect shape, but is missing the pole you would push in the back to make it shoot across the floor!

See the little red buggy? That is a pristine (no wear anywhere) 1967 Hot Wheels Hot Heap. Even the bottom looks new! Fresh from the package? 40 years ago!

The  3 blue and one green are unknown Tootsietoys, all the same.

The white truck thing and the red truck thing are Matchbox. White is No.61, red is No.35

Pic two is of some plush? well, technically I guess, but they sure aren?t soft! I know nothing about these except what you see.

Hi,
The North American, you unscrew the knurled screw under the barrel, and take out the cylinder to remove the bullets. They made these in the late '70- early '80's.

Aufinder01

PEZ GUN
You can also find (rarely!) dispensers in gun form, handy for dental suicide. Pez Candy has been making dispensers since the '40s. They only made 3 different dispenser-guns between the '50s and '80s.

http://www.pezlist.com/faq.html

WOW! That PEZ gun is rare!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Collectible-80s...ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

5 days left, and look at that price!

Has your girlfriend's family seen this thread?

No... and we hope it stays thatway!

WOW! That PEZ gun is rare!!

I don't know if it's true; but I've heard that eBay actually started as a Pez trading site.
Good luck at this house; sounds like it will keep you busy for quite some time ;)

Hey, Aaron...I collect old cookie jars.  Find any?

Bobinsd

Darren says: Wow, Aaron. Great adventure...with pics to boot! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. We're excited for you and extremely envious for ourselves 

And I'll 100% agree on that, Wow, wow, wee, NICE, some people have all the luck        

Hey, Aaron...I collect old cookie jars.? Find any?

Bobinsd

Hey , Good question!? I collect books ( history,altas's and geography) and pottery. Are you going to give us a list? so we can bid first!!!! ;)

No books or cookie jars that I know of yet... but there HAS to be some!

Anythingspecific?

Pottery interested in

Bennington Rockingham  Yellowware 
Redwing
Rookwood

I once sold a Singer 222K sewing machine on Ebay for about $860 for someone; Singer 221Ks are worth a few hundred (not as rare as the 222K). What is the model in your photo?
-John

No... and we hope it stays thatway!

We who?

We meaning me and my girlfriend's immediate family. The other people in her family (aunts and such) just want to trash it all so they can sell the house and divy up the $$!

We meaning me and my girlfriend's immediate family. The other people in her family (aunts and such) just want to trash it all so they can sell the house and divy up the $$!

Silly people.

aaron7, if the Aunt and uncles are thinking of money, then just be sure your girlfriend and her parents tell them, 'slowly', cuz there is alot of money inside, or in the walls So, just hold them there pigs off

Like Big ticket says, theres ALOT of Silly people running around

Keep us posted, and have fun

A green sitting frog with a floppy hat will get about $1000+.

A green sitting frog with a floppy hat will get about $1000+.

 

i' possibly interested in the toys and crocks of any kind. keep us postedif you get ready to sell anything thank you


                                   Marty

Found a large COFFEE can fuill of silver!!! I'll get pix asap. Liberty halves, washington quarters, buffalo nickles, tons of mercury dimes!!!

Also a weird rubber car from Irwin... it's very strange!

Check all those dimes for the valuable 1916D 

It's been just about two weeks since you first made this post.I realize that there is a lot of "stuff" to go through.You do have some interesting items there, and i'm sure there are many we haven't seen yet.Is any of this "stuff" gonna be yours(girlfriends) legally?Are you planning on auctioning any of it off on eBay? I think you might have mentioned it,no?Maybe that was a responder to this thread. At any rate,you would be surprised what you could make off of some of that "stuff".People sometimes pay ridiculous prices for things you would never think are worth a dime.Or maybe you couldput together in a "lot" some things in the classified section on this forum to trade for a nice detector to search the grounds of this house.Did she have a garden in years past?

Legally? well, I guess that?s a grey area. Right now no one is appointed the executor of the estate. My girlfriend?s uncles are total sleazes (I?d use worse language, but this is a family forum >:|) and are pillaging all her assets. One uncle had power of attorney when she was alive, and emptied her safety deposit boxes for himself. How do we know? He is dirt poor and a week later he is driving a BRAND new SUV that he paid cash for, and is putting a big addition on his home. The other uncle took her (g grandmother?s) 1982 Cadillac with ~30,000 miles on it and sold it (he found the title), and we just learned last night that the 32 Ford that was fully restored in the garage is gone. I?m sure my girlfriend?s family will never see that car or the money it sold for again.

So, is it legal? Probably not. But if we stand back and do nothing, the house will be emptied (as in, all trash) and sold so they can divvy up the money that much quicker.

I hear you and I know exactly what you mean.When my great grandad(born 1893) died years ago ,I remember everyone in the family fighting over who gets what.I was just a kid so I didn't have a say in anything.He lived with us my whole life until a month before he passed.We moved across the river out of state so he moved in with a great uncle of ours.Needless to say they took everything.A living will is a must nowadays, if you want your property to go to the right people.I just wish I had some small momento of his, to remind me of him and the times we shared together.He was the one who got me interested in coins and antiques and such.Now all I have are faded memories.......

I hear you and I know exactly what you mean.When my great grandad(born 1893) died years ago ,I remember everyone in the family fighting over who gets what.I was just a kid so I didn't have a say in anything.He lived with us my whole life until a month before he passed.We moved across the river out of state so he moved in with a great uncle of ours.Needless to say they took everything.A living will is a must nowadays, if you want your property to go to the right people.I just wish I had some small momento of his, to remind me of him and the times we shared together.He was the one who got me interested in coins and antiques and such.Now all I have are faded memories.......

That is really too bad what happened to you, but if you just want a memento, maybe you can still get one somehow.
Also, you mean a regular will.  A living will is about what you want to happen to you when you are still living (medical care, etc.).

Also a weird rubber car from Irwin... it's very strange!

Who is Irwin?
 
By the way, I am sure that everyone else who reads this thread will agree that it is great that you post all of those pictures.

The proper way to unload that stainless steel 22 derringer is to push the button on the end of the shaft that the cylinder revolves onand pull the shaft out ,that will allow the cylinder to fall out . Then take the shaft and push the bullets out from the front of the cylinder . When loading it leave 1 bullet out that rest under the hammer,so if the gun drops and lands on the hammer it won't discharge. There is a safety on the hammer to prevent that from happening,it is the first click as if you were cocking the gun, not all of the way back,that would be full cock and ready to shoot. Good Luck and be carefull!    Bob

if the aunts/uncles are so quick to want to trash everything i would by all means immediatly contact a dumpster company to deliver a 40 yard dumpster to a spot right outside the front door, have the aunts/uncles come over and help you throw all that garbage out, and without further question have the dumpster company deliver the dumpster to a spot beside your garage, cover it with plywood and a tarp, and take your sweet time sorting through all that trash........not to talk bad about anyones family but some people are so greedy for the money they fail to see anything else, as happened when my grandmother died....they trashed everything but the money,coin collection,stamps,etc...which they divided amongst themselves to never be seen again unless you go to the local antique/pawn shop.......but, being the trashman, i have many things that to me have a value so high no one could purchase, like her doughbowl, rolling pin made by my gfather, the knife she always used while cooking, and many other treasures.....................gldhntr

I agree...get the dumpster....There are so many people out there that will step over a dollar to pick up a penny....

The proper term is container...
Anyway, there have been a lot of comments about how the relatives want to get rid of all of the "treasure" and sell the house.  The "VERY large" house must be worth a ton of money, and is therefore worth a lot more to the relatives than all of the little things worth $100 or $200 apiece, which would take a long time to go through and sell, and which would bring less altogether than the house.  The relatives might be greedy, but they know that the real money is in the house and the vehicles.  The smaller things are neat, but how can anyone critcize the relatives on any grounds except greed?

Depends on where the house is located, whether its going to be worth "a ton of money". Alot of  larger  homes located in downtown older neighborhoods are in the decline as far as property values. If the relatives want to sell it fine, rent a storage unit  and move everything into it to be gone through at your gf's families leisure. I dont understand why that its been about four months since she passed away and no one has been appointed executor of the estate yet . Where is the will and who was her attorney. Probally the same one that her husband when living had....Get the relatives together, make a plan of action and take it. Clean up the house,search it thoroughly  and sell. Anything that was taken or sold after the grandma died will have to be deducted from the amount each sibling receives. The bank has records of what transactions went on with the uncle who was suppose to be power of attorney, and you can go to jail for misusing that power. He has to provide reciepts, records of what was disposed of and why.

have you thought about taking out a loan and buying the whole place ffrom them? lock stock and barrell

I hear you and I know exactly what you mean.When my great grandad(born 1893) died years ago ,I remember everyone in the family fighting over who gets what.I was just a kid so I didn't have a say in anything.He lived with us my whole life until a month before he passed.We moved across the river out of state so he moved in with a great uncle of ours.Needless to say they took everything.A living will is a must nowadays, if you want your property to go to the right people.I just wish I had some small momento of his, to remind me of him and the times we shared together.He was the one who got me interested in coins and antiques and such.Now all I have are faded memories.......

That is really too bad what happened to you, but if you just want a memento, maybe you can still get one somehow.
Also, you mean a regular will.  A living will is about what you want to happen to you when you are still living (medical care, etc.).

      Duh,yeah your right.Obviously,I haven't done either myself.As for a momento,I doubt it.My family stretches all over the U.S. and many are very estranged .I have aunts, uncles ,cousins,nieces and nephews  i've never even met before.Not to mention a granfather in Tennessee somewhere.I'm talking full blooded not step or half or anything.Imagine that!

the proper term might be container but here in the real world it is still a dumpster....go to any construction site in the South and ask any worker you see where the container is.....you will be laughed all the way back to your little red bug..........g

WTG!!!!
I love these post and I hope you find more

-GC

I hear you and I know exactly what you mean.When my great grandad(born 1893) died years ago ,I remember everyone in the family fighting over who gets what.I was just a kid so I didn't have a say in anything.He lived with us my whole life until a month before he passed.We moved across the river out of state so he moved in with a great uncle of ours.Needless to say they took everything.A living will is a must nowadays, if you want your property to go to the right people.I just wish I had some small momento of his, to remind me of him and the times we shared together.He was the one who got me interested in coins and antiques and such.Now all I have are faded memories.......

That is really too bad what happened to you, but if you just want a memento, maybe you can still get one somehow.
Also, you mean a regular will.  A living will is about what you want to happen to you when you are still living (medical care, etc.).

      Duh,yeah your right.Obviously,I haven't done either myself.As for a momento,I doubt it.My family stretches all over the U.S. and many are very estranged .I have aunts, uncles ,cousins,nieces and nephews  i've never even met before.Not to mention a granfather in Tennessee somewhere.I'm talking full blooded not step or half or anything.Imagine that!

Either?  I only suggested one thing.  And you should not whine about not having a memento if you are going to give up.  Surely you can get ONE.

the proper term might be container but here in the real world it is still a dumpster....go to any construction site in the South and ask any worker you see where the container is.....you will be laughed all the way back to your little red bug..........g

It was a JOKE, junior.

Rarely do I delve into the foray of terminology, but in the case of "dumpster" versus "container" I couldn't help it.

Doing a quick dictionary.com search, yielded the following definitions of each term:

Con?tain?er
1.   A receptacle, such as a carton, can, or jar, in which material is held or carried.
2.   A large reusable receptacle that can accommodate smaller cartons or cases in a single shipment, designed for efficient handling of cargo.

Dump?ster   
A trademark used for containers designed for receiving, transporting, and dumping waste materials. This trademark often occurs in print in lowercase: ? [The street is] lined with low-cost apartment buildings and strewn with blue dumpsters? (Chicago Tribune).

Apparently, no arguing that each item is a space of which other items are stored within.

keyword seems to be "waste". Dumpster is assumed to contain waste, while a container contains material but careful not to use the word "waste". Can't see why a dumpster could not have non-waste material while a container could have crap in it.  By the same token, the old cliche of "trash is another's treasure" could be used.

Now I remember why I rarely delve into these sort of things.  Who cares what it's called?  There is no "proper" term, I don't care what is argued to the contrary. 

BTW, aaron7 when are we going to see the coffee can full of silver!

HH!

-Hunter

Ho, man, I wish.  Dumpster-brand trash bins are top-of-the-line.
         This is just a Trash-Co waste disposal unit.

Otto  (the bus driver on The Simpsons)

http://www.break.com/index/bodyslamtrash.html
(proving the point)

just joking myself there bigticket,,,,oh and its not junior,,,,,,no joke......

Sorry guys! I haven't gotten an email saying there were replies! I will get a pic of the silver to post! The reason no one is assigned the executor is because all of the relatives are greedy and refuse to appoint one person! Also, there was no will. The house is in a very nice area and worth approx $600,000 , which is the rason they want to toss everything!!

The funny thing is, in some places a $600,000 house is not even that nice.
You cannot complain about the stuff, though.  There would really be a problem if the relatives wanted to keep all of that, so your girlfriend's family is much better off when it comes to that stuff.
As for the vehicles and the house, hopefully the judge will be honest.

Here are some pix of the silver!!

I just wish I had some small momento of his, to remind me of him and the times we shared together.He was the one who got me interested in coins and antiques and such.Now all I have are faded memories.......

Sounds to me like he left you a pretty good memento. Every time you practice your hobby, every time you get enjoyment out of what you do, that's his gift to you.

Great story!!! The suspense is killing me... I can't wait for the next installment and pictures!! Amazing finds!!!
Thanks for sharing aaron7. In addition to the things you have already posted, what other treasures have you run into?
Happy hunting (a phrase especially appropriate in THIS circumstance!!)
Bob

zoinx,, my blood is pumpin now ........  oh to be in that yard...

Wow... thats it.. just Wow!
Bu

Whoa, hey, I don't think anyone meant it as seriously as you thought!

As for an update, I have found a couple unopened model kits (a Dodge Dart from 1975, and a plane). I also got that gun indentified. The small one with the octagon barrel is a 1890's American Bull Dog, and the writing on the butt was translated on another forum for me:

The characters are (top to bottom, right to left):

mei ji ni hachi nen ichi sna ichi gou
dai (couldn't find) (can't make out)

This was using Kodansha's Compact Knaji Guide and Kodansha's Furigana Dictionary

The closest I am able to get is that the first two characters are indeed Meiji, the period of that emperor was from 1868 to 1912. ni hachi nen is lit: 2 8 year, probably an abbreviated 28th year, which would put the year at 1896.

ichi san ichi gou is most likely "131st edition" (also an abbreviated form), the last character on that column is a counting character, and translates to "edition" kind of a quantifier.

The first character in the second column translates to "big" and I couldn't make out the last two characters all that well. From what they look like, though, they are not "general use" characters in modern Japanese, may be archaic, or may be parts of a name or maybe a place like a shop.

The parts of the last character that I can make out are related to a lid and covering or shelter.

Wow that is a lot of neat stuff and wow a lot of coins it is a collectors dream come true.  I am envious of you but also I understand you have went through a lot of stuff to get to that neat stuff.  I hope it all works out for the best and good luck dealing with the #$^% in the family.  It is an unfortunate situation and maybe is why the owner was the way she was. 

Went to the house again today and snapped a TON of pictures. Wish there was a way for me to share them all, but there are 68 of them!

We found another sword today, very long with lots of gold and an ivory handle!

Also Dolls, comics from the 50's, etc

A very good haul!!

I've included some pix to show you I'm not kidding about the way this house is packed!

Wow.....unbelievable!! I've read the whole post and I'm in shock.....Too bad about the family greed thing. Wish you and the girlfriend could make out better. God, just the found cash alone! Everyone dreams of your opportunity. Look forward to more posts!

HH,
Moon

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You are in for a lot of fun!!!!!!!!!!!Enjoy it!!!!!!!!Aguila

Wow! SUPER finds!!!! The sewing machine of German manufacture.

Hi aaron7

If you find a "G.I. Joe" of 60's or 70's,....Please let me know,.......

Sam

mezzany04@hotmail.com

I usually never check this part of the forum. WOW!! Good stuff. Keep up the pics.

Awesome thread Aaron!

i would be interested in reading the beekrock thread. I tried a search to no avail. Could someone post a link or give me directions please?

How about furniture appraisals Aaron? Any of those yet? I hope to see you on the Antiques road show pretty soon! ;)

I deal in antiques for a living.... and here is what I suggest you do.... As soon as you find out who has actual ownership of property offer them a lump sum for the contents of the house, maybe $5,000?? $10,000 or so and have a storage unit ready to put it all in. Get it ALL out of the house as quickly as possible before anyone can remove anything else!


Also... was that a picture of the house?? If so, where is that a $600,000 property? Is it prime real estate land in beverly hills or something? Around here that is a $30,000 farm house.... but who knows... maybe I'm just missing something here...

just a guess  FEILD the combined property(land)and the house that was a shot of the garage im stating the obvious..

The house is in the center of a city, and zoned as residential OR business... that's why it's worth so much!

No new updates yet... just been selling stuff on ebay. Next to go up are wooden pull toys!

The house is in the center of a city, and zoned as residential OR business... that's why it's worth so much!

No new updates yet... just been selling stuff on ebay. Next to go up are wooden pull toys!

So what is your seller name?

Ebay ID is fishercat7. Check out what I have sold to see some of the treasures!

Really Nice

My kid's are going to have a ball.....I hid things good.

wow that is amazing, i almost never read this section of the forum but man am i ever glad that i did today. keep the pics coming, please!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!.......have fun!!!!!!!!!

Wow is all i can say!
Great finds.... especially the mercs. they are my fav.

Keep us posted and have plenty of pics to show us

M

and now whoo hoo  i am a jr member!!!!!

You might want to block out that license plate on the pic of the rocking chair... its easy to recognize the state its in

M

Wow! I can't wait to see what you post next!

Posted some wooden toys on ebay along with some comic books!

Wow! People stashed stuff everywhere!

Far as we've found, money was hidden... but not like that. In drawers and such, but we haven't found any secrets in the house itself!

oh my god!!! to find all that stuff is what dreams are made of. you have been blessed by the treasure hunting gods. thanks for posting the pictures i love to look at them.

ice

I have a suggestion as to another place that you might search in the house. If it has an attic look around the edges where it goes to the outside wall. If it is open there look under the edges of the boards there's usually a space between 12 and 24 inches open at the outside edges of the floor. I once lived in a duplex that had an attic and it connected both halves of the house . I looked in the area that I just described to you and under the edges I found several sets of antique salt and pepper shakers including some made of depression glass. You might be surprised at what you might find there. Let me know if you find anything good.

Wow, You have a lot of work ahead of you, HH Art...

Hey aaron7, are there any key date coins in ther, buy yourself a redbook and sell em on eBay! Also don't forget to check in those suitcases!
You are just too lucky man, nothing like that will ever happen to me.

When you post the stuff on Ebay, who gets the money?  Amazing stuff in that house.Some family can be vultures when it comes to money.

The person you owns it gets all the money. in fact eBay is very profitable, eBay only takes a $0.80-$1.50 insertion fee.
I sell stuff on ebay sometimes that i get at garage sales.

Found this site and thread while searching something else.  Wow!!!   My husband would die happy if he only found one room like that somewhere!  Anyway, I thought I'd give some suggestions.  I see one of the rooms is wallpaper.  Feel around on the walls, people hide papers (money) under wallpaper.  Check the inside of lined clothing like coats and jackets and FURS!  Furs are so thick no one notices lumps.  And check the hemlines of the drapes and curtains, another cozy place for paper.  And the toilet tank. 
I'm so jealous.

In older houses the windows use weights as a counter balance.  There is a trap door in the window jamb for repair/maintenance of the weights,  an excellent place to stash valuables.
HH rrbbtt.

Hope to pass on many collectibles to my grand children someday.

Certainly going to take a very long time to go through all of that and decide what one would do with all of it.  What to keep...what to sell?

Your girlfriend's great grandmother certainly had a good eye for collecting.

Good luck with all those items,
Postalrevant

<<
I don't know if it's true; but I've heard that eBay actually started as a Pez trading site.
Good luck at this house; sounds like it will keep you busy for quite some time ;)
[/quote]  >>

Just an FYI.  Yes, it is true.  Meg's husband actually set up the site to help her sell off some Pex Dispecnsers that she wnated to sell.  Then, it went from there.

Well, this must be ''a lifetimes collection'' !!
Very impressive.
Digman.

WOW

Who among us would'nt travel wherever just to offer to hunt that property. Family can have it all. I'd be thrilled just to hunt the grounds!

Anything else happened on this one lately? I'd count up the silver and write'em a check for face value (just kidding unless you think it would work ;))

I had a friend who sold some of his mom's fancy silk covered hangers at a g sale. He didn't know that his mom had sewed a couple diamond rings to the inside of the hangers. The buyer actually brought the diamond rings back to the g sale and returned them! You never know where things may be hidden.

The plate on the truck is tennesse but im sure the plate on the car is michigan or pennsylvania

[NOT]

Don't think its a Tennessee plate... maybe... what house would be worth 600K there... maybe it's in the middle of downtown Nashville? I might be wrong but if it's in the state I think it is, it surely could be worth 600k. Is there even a plate on the blue boat?

     Anyway looks like a replica or maybe a "new" Smith & Wesson Model 3. The CTGE. stands for cartridge so that means it takes the .32 S&W round, NOT to be mistaken with the more modern .32 auto, or any other .32 besides .32 S&W. Hard to tell if its a replica or a New Mod. 3 made by Smith without looking in person, but the condition seems decent, it may have been refinished. Have a trusted gunsmith check it out but make sure he knows you have NO plans on selling it BEFORE he appraises it, or else he may want to buy it and that can change the price.

     I've had some of these same issues come up with relatives and estates and valuables... can be pretty messy. Greed can ruin people. I never found that much cash and coins but my Mother did find three 500 dollar bills while reflooring the kitchen of the old family house I grew up in. Believe it or not they put em in the bank. My Dad carried one around a while to show it off but eventually spent it... jeez I wish I had them now... but it was the 70's and they didn't have the collector value they do now... eBay has changed everything. OK enough ranting.
     
     Awesome finds, keep us updated on the good fight and HH!

Let's See More!!

[LEAVE IT ALONE]

Aaron...great thread. As for unloading the gun..the ONLY way and I repeat the ONLY way to do this if you don;t know the gun and how it operates is LEAVE IT ALONEand have someone that is familiar with handguns unload if for you safely, and please do it soon for it is not safe to have a loaded weapon around if people who aren;t familiar with it may have access to it. Until then, be VERY careful handling it, some guns have hair triggers and can go off very easily and very unexpectantly.

Hi
Awesome dude! Be sure to check any greeting cards for cash inside! Especially mother day cards, birthday and christmas cards. My mother recently pasted away last May and I had a box of stuff that I got from the nursing home that she had and I did not go through it right away. Too make a long story short I went through the box recently and found over $90.00 in the greeting cards so be sure to check them. You probably know that already.
Have fun going through the house!

cjrjr507

We need an update please

Been a while since I've stopped in here - I'll definitely put this topic on my "daily" list!   

Those are some fantastic finds!  Thanks for sharing your adventure and the harvest!!!!!

Awesome, just awesome!

I have no trouble believing this because it happened to me too once.

I used to have an antique store, and well to make a long story short, one of my pickers mother died and he needed me to help him go through her house down in S. Ohio. Yes, it was packed so tightly in each room, you couldn't enter it...the hall ways to the rooms had to be cleared first too.

All he wanted was any cash found and he gave the rest of it to me for helping him. Rest being all antiques, pottery, furniture, glass ware, etc...

I had 4, 10 x 20 storage lockers full by the time we were done getting it out (had to be done because the house was going to be raised)

It took 10 solid days to get as much out as we could and we still didn't get it all.

Things like this come along once in a life time (unless you're in the business of house clearings - estate sales, etc...) and even then, nothing like you and I have experienced.

Thanks for sharing and keep the pics coming!
I love stuff like this 

Posted some wooden toys on ebay along with some comic books!

sweet the redline(hotwheel) is a hotheap worth about 60-150$$.have you married her yet??thats retirement buddy!!

Check the hem of the curtains a friend of mine bought a house from the estate of a man who had passed and when they took down the curtains they were filled with 100 dollar bills. 92 of them

Sorry I haven't replied in so long!

The house is in MA... and was sold last month. The greedy brother took the first buyer and sold it for $400k... if he held out a little longer it could have been more, and I could have gotten in there!

We snagged some furniture, lots of 40s and 50s comic books (been selling those on ebay, same ID...), old console radio, etc. Sadly I never got to really hunt the house aside from its obvious treasures.

I haven't even had time to go through the coins yet!

Yes, greed can definately ruin a family, and it has. He milked the grandmother dry while she was alive (bank accounts, savings, etc), and then stole much from the estate before it was assessed. The rest of the family got a decent inheritance, but it would have been much more!

I just wish I could have hunted the house and found some REAL treasure!

Thanks for answering my pm,I saw folks were still replying so I figured i'd drop you a line and let you know about it.Good luck and H.H.-diggummup

At least you were in the hunt!  No one can cheat you like family can.

Check it all.  Several years ago We helped a elderly lady now 95, clean out her house after her sister passed away.  in the garage, bedroom, and in every box, we found bills, coins sometimes wadded up in what looked like trash.  The elderly lady graciously gave us some of those bills for helping her out (we continue to this day taking care of her she's part of our family now)

We received several silver, red, brown and Hawaii certificates, numerous Kennedy half dollars, $2 bills, wheaties, mercs, Silver $$,  you name it.  Even more was left for her nephew to find as he cleaned out the rest of the house.

Bottom line is check every little peice of folded paper, it may contain some very valuable bills or coins.  You have a treasure trove located in easy search, congratulations, and happy searching.

Guess I really should chek out the value of those coins.

I'll post a pic for all to see

Checked your user name on ebay..all i could see for fishercat7 was a bunch of comic books ...can you give us a link to one of your auctions so we can see the other good stuff you have sold

 GET YOUR HANDS ON COPIES OF KARL VON MUELLER'S 2 BOOKS---TREASURE HUNTERS MANUAL #6 AND TREASURE HUNTERS MANUAL #7.  Study these books throughly and take to mind his advise to keep your mouth shut about any recoveries.  Von Mueller was a professional treasure hunter and miner for all of his adult life and was a trusted advisor to many others.  If you don't do but two things he advised; make those two things " keep your mouth shut " and " pay your taxes ".  There'll probably be some folks on this forum who'll call this bogus advise, but you have to protect yourself first and brag later.  Oh, by the way, Karl Von Mueller was just a pen name used by a gentleman named Dean Miller.  He also wrote under the name Deek Gladson; which was a re-arrangement of the syllables for his wife's maiden name--Gladice Deekson.  They've been gone now for many years, but his tips are still viable.  I am a new member of this forum, but I've been in THing for many years, too.   Posting comments about a few coins, CW relics, etc on an open forum is OK, but don't ever advertise big tickets.  Just some friendly advice.  

Good morning; What a find! Congratulations. I am sorry for their loss. I am a nurse and sometimes it truly is God's mercy to take people to spare them pain and agony. I am fascinated by the Japanese swords. I lived in the far east for almost six years. Tell the owners not to dispose of the swords until they have them appraised by appraiser who is well versed in samurai history and sword making. Some where on that sword is probably the "chop" from the original owner. The flower means he was devoted to the emperor, or may have even been is his service. It may be that his family would be ecstatic to purchase it back or even a museum. They are works of art and can be very valuable. If only the sword could talk. Again, congratulations on one of the most interesting finds I have heard of. You need to get a good detector. The first time you find something, you will realize it was worth it. My first find was a modern dime on the beach. I dug deeper and found a wallet with $153.00 in it. The id has disintegrated and there were no other way to find the owner. You get what I mean, even just finding the dime was a thrill. You never know what is down there. M-60

I AM SURE THE TERM IS ROLLOFF

Wow!

Sorry you didn't get to hunt it Arron, and I am sorry what went on in the family. Greed is an ugly thing..
BTW, just curious I noticed you found an old redline hotwheel 1967 Red HotHeap...What did you get for that lil puppy? I have collected hotwheels for a few years and was wondering....if you sold it on E-Bay you probably got a good price for it.

                 Mike

I know i'm very late on posting this but most people are known to hide things in their matress. Greed is a horrible thing that happened to my family when my oma passed away and i hope no one ever has to deal with family members who are greedy.

is there stairs in the house?sometimes in the old houses built in the 1800's the bottom posts in the stairwells were hollow and there is a way to turn the top of the posts to reveal an area where people hid theie valuables .good luck !

That Sears rifle is in the best shape I HAVE EVER SEEN ONE OF THOSE. FIND YOURSELF A GUN COLLECTOR AND GET IT APPRAISED PRONTO.

When my girlfriend's grandfather passed away, we found tens of thousands of dollars around the house.  I also found and cataloged tons of silver (well over 20 pounds), mostly standing liberty quarters, morgan dollars, dimes, tons of stuff.  The lawyer advised her parents (the executor  - one of three children) that any cash she finds isn't documented and she might as well keep it/distribute it as she saw fit.  Good going, there's a lot of great looking stuff in there, and I'm sure you haven't found all of it.

Wow Aaron!!!  Sounds like you have your hands full for a long time.  Keep the pics coming as more treasures turn up.

Amazing, simply amazing.

Sorry I haven't replied in so long!

The house is in MA... and was sold last month. The greedy brother took the first buyer and sold it for $400k... if he held out a little longer it could have been more, and I could have gotten in there!

Any idea what the new owner is doing with the house? Maybe they saw the downturn in the real estate market and decided to sell it at firesale prices to keep from having a mortgage company foreclose? Might be worthwhile to keep an eye on the property.

I haven't even had time to go through the coins yet!

I just wish I could have hunted the house and found some REAL treasure!

Maybe you could offer to rent the property from the new owner if the house is sitting empty? Then you would have the run of the place.

Judging by the condition of that garage, I would think it wouldn't be hard for a fire inspector to conclude that it needs to be repaired, or torn down, (I'm not sure about the condition of the house, but it might be in the same category). If you happened to be an electrician, you could offer to inspect all the electrical wiring, which might mean having to remove some unsightly walls.  ;) Or if the new owner just plans to demo the place, or renovate it, start your own demolition / renovation company, (its amazing what you can do with a rented backhoe, or some power tools), either could take months of exploratory work due to unforeseen circumstances. 

Just a thought.

F.

Unreal, keep us posted on your finds and detect the property. I don't think I could leave the house:)
Pepperpump

Glad to see this thread didn't die! haha

I never did get another chance to check the house out. The uncle was so greedy and wanted it sold YESTERDAY if you know what I mean. Not sure what the new owners are doing.

I think we found enough though! haha

Updates!!!

Here are some of the newest finds! I feel like a pirate!! Haha


First item is a VERY small pistol, about 4? long! It says ?North American Arms? on it. Any idea of the age? Also, I KNOW it is loaded, but I do not know how do unload it. I will bring it to a gun shop.



Second is a Smith & Wesson ?32? ?CTGE?. No other details on that one!




Next up is a good one. This has Japanese writing on the butt, but I cannot decipher it.




Here is a HORRIBLE idea! It?s a PEZ dispenser? and the candy comes from the barrel! Let?s just put guns in our mouths! Haha



There are LOTS of furs; I?ll just post a few:





And this old sewing machine, like new with all the accessories! Dated 1952.





I?ll keep everyone posted!

Japanese is read from top to bottom and from right to left.  It reads:  Meiji year 18 (1885 by western years which is 122 years ago). Osaka-fu.  (Osaka is the second largest city on the main island of Honshu in Japan and this is apparently where the pistol was made).

The Smith & Wesson I assume is a 32-cal. See if it a Model-2. If it was a model2-44 - cal.with that C.E.King shell extractor.It would be worth it,s weight in gold. Weigh the gun-measure the length of the barrel include the serial#. Send the information to S&W. Include a return stamped envelope. Ask for the history of the gun. It will take them 2/3 weeks maybe to answer. Having this info. document should increase the value. If you hit the long shot as to who it was sold to?
Follow the trail as far as you can.Could even turn out it was bought new-(One owner) makes a difference$$$$
Keep it wiped off & lightly oiled/touching that type of metal with you hands without cleaning is not-good. Good Luck- you have a jewel there!

thats what i need to find.

Wow i'd be like a kid in a candy store.  Awesome thanks for the pics...

that samurai sword is the real deal,!that's stingray skin under the leather wrapping,also the royal kersanthimun* seal(?)..wow i dream of a house like this!!!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If that is a real deal in which it looks 100% to be............................................Ple ase hold on to your seat...............................
Min. of 30K
The original swordsmiths in Japan were very few even in the 1600's but judging from the handgaurd it looks like a pre 1700 sword. If you look at the blade with a 10x scope you should see super thin folds which will determin if it is 100% real as this was the technique used for real "folded' sword's back in the day. I am not a professional by any means and what I have told you was a brief overview by looking and compairing your sword to other pictures close to it. Many swords have the swordsmiths name or symbol stamped or etched into it. If it is not visible on the handgaurd or the bottom of the blade or handle, it may be under the wrap of the handle in which you would want a professional to look at it. You may want to contact the AJH or Ancient Japanese History foundation or better yet a historical blade dealer. With the dealer you will want to make sure that he carries only true hand craft er swords in other words not one sword priced less that 5K in USD. Good luck and please let me know if you find out the craftman who made it.................I am a lover of old swords.

More stuff! Old car models found in the boxes we took.

Very cool! I had that '54 Chevy model when I was a kid!

I know you have lots of other treasures there, but since eBay got its start as a result of trading and selling pez dispensers, I figured I'd see what your gun was worth. Unfortunately, of the 470+ currently up for bid and the 1000+ completed pez dispenser listings, not one is a gun or pistol.

There is a PYRO '32 Chrysler Le Baron PHAETON 1960's Model Kit on eBay for under $20.00 and a L'iL Coffin for about $35.00 in the U.K. and chances are most of the other model kits you have are in that price range.

Little deringer looks like is says; "Model AP3 22-S" "North American Arms Corp." "Newbury Park, Calif." "Cal. .22 Short". I've included a negative of the image you posted:




The S&W says; 32 Cal S&W CTGE.




F.

WOW!!  I just came upon this thread,  and have to admit, this would be my dream find!! You gotta love those who hoard!  I would have a tough time getting rid of any of it, for wanting to keep it for my own!
HH
Baggins

She probably stashed caches of money in the walls.

A small tid bit on the Pez gun...
PEZ Automatic PISTOL.  Made in Austria, circa 1960.
On the off chance you can find one in decent shape*usually worse condition than yours*, they will go anywhere from $150-300.

nice stuff.  loooove the PEZ gun.  any other pez found?

Man!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just flabbergasted!!!!!! What a terrific story and great finds. Thank you for sharing and for the great photos.
Ed

Hey Aaron...what a wonderful topic. I am sorry to hear about the outcome of the house and the Greed! I remember when my Nani passed away....my mother and her two half sisters (both much older than my mother) were at her apt and after grabbing everything they wanted...the rest went in the trash.

That sewing machine you pictured...BEAUTIFUL! I love those old singers!!

Hi,
The North American, you unscrew the knurled screw under the barrel, and take out the cylinder to remove the bullets. They made these in the late '70- early '80's.

Aufinder01

Naaa, they still made them in the 90's also. I have one exactly like that. Ya push the spring loaded button on the cylinder shaft an pull the whole shaft out an then the cyl. will come out. Its a 5 shot- 22 short style pistol. If more than 25 ft. away you'll probably miss the barn with it.LOL

Ronnie

i hope there's guards posted at that historical home .that lady was really a person who waste not!!    i am truely enjoying your stories and pics along with the rest of the readers     i envey you for you have handled more treasure(s) than we will ever unable to find in our lives

That is just amazing

Wow! People stashed stuff everywhere!

Far as we've found, money was hidden... but not like that. In drawers and such, but we haven't found any secrets in the house itself!

That's some fantastic stuff. My hrandmother was the same way, I guess living through the depression made people distrut the banks, (not like today of course!). I also had some unscrupulous relations who got in first and went through her things. Who knows what they made off with, but that's life. It's sad when an old person dies and greed sets in within the family.

So whatever happened with the new owners, where did all this stuff go Arronn? Did you go by and ask if you could help move the trash out for them or metal detect the yard?
They may have appreciated you helping dispose of the junk.

just awesome !!!!

hello. i heard one time that  people would put money in the used razor blade slot in the old medicine cabinets. might be a place to look.

Great post arron....I like espesially the Japanese swords, but give the blades a clean you are not supposed to touch them with the bare hand, also if you hang them on the wall make sure the point of the blade is not facing the door entrance, this I belive is regarded as an insult good luck with the Allandens cave

very nice

amazing

Another good place to look is outside the house.  Take a walk around the house and look for water pipes, such as iron and galvanized pipes near outside faucets.  Give them a light kick with the toe of your shoe and you might just hear a metallic clink from several hidden coins.  If you're lucky enough to have found this kind of hidden cache, it won't take long to pull the pipe out of the ground, since it's not really connected to a water supply.  This kind of hiding place has been used many, many times down through the years!  Good luck in your search!

loose floor boards ,heater ,vents ,behind medicine cabinets ,false bottoms of drawers ,under the drawers ,light globes hidey spot for coins and keys, basment ,look for loose bricks, crawl spaces,high spots in dirt floors out of place concreette re placement , up the fire place . and are there any other siblings for your woman or her father  that might come in and want a share or try to get in when no one else is around oh yes look under matress and look for sewed up places in matress that s how fortunes are thrown away or burned old folks thought the matress was a bank the same for pillows.

have her dad or her buy one and then get a tent and camp out there and go to town and dig every siginal never know what you will find and maybe when the yard is turned over they willlet you keep the machine hell you never know you might find one in the house.

Amazing post and a great read!
I hope you made out well all things considered.

Look thro books theres always good things in old books.

Ever find out anything about the sword or the gun and what they are worth?

out of doors, look at fence posts,there may be a short one,I found a quart of silver dollars that way . and if there is a tall chimney I found fine things buried where the full moon cast its shadow, look at the whole shadow. with a detector. or a tall pole.  Bob

If you know how, take off the handle on the katana (japanese sword) and you can find out who made it, and when. I can read some japanese, so if you ever do, post a picture of it, and I'll see if I can translate it out for you. Some katana made by certain makers sell for extremely high prices in Japan.

Did you get it unloaded. If not to unload pull the hammer back one click, push the button on the rod under the barrel and pull it straight out,  finally push the cylinder out the left side. Remember alway point it away from people

Updates!!!

Here are some of the newest finds! I feel like a pirate!! Haha


First item is a VERY small pistol, about 4? long! It says ?North American Arms? on it. Any idea of the age? Also, I KNOW it is loaded, but I do not know how do unload it. I will bring it to a gun shop.



Second is a Smith & Wesson ?32? ?CTGE?. No other details on that one!




Next up is a good one. This has Japanese writing on the butt, but I cannot decipher it.




Here is a HORRIBLE idea! It?s a PEZ dispenser? and the candy comes from the barrel! Let?s just put guns in our mouths! Haha



There are LOTS of furs; I?ll just post a few:





And this old sewing machine, like new with all the accessories! Dated 1952.





I?ll keep everyone posted!

Speechless, totally.!!!!!!

Holy Cow !! what a find nice  have you had a chance to detect the grounds outside that house ?? i bet ya theres stuff buried ?

READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!

Where can I find the beekrock thread? I tried to find it, but I had not success.

READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!? READ THE BEEKROCK THREAD!

Where can I find the beekrock thread? I tried to find it, but I had not success.

http://www.treasurenet.com/f/index.php/topic,3103.0.html

on the old forums, well worth the read if your looking for hidey holes.

I just read a small part of it and I now need to go back and check something

 

Wow! SUPER finds!!!! The sewing machine of German manufacture.

and i thought singer was swedish. this article in wiki makes it American. so I think we were both wrong
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer_Corporation

When my great aunt died we went to her house to clean it out and she had alot of money stashed in books,she was a big reader and she also had it stashed in the freezer.

Wow!

I realize this thread is old...but since many will look back on it...my 2 cents worth 
She left no will?
I would hold on to everything BEFORE selling it or letting it go. At least for 6-12mths. This gives any one time to do the legal matters. Probate can take as long as 6 mths. In case someone decides to make themselves executor of the estate, then wants to go to court over the belongings, etc. If their was no will everything has to be categorized and a value placed on it to distribute equally among relatives. There has to be someone to take legal matters in hand to sell the property if no ones name(s) are on the deed or wasn't willed the property, etc. This means her biological/adopted children or step children she provided care for more than their biological parents for a period of time, NOT grandchildren ... would receive the items and her spouse (if still living, if he is living then he gets all rights if they have been married after a certain time). Basically what was hers before marriage is now the estates, what was his (spouse) before marriage is his and things bought together during marriage are his, unless just in her name. Taking of the items without a lawyers protection could lead to a lawsuit later if someone wises up and decides a lawyer is needed. Never take anyone for granted. People get sidetracked and rush to get rid of things, before taking into account the laws and legal matters in a death. If she left no will, then people believe they can just go in and say here you get this I get that and in their rush everyone agrees...but supposed someone decided to think a little harder on what they gave up and "Jane Doe" isn't happy any more with her set of china dishes and decides she wants the silver spoons as well, because "John Doe" got all the dining room furniture circa 1920's. You get the picture?
We had the same thing happen to us recently, a stepmother after a fathers death (Sept '09) willingly gave us his belongings only to come back 4mths later and contest everything, got a lawyer and has tried to sue us to get it all back to the estate, after she got a high paying lawyer to make her executor of the estate and tell her due to Alabama law half goes to her and the other half to the children. She doesn't want to work, was so sweet and acted grief stricken.... and now is going so far as to sue in only 7mths after the death and hold us in contempt of court if we don't return the items, and going as far as taking things from a 8yr old child! Just unique rocks (he collects them like his Grandfather did) that she gave him for Christmas that was his Grandpa's and a few had traces of gold in them.
From sweet to evil witch in less than 6mths!
Please itemize everything you take and/or sell at what price. You don't know what the family might come back with later after they had time to think.
She was working quickly giving things away and selling them because they had a home in NJ and one in Mobile, AL so she had no where to put all the extra things so she said we could have them....then BOOM 4mths later she wants them back and then 7mths later suing us! Luckily we talked her out of it because she sold some things valued way over what we have before she got the lawyer and is just taking the value of the items out of our portion of the estate....but still goes to show what family will do when money is involved.
GL! Be safe....horde for now...look at it as a fragile nest egg, instead of a way to get rich fast.
You never know when it all can be snatched back!

Im jelous!  Too cool!







http://www.antiquesaws.net/

Hey Aaron,

Here is some information about the pistols, starting with the derringer and working down.

1. NAA Derringer
 - Modern production. These have been manufactured by NAA since the 1980's.

2. Smith & Wesson Model 3 Revolver
 - Modern Reproduction in .32 caliber
 - Production of this top break style revolver in this caliber was between the late 1800's to the 1950's.
 - The original production models were only made in .44 schofield and later in .45 caliber. This type was designed as a civilian sport shooting model.
- The logo design on the grip and stamping on the barrel would suggest a production time somewhere around the 1930's to 1950's.

3. Hopkins & Allen XL #3 Revolver
 - .32 caliber, 5-shot, double action
 - This particular style was produced by Hopkins & Allen between the 1930's and 1940's.
 - This revolver was used by the Japanese military during world war 2.
 - Most likely, this is the most valuable revolver in the lot, even though it doesn't look it.

[ShootTheMoon]

I'm still around guys!

ShootTheMoon, I do appreciate the warning but there WAS an executor; though self proclaimed. I'm sure he took most all the stuff of value before we even saw the place. We know he cleaned out her bank accounts and safety deposit boxes as well as her pristine 80's Caddy.

These things are what I found after digging through the endless piles after he had gone through it all.

The house has since been leveled and the lot sold very quickly as it was in the middle of a city (Woburn MA) and zoned commercially.

allen_idaho, thanks for the info on the guns! We still have all of them and haven't figured out what to do with them yet.

I'm sorry. I made a mistake. The second gun isn't actually a Smith & Wesson. I'm pretty sure it's a Harrington & Richardson revolver. I completely forgot about the symbol on the grip. I spaced it out. I apologize. These usually sell for around $100-$200. And yours looks to be in pretty good shape.

An American version Hopkins & Allen revolver as old as the third gun would be worth around $200 as well. But a Japanese World War 2 version could potentially be worth a lot more to collectors.

I'm a bit confused... the second gun SAYS Smith & Wesson on it... and the third gun says American Bulldog on it.

Are you sure on your identifications?

Yes. I am sure.

The second gun, the top break revolver is definately a Harrington & Richardson. On the side of the barrel where it says: "32 S&W CTGE", this means the gun is chambered for the .32 Smith & Wesson cartridge. Not that it is of Smith & Wesson Manufacture.

Here is a picture of a similar H&R top break revolver:


Note the distinct similarities. Especially the style and design of the grip. You will note that it has the H&R logo on it.

---

Now the third gun, the Hopkins & Allen, says American Bulldog on it. This is because it was originally an American made weapon designed for the American market. But this particular model was modified and exported to Japan for military use. The handle grip was changed. The butt was engraved. And a few other minor changes were made before it was put into use.

Congrats & Good Luck!     Ruck

Keep It Comming!       Ruck

Wow! People stashed stuff everywhere!

Far as we've found, money was hidden... but not like that. In drawers and such, but we haven't found any secrets in the house itself!

Amazing story, what a dream to have such great finds!

-Ariel
Kellyco Metal Detectors

I have just read thru this whole thread, and it's like the best read I have had in awhile. Some absolutely amazing stuff to find. The old lady must have been hoarding and hiding things for years and years.


U.

WOW!!!

love the stacks of silver coins!

My grandmother had a Singer sewing machine just like yours 

  Wow! Best wishes to her family. Think things through before selling stuff. She might want to hold on to things for her future kids. Let it all settle in first. Good luck.