Any Valuables or Treasures that You discovered In Your Old House?

Question

Have you moved into a house and discovered anything valuable or left behind.

It's funny on those movie shows that show old homes, people discover photos, irons, or a few pieces of old money, but don't they ever show if a resident found gold/expensive jewelry, or really valuable things, but perhaps don't want it publicized? Wondering?

Answer 1

I bought a house in Detroit (built in 1929) and lived in it for about 5 years, before I did some remodeling. This was in 1982 when I did that.

We wanted to put in some bedrooms, in the then used attic space. We had to rip out the floor boards to re-enforce the joists for the new bedrooms floors.

My brother ripped out some boards and found a large old cigar box that was full of toy lead solders, cowboys and Indians, some baseball cards (1930's) and assorted small toys.

The cigar box was on the perimeter of the attic flooring. So we assume the boy who owned the cigar box, laid on his stomach to secret the box under the boards.

Why he never retrieved it when he grew up. we'll never know. My brother thinks he may have gone to war during WW2 and never returned. Who knows!?

I took the box to a collectors store and got enough money from it, to pay for a good chunk of my remodeling materials.

Answer 2

We moved into an old home years ago that in the basement had a cartoon painted on the wall. When we went to put in new wiring and insulation we found old newspapers in the walls that had pictures of the homes in the area when the house was built. The house sat on a 1/4 acre but we soon realized that it was a cottage built from a barn (saw where the barn door had been when we went to put siding on the house) and that the owner had put in the basement "after" the house was built so the basement had a shelf about hip level. We realized that there were many row cottages and horse stables and riding trails stables and that the wealthy used to go out to this rural area from the city on weekends to visit Euclid Beach Park. When we went to put the siding on we were able to see the old house number on it, and when we did a little research we found out the old name of the street (which of course had been changed), which was at that time in a different county. Quite interesting to also find out the house was built on shale. And even though the house was in Ohio and had many fruit trees and golden maples, it had one stately redwood. Just knowing that and the skills of the man who rebuilt the cottage from a barn was valuable to us.

Answer 3

when we moved in and started cleaning the attics out we found several pair beautiful antique heavy velvet rose colored draperies, a small child's chair upholstered in the same fabric as the drapes and a lovely antique children's tea set.
i have no idea what the value is, we had the draperies and chair cleaned professionally, and they are in our dining room [and bedroom] along with a small table to show off the wee tea set.
the family we bought the house from didn't want the items back, it was their aunt's home and the items had no meaning to them at all. they have given me photos and the journal of the house from the day it was built, well over a hundred years ago. the house had been in their family all this time but they are emigrating to europe and have no need for any of the items.
we treasure them as they give us such a clear portrait of our home. we of course have started our own journal of the house and will leave it to the new owners when the time comes that we will sell.

Answer 4

I found a diamond ring in my home in Minneapolis that was an antique, the only way I knew it was an antique because I took it to a jeweler who said becuase of the cut of the stone he could tell it was old. My home was built in 1896 and was boarded up when I bought it. Grand old house. 3,400 square feet little by new homes today but what a gem it was. I moved to amarillo and bought a home as big as my garage up north. Good thing here is I don't have those outrages gas bills.

Answer 5

In my sister's house I found an old map of the area she lived in. She took to the local town hall and found out it was the oldest known map of the area (some time in the early 1800's). My sister donated it to the town who encased it in glass and have it hanging in a place of honor.

In my first house I found a set of blue prints for an old victorian house in Passaic NJ. The address was on the drawings but the house no longer exists. We donated them to the town's historical society.

In my current house we have an old Kelvinator brand refrigeratior in the basement. The kind with the door latch. It still works but we do not use it. I wonder if anyone would want it?

.

Answer 6

My home was built in 1900 and we are slowly redoing everyroom. So I am hoping for a treasure. There were only 2 families who lived here before us and the last lady dropped by to give us history which was cool. She said the family before left a diary of weather and all sorts and she took it with her. I think it should have staye din the house:(

Answer 7

Husband found old stage coach steps and one of the first Hire's root beer bottles. Actually, the root beer bottle was found in the backyard.

Answer 8

from time to time they buried their trash. multiple human beings had a close-by close to their abode the place all the trash ended up in a pile and alter into then buried. of direction your marvelous their trash in lots of situations is now treasure. previous wells and outhouse places additionally are good places to dig.

Answer 9

We found an old marijuana pipe in the wall; we took it to the police station for their display case.