4:57 Those are "Ruptured Ducks," the nickname given by returning GIs who were stateside. As military men were dismissed from service, most had no civilian clothing available. This device would be worn on the uniform, designating the uniform wearer as former military, hence not Absent With Out Leave. A similar cloth badge was also made to be sewn onto uniforms like basic duty utilities. It was to keep men from being rounded up by military police as being AWOL as they no longer required a written pass for being 'off post'. 15:00 I started cringing as you polished out the wear patterns of this lighter. It had all the indicators of being carried in a pocket for some time. Indentations in the flat surfaces and such. It would be interesting to get a manufacturing date for it to see if it was wartime as well. I wonder if the US Army had a basic brass case issued lighter?
I always love those tiny little watches you say don't hold much value... and those are always the ones that have my interest. That one tiny one, the hands were SO small, you almost need a loupe to check the time, hahah ;-))
Alex, be sure to check the tie tacks etc for a gold stamp, even if tarnished. I know that even 14kt gold, if left sitting for years can tarnish from alloy metal used. I'm an x jeweller and nearly tossed really heavy cufflinks that were my father in laws. The glint on back made me do a second look and they were 14k 😅
I really love the Indestructible Watch and so many of those lighters remind me of my Grandfather - Love the flat advertising style and just the unusual non-standard zippo stylings.
Great mystery box. I loved seeing the brass Zippo lighter and watch come back to life. I think my favorite was the lighter. I have never seen a brass one before. Keep Safe❤Keep Well❤
Your comparison of this box to a Christmas stocking was quite apropos. Little bundles of fun. I think the unwrapping was done well. You moved from one-handed to two with some slick editing. Perhaps an update on the watches,assay of the ring and other info as a quick addendum attached to another video? Thanks Alexander
3M BPSI: 3M Business Products Sales, Inc. I worked for that division of the 3M company in the late 70s, driving around in a company station wagon selling copiers that used coated paper, before plain paper technology took over. Your lighter says, 3M Business Products Center. Those locations were our offices and showrooms.
Yeah that Watch is Nice! But the Autosol polish takes me back to 80’s and HOURS of shining my bicycle ! My best friend and me… We loved that! And i remember the smell after hours of it on my fingers😂!!! Great stuff💯 There was Also Glenosol?? But we did prefer Autosol!! My grandfather used it too ❤
I hope you can put some on the pins (and the big gold ring) on a xrf machine. Some gold filled marked backs of pins have solid gold parts. My favorite thing was the art deco ladies watch with enamel. Great video.
My attention was caught by the pocket watches as I have a 14K gold embossed ladies hunter pocket watch with Arabic numerals that was my grandmothers. It has the Dueber Watch Case numbered certification inside. Don't know if I'll ever part with it but it's treasured. BTW, I think your use of your background music is appropriately placed in this video as almost an outro, not intrusive nor too loud which is a problem with most sites.
Thanks Alex I love your channel 🤗 The emblem on the gold pocket watch reminds me of a papal or catholic emblem or symbol but very hard to get a good look.
favorite item was the silver pilot wings 🪽! would love to see that one shined up✨🌟✨🤩👍🏻Also loved the gold is it WW1 pilot symbol ring? my dad was in the Air Force 😊and he loved the silver Air Force ring I got him with the new Air Force symbol 🙏🥲
I was hoping to see you open open a pocket watch that didn’t originally pop open You did say that you didn’t want to force it and needed your repair tools to do it 😊
I kept hoping to the very last second that he would remember it and open it! Then, in my imagination, I thought of it being the best find and worth the most money of all. I have a good imagination!
another great find alex!!! for me personaly i like all things connected with the militery things!!! in fact i got my own personal collection!!! i'm sure you will get a profit like always alex!!!
04:59 Ruptured Duck lapel button, aka honorable discharge from the US Army during or after WWII. Army Air Corps wings - to early for Air Force. The ring has a propellor and wings on it too; the original owner was a WWII vet and bought the ring himself. Some were precious metal and some weren't. 14:41 Nooooo! That lighter earned its wear and tear honestly. I bet that was the guy's gamer. My favorite thing was the least valuable - the ruptured duck. Not worth a pile because there were so many given out. Some are shiny because the guy never wore it, and some are beat to ****. I like the latter the best.
I can guess from the Boscov's box that it must be sent from either eastern Pennsylvania or Delaware. I live in Reading, Pa. where the first Boscov's store was established. The store has been in the family for generations, and the late Albert Boscov was a well-respected pillar of our community.
Dear Alex, Just wanted to say my favourite piece of the collection was the Elgin pocket watch. It was very lovely. Also, Thank-you for your recommendation of using the cleaning product of the Autosol. You did a meticulous job of buffing it to a luminous shine! Been watching your wonderful show for almost 8 years now. Sending well wishes for the New Year 2025, and continued success!
Alex my love. Good box of items for the money. Hopefully you will get your money back. Until next time. I hear Mr. Big stepped down. Please, take care and stay safe. Love ya 🍺🌹❤️🕊👍😘🙏🦢🎈🌞🇺🇸😇🌈 I love the pens and cigarette lighters🎈🎈
The fountain pens brings back memories when I was in 6th grade in 1975-76. The only kind of pens we were allowed to use were fountain pens, they would tend to be a little messy sometimes when we were writing and then it was like we ran out of ink and we would give them a little flick and they work again, but we would get ink on the floor. Maybe we should have flicked them over the garbage can? LOL
My grade 6 teacher made us use fountain pens as well, no idea why, my penmanship was (is) poor at the best of times to say nothing of trying to keep up taking notes with one of those pens . . .
I believe that was a paratrooper emblem on that pocket watch. It was hard to see because of the movement in the video. Thanks for sharing this goodie box 😊❤
Looking through the items. I'd say his name was Harry, served in the US Army Air Corps or US Air Force in the 40s to 50s. Joined DuPont and worked in their Sales department until his retirement. Was a smoker and towards the end of his life got into fly fishing (but probably didn't enjoy it). He liked his lighters even though he stopped smoking, and decided to keep them as memorabilia. My grandfather was around that period, so I would have loved to have watched this video with him and get some insights from him.
Thank you for sharing Alex. I loved the Harry cufflinks -- my English grandfather's name was Harry. I also love pocket watches -- I wonder what the one that you couldn't open looked like??
Ah! So that's why Apple calls the little things that appear on the watch face "complications." I also wouldn't be surprised if scientists in years to come have show how this era allowed people to evolve to only using one hand with increased dexterity - all from holding a camera in the other hand while doing almost everything.
10:15 There was a pocket watch just like that one on Etsy, but it was sterling silver called Nun's Vintage Sterling Silver Elgin Watch Pocket or Pendulum Sacred Heart Crucifix. It sold for $54.95 . That is the only one I could find online.
Also, my grandfather worked for Sheaffer pen for decades. I grew up in the town they were produced! Actually, a good percentage of my family worked for Scheaffer. My grandfather just happened to be on the corporate side. (He went to Brazil when mom was a kid (1950's), and England when I was a kid (1970's.) to help start and expand the companies' factories. I love it when you find one in your huntings.. I'm pretty sure those pens all came from Fort Madison, Iowa.
Love watching . It’s exciting seeing cool antique or unique stuff. But anyone who reads this can you help me . I bought a pretty new car and unfortunately I took to a car wash that put so many scratches on the car. What can I do to remove them or make not so vivid?
u r at home u should prop the cam up and be hand free lol is it just me or does it feel wrong to mail my stuff to someone i mean i could not mail stuff from fam to someone else to have unless no one else in my fam did not want the stuff that is the only way 11:22 those watches the kinda watches i think r cool and those zippos got to be worth something i have a really cool gold zippo and a playboy regular bic lighter
I gave my son a box of unique lighters and pens that were my grandpa's- from the 40's-60's. He tried to sell some in the Dallas, Texas area and couldn't find a buyer. I hope he didn't toss them!
The mark on the brass zippo lighter is made by the stud on the lighter pouch that fits on your belt.I stopped using them they ruin the look of the lighter.zippo should sort that out.and check the inside of the zippo is the same date on the outside
The good and the bad thing about the watch game is it's a fashion industry. That is to say, what's hot today might not be hot tomorrow and what was once hot will likely be hot again
A pocket watch that is fully cased (front and back) is a Hunter, originally made for use by English fox hunters on horseback, as the full case offered protection to the crystal.
@@broadsword6650 ....Thanks man! I always wanted one like that so I could one day give it to my son as a family heirloom, one that my son can pop open and see the inscription message to him inside letting him know I would always love him. I don't have a family heirloom to pass down not unless I use my Casio wristwatch!😂
If the ring doesn't stick to a magnet and is not marked you have a 15% chance it's real.and a 30% chance it's gold plated silver. And a 70% chance it's fake
4:57 Those are "Ruptured Ducks," the nickname given by returning GIs who were stateside. As military men were dismissed from service, most had no civilian clothing available. This device would be worn on the uniform, designating the uniform wearer as former military, hence not Absent With Out Leave. A similar cloth badge was also made to be sewn onto uniforms like basic duty utilities. It was to keep men from being rounded up by military police as being AWOL as they no longer required a written pass for being 'off post'. 15:00 I started cringing as you polished out the wear patterns of this lighter. It had all the indicators of being carried in a pocket for some time. Indentations in the flat surfaces and such. It would be interesting to get a manufacturing date for it to see if it was wartime as well. I wonder if the US Army had a basic brass case issued lighter?
Very cool! Loved to see the watches come back to shining pieces.
It's always interesting videos! It's fun watching the things you find and the care you take, restoring them when needed.
I think it's cool that you have the parts and the know-how to fix the ones that need to be fixed 🤗
Nice little haul love how they tagged everything .
Love the watches as always, but today's fave is the crescent moon brooch!
Great video. My personal favorites were the two gold lapel pins, military “ruptured duck” given after service completion. Thanks
I always love those tiny little watches you say don't hold much value... and those are always the ones that have my interest. That one tiny one, the hands were SO small, you almost need a loupe to check the time, hahah ;-))
Watcing you polish the brass makes me want to polish up my old brass padlocks, thanks for the video Alex!
Alex, be sure to check the tie tacks etc for a gold stamp, even if tarnished. I know that even 14kt gold, if left sitting for years can tarnish from alloy metal used. I'm an x jeweller and nearly tossed really heavy cufflinks that were my father in laws. The glint on back made me do a second look and they were 14k 😅
I really love the Indestructible Watch and so many of those lighters remind me of my Grandfather - Love the flat advertising style and just the unusual non-standard zippo stylings.
Nice box of goodies! Thanks for sharing. No idea on the watch symbol.
Great mystery box. I loved seeing the brass Zippo lighter and watch come back to life. I think my favorite was the lighter. I have never seen a brass one before. Keep Safe❤Keep Well❤
If that Gold ring came with that lot for $500 then you did Verry well , nice score, thx for the video content
Love your corduroy jacket! Looks comfy! Happy New Year from Amish Linda and Nancy!!!!
I love the fountain pens!
The Zippos outer case are all brass, just Chrome plated
Intesting box! Thanks love and hugs! Melissa and Alex! ❤😊❤
Hi Alex I like the pocket watch too ... A lot of good quality stuff though, excellent.
Your comparison of this box to a Christmas stocking was quite apropos. Little bundles of fun. I think the unwrapping was done well. You moved from one-handed to two with some slick editing. Perhaps an update on the watches,assay of the ring and other info as a quick addendum attached to another video? Thanks Alexander
yeah .... mahalo ... good
3M BPSI: 3M Business Products Sales, Inc. I worked for that division of the 3M company in the late 70s, driving around in a company station wagon selling copiers that used coated paper, before plain paper technology took over.
Your lighter says, 3M Business Products Center. Those locations were our offices and showrooms.
Thanks for the video🙏
Yeah that Watch is Nice! But the Autosol polish takes me back to 80’s and HOURS of shining my bicycle ! My best friend and me… We loved that! And i remember the smell after hours of it on my fingers😂!!!
Great stuff💯 There was Also Glenosol?? But we did prefer Autosol!! My grandfather used it too ❤
Thanks for the video great little bunch of watches❤❤
I hope you can put some on the pins (and the big gold ring) on a xrf machine. Some gold filled marked backs of pins have solid gold parts. My favorite thing was the art deco ladies watch with enamel. Great video.
Always fun to watch, Alex!
My attention was caught by the pocket watches as I have a 14K gold embossed ladies hunter pocket watch with Arabic numerals that was my grandmothers. It has the Dueber Watch Case numbered certification inside. Don't know if I'll ever part with it but it's treasured. BTW, I think your use of your background music is appropriately placed in this video as almost an outro, not intrusive nor too loud which is a problem with most sites.
Thanks Alex I love your channel 🤗 The emblem on the gold pocket watch reminds me of a papal or catholic emblem or symbol but very hard to get a good look.
favorite item was the silver pilot wings 🪽! would love to see that one shined up✨🌟✨🤩👍🏻Also loved the gold is it WW1 pilot symbol ring? my dad was in the Air Force 😊and he loved the silver Air Force ring I got him with the new Air Force symbol 🙏🥲
Interesting!!!!!! 🤗☃️❤️👍🙋🏻♀️
I love the pocket watches ❤❤
What a difference a little cleaner can make 😮
I was hoping to see you open open a pocket watch that didn’t originally pop open You did say that you didn’t want to force it and needed your repair tools to do it 😊
I kept hoping to the very last second that he would remember it and open it! Then, in my imagination, I thought of it being the best find and worth the most money of all. I have a good imagination!
@@anetzband1383funnily enough, I was thinking that same thing!
another great find alex!!! for me personaly i like all things connected with the militery things!!! in fact i got my own personal collection!!! i'm sure you will get a profit like always alex!!!
" a bucket of hands" . Love your humor. Love watching unboxings.
Me too!
04:59 Ruptured Duck lapel button, aka honorable discharge from the US Army during or after WWII. Army Air Corps wings - to early for Air Force. The ring has a propellor and wings on it too; the original owner was a WWII vet and bought the ring himself. Some were precious metal and some weren't. 14:41 Nooooo! That lighter earned its wear and tear honestly. I bet that was the guy's gamer. My favorite thing was the least valuable - the ruptured duck. Not worth a pile because there were so many given out. Some are shiny because the guy never wore it, and some are beat to ****. I like the latter the best.
I love the art deco ladies watch, the menorah brooch and the tortoise shell fountain pen. Nice stuff!
I’m glad you got enough to make a profit. It must be hard to buy sight unseen. My favourite was the second watch , the calendar one.
I couldn't focus on the emblem on the pocket watch. You kept moving it. I hope you find out what it is.
I lime the pilot wings.
I can guess from the Boscov's box that it must be sent from either eastern Pennsylvania or Delaware. I live in Reading, Pa. where the first Boscov's store was established. The store has been in the family for generations, and the late Albert Boscov was a well-respected pillar of our community.
good score. Elbow grease always makes things better.
Dear Alex, Just wanted to say my favourite piece of the collection was the Elgin pocket watch. It was very lovely. Also, Thank-you for your recommendation of using the cleaning product of the Autosol. You did a meticulous job of buffing it to a luminous shine! Been watching your wonderful show for almost 8 years now. Sending well wishes for the New Year 2025, and continued success!
Thanks Alex!
Alex my love. Good box of items for the money. Hopefully you will get your money back. Until next time. I hear Mr. Big stepped down. Please, take care and stay safe. Love ya 🍺🌹❤️🕊👍😘🙏🦢🎈🌞🇺🇸😇🌈 I love the pens and cigarette lighters🎈🎈
Hey there my favorite thing was the suff box
Cool video .
The fountain pens brings back memories when I was in 6th grade in 1975-76. The only kind of pens we were allowed to use were fountain pens, they would tend to be a little messy sometimes when we were writing and then it was like we ran out of ink and we would give them a little flick and they work again, but we would get ink on the floor. Maybe we should have flicked them over the garbage can? LOL
My grade 6 teacher made us use fountain pens as well, no idea why, my penmanship was (is) poor at the best of times to say nothing of trying to keep up taking notes with one of those pens . . .
@@The_Smith You weren't from Kentucky were you? lol Strange that our 6th grade teachers had us use fountain pens.
Still got mine
I like fountain pens myself
I love the pens because I use them for drawling They are very good quality and expensive in the UK My mother had a moon brooch in late 1940s
From Elgin, Illinois, my favorite is the Elgin pocket watch.
I believe that was a paratrooper emblem on that pocket watch. It was hard to see because of the movement in the video. Thanks for sharing this goodie box 😊❤
Looking through the items. I'd say his name was Harry, served in the US Army Air Corps or US Air Force in the 40s to 50s. Joined DuPont and worked in their Sales department until his retirement. Was a smoker and towards the end of his life got into fly fishing (but probably didn't enjoy it). He liked his lighters even though he stopped smoking, and decided to keep them as memorabilia.
My grandfather was around that period, so I would have loved to have watched this video with him and get some insights from him.
I liked the gold ring.
🍀👍🍀🤔”Elgin pocket watch “
Alex...you could use a camera stand...I get so frustrated 'for you', and me, to watch you struggle with one hand!
The ring looks like a vintage pilot ring from the 40’s or maybe the 50’s.
I like the fountain pens❤
great comments! .... we lave ya! ...... keep it coming and mahalo nui / tyvm ...... 💖💖💖💖💖 to the Curiosity Family
I liked the brass Zippo……I have one too…..somewhere??
Was there a script on it?
Always impressed with your breadth and depth. What don‘t you know 🤓
I like the ring and the brass lighter
Alexander,
An eclectic mix.
I use Flitz polish on my Clarinet Keys, great stuff.
Too bad, no Rolies or Omegas:) LOL
Cheers,
Rik Spector
I thought the ring was cool!
Fun!
Your 🪣 of extra ✋ s , that you keep in your attic
would make you a handyman. Not creepy at all Alexander 😮
Thank you for sharing Alex. I loved the Harry cufflinks -- my English grandfather's name was Harry. I also love pocket watches -- I wonder what the one that you couldn't open looked like??
That brass Zippo is only around $25? Damn I'd pick that up in a heartbeat. Looks so much cooler than a standard steel one.
Ah! So that's why Apple calls the little things that appear on the watch face "complications." I also wouldn't be surprised if scientists in years to come have show how this era allowed people to evolve to only using one hand with increased dexterity - all from holding a camera in the other hand while doing almost everything.
10:15 There was a pocket watch just like that one on Etsy, but it was sterling silver called Nun's Vintage Sterling Silver Elgin Watch Pocket or Pendulum Sacred Heart Crucifix. It sold for $54.95 . That is the only one I could find online.
Sterling Silver Elgin Watch Pocket or Pendulum Sacred Heart Crusifix
That small watch with all the complications, looks like a JLC movement. I wonder if that's what's in it.
Also, my grandfather worked for Sheaffer pen for decades. I grew up in the town they were produced! Actually, a good percentage of my family worked for Scheaffer. My grandfather just happened to be on the corporate side. (He went to Brazil when mom was a kid (1950's), and England when I was a kid (1970's.) to help start and expand the companies' factories. I love it when you find one in your huntings.. I'm pretty sure those pens all came from Fort Madison, Iowa.
I missed you🙂
Don't some collectors like the patina left on some collectibles? The lighter and watch shined up really nice though! Oh, and was the ring gold?
Love watching . It’s exciting seeing cool antique or unique stuff. But anyone who reads this can you help me . I bought a pretty new car and unfortunately I took to a car wash that put so many scratches on the car. What can I do to remove them or make not so vivid?
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
the pocket watch emblem looks like a REME Royal Mechanical and Electrical Engineers can't really see it clear enough to state categorially
With all the lighters, i think you should start smoking now…lol
I'm a fan of the lighters!
I also like fountain pens
Army Air Corps ring, the precurser of the Air Force. circa WW2. The pilots wings should be sterling.
Old fountain pens have 14 kt gold nibs, the good ones, use your loupe.
u r at home u should prop the cam up and be hand free lol is it just me or does it feel wrong to mail my stuff to someone i mean i could not mail stuff from fam to someone else to have unless no one else in my fam did not want the stuff that is the only way 11:22 those watches the kinda watches i think r cool and those zippos got to be worth something i have a really cool gold zippo and a playboy regular bic lighter
Cool video, as usual. I rather liked the look of that small, brass pencil..Or was it a pen?
Cheers!✌
I gave my son a box of unique lighters and pens that were my grandpa's- from the 40's-60's. He tried to sell some in the Dallas, Texas area and couldn't find a buyer. I hope he didn't toss them!
I noticed you pass over the menorah pin. And we just celebrated Chanukah and Christmas simultaneously
Actually was laughing because you're not known for your patience when unboxing. :D Great sound texture though.
The mark on the brass zippo lighter is made by the stud on the lighter pouch that fits on your belt.I stopped using them they ruin the look of the lighter.zippo should sort that out.and check the inside of the zippo is the same date on the outside
Love Zippo lighters !!
The good and the bad thing about the watch game is it's a fashion industry. That is to say, what's hot today might not be hot tomorrow and what was once hot will likely be hot again
A couple of those look like Dupont lighters...and those are expensive....very expensive.
Thumbs 👍 up
I love an ink pen and have far too many, but my ex throughout my favourite waterman ink pen.
@neilperry......'threw out'........just to clarify.🙂
Let us know about the watch emblem
Will you sell your finds individually or do you like to stick to the auction method?
You can certainly contact him if there's something you like.
❤❤
You didn't show the pocket watch that didn't open; was it anything? Was the pen nib gold?
The wings are before the Air Force
It's WW2
What do you call that type of pocket watch that opens several times?
A pocket watch that is fully cased (front and back) is a Hunter, originally made for use by English fox hunters on horseback, as the full case offered protection to the crystal.
@@broadsword6650 ....Thanks man!
I always wanted one like that so I could one day give it to my son as a family heirloom, one that my son can pop open and see the inscription message to him inside letting him know I would always love him.
I don't have a family heirloom to pass down not unless I use my Casio wristwatch!😂
The tripod was less shaky then your hand and stayed in focus.
Take close up of watch symbol ans use google lens. Live when you talk about the item details and values.
The ring is WW2 US Army Air Corp
If the ring doesn't stick to a magnet and is not marked you have a 15% chance it's real.and a 30% chance it's gold plated silver. And a 70% chance it's fake