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 ;-))
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❤
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.
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
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 😅
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 love watching your channel! The music score makes me watch for Mr. Roger’s to enter the room! You are very fortunate having such a beautiful and loving family. Thank you for sharing you and your family. God bless you
This episode made me miss my parents. My dad. Harry. Served in WW2. He smoked and had lots of those lighters. I can smell them by memory. He had a watch with a band that looked military grade. My mom had a watch that looked like one of those deco ones. He passed in 94 and she passed in 2007. My dad even had a gold ring similar to that one. Now I wish I would have kept some of that stuff. Thanks for the memories.
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 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 😊❤
This is always fun to watch. Want you to know I ordered the flex spot chair. It came really fast! I have used it for half a day so far and absolutely no pain when I stand up. It is an amazing chair.
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 🙏🥲
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.
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.
At 8:12, to the left of the fountain pens, there appear to be a mother-of-pearl Star of David pin and a rhinestone menorah brooch. I have a similar MOP pin. I always like Judaica.
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!!!
Five kids and we all got the same great Christmas stocking stuffers when we were little: A tangerine, a packet of chips, a couple of hot wheels, a tiny doll, a large peppermint stick, a coloring book and chocolates!
Great video. 😊 I love opening packages too , it always feels like Christmas. Tell your best half 😅 😂- I have another recipe for her ( she did chocolate gravy before) . It’s Maple-Bacon Brussels sprouts. They can be done 2 ways…Tell her we miss her videos 😔.. Love to the whole family 😁🙏✝️❤️
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!
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!
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🎈🎈
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.
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.
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.
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??
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?
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 . . .
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.
It may be the masland carpet genie. On the pocket watch. Had to tell. Couldn't get a good shot of it. Maslands was a local carpet company in Pennsylvania
I think many of us kick ourselves after watching your videos. At one point we only used zippo lighters and once the cheap throw away bics came along we threw the zippos out...and all the other things that we find out had value but at the time we just didn't need anymore...sad but true
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.
Enjoy watching you polish and seeing the results
Me, I liked the Zippo lighters .You have quite a collection of goodies there . ❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏
I loved all the watches! You take such care with them. Thanks for the interesting and education video!
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 ;-))
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.
Watcing you polish the brass makes me want to polish up my old brass padlocks, thanks for the video Alex!
Nice box of goodies! Thanks for sharing. No idea on the watch symbol.
Nice little haul love how they tagged everything .
Very interesting watching you work on the watch and lighter. Would like to see some more of you doing repairs on items.
Love your corduroy jacket! Looks comfy! Happy New Year from Amish Linda and Nancy!!!!
I think it's cool that you have the parts and the know-how to fix the ones that need to be fixed 🤗
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❤
Great video. My personal favorites were the two gold lapel pins, military “ruptured duck” given after service completion. Thanks
If that Gold ring came with that lot for $500 then you did Verry well , nice score, thx for the video content
Intesting box! Thanks love and hugs! Melissa and Alex! ❤😊❤
Love the watches as always, but today's fave is the crescent moon brooch!
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.
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
I love the fountain pens!
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 😅
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 love watching your channel! The music score makes me watch for Mr. Roger’s to enter the room! You are very fortunate having such a beautiful and loving family. Thank you for sharing you and your family. God bless you
" a bucket of hands" . Love your humor. Love watching unboxings.
Me too!
This episode made me miss my parents. My dad. Harry. Served in WW2. He smoked and had lots of those lighters. I can smell them by memory. He had a watch with a band that looked military grade. My mom had a watch that looked like one of those deco ones. He passed in 94 and she passed in 2007. My dad even had a gold ring similar to that one. Now I wish I would have kept some of that stuff. Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for the video🙏
Hi Alex I like the pocket watch too ... A lot of good quality stuff though, excellent.
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.
Thanks for the video great little bunch of watches❤❤
Brasso and a soft cloth are really good at getting the shine up.
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 😊❤
This is always fun to watch. Want you to know I ordered the flex spot chair. It came really fast! I have used it for half a day so far and absolutely no pain when I stand up. It is an amazing chair.
Interesting!!!!!! 🤗☃️❤️👍🙋🏻♀️
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 🙏🥲
Cool 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.
What a difference a little cleaner can make 😮
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.
At 8:12, to the left of the fountain pens, there appear to be a mother-of-pearl Star of David pin and a rhinestone menorah brooch. I have a similar MOP pin. I always like Judaica.
Always fun to watch, Alex!
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!!!
Five kids and we all got the same great Christmas stocking stuffers when we were little: A tangerine, a packet of chips, a couple of hot wheels, a tiny doll, a large peppermint stick, a coloring book and chocolates!
Great video. 😊 I love opening packages too , it always feels like Christmas. Tell your best half 😅 😂- I have another recipe for her ( she did chocolate gravy before) . It’s Maple-Bacon Brussels sprouts. They can be done 2 ways…Tell her we miss her videos 😔.. Love to the whole family 😁🙏✝️❤️
I love the art deco ladies watch, the menorah brooch and the tortoise shell fountain pen. Nice stuff!
Hey! It’s Alex from Curiosity Incorporated! He has a great channel and seems to really enjoy helping people!
The Zippos outer case are all brass, just Chrome plated
I love the pocket watches ❤❤
Fun!
Nice find.I liked the lighter with the fish hook.
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!
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!
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🎈🎈
I liked the gold ring.
🍀👍🍀🤔”Elgin pocket watch “
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.
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.
good score. Elbow grease always makes things better.
Hey there my favorite thing was the suff box
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.
love the restoring part of this video!
I'm a Zippo person myself, I've got some I've had for 45 years and a few i got while in the Navy. 👍
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.
Great to see you cleaning up some great items would have been nice to see the zippo buffed up 🖖🖖
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.
I like the fountain pens❤
I like the ring and the brass lighter
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
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??
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 🤓
great comments! .... we lave ya! ...... keep it coming and mahalo nui / tyvm ...... 💖💖💖💖💖 to the Curiosity Family
The ring looks like a vintage pilot ring from the 40’s or maybe the 50’s.
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.
Alexander,
An eclectic mix.
I use Flitz polish on my Clarinet Keys, great stuff.
Too bad, no Rolies or Omegas:) LOL
Cheers,
Rik Spector
From Elgin, Illinois, my favorite is the Elgin pocket watch.
Thanks Alex!
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.
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.
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?
I thought the ring was cool!
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
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.
Your 🪣 of extra ✋ s , that you keep in your attic
would make you a handyman. Not creepy at all Alexander 😮
❤❤
It may be the masland carpet genie. On the pocket watch. Had to tell. Couldn't get a good shot of it. Maslands was a local carpet company in Pennsylvania
Cool video, as usual. I rather liked the look of that small, brass pencil..Or was it a pen?
Cheers!✌
I also like fountain pens
I missed you🙂
Sterling Silver Elgin Watch Pocket or Pendulum Sacred Heart Crusifix
Scientific anglers (midland mi) was acquired by 3m in the 1970’s. Perhaps the lighter with the fly was promotional from that time. Just a thought.
Thumbs 👍 up
❤🌹❤️
That small watch with all the complications, looks like a JLC movement. I wonder if that's what's in it.
I think many of us kick ourselves after watching your videos. At one point we only used zippo lighters and once the cheap throw away bics came along we threw the zippos out...and all the other things that we find out had value but at the time we just didn't need anymore...sad but true
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?
Old fountain pens have 14 kt gold nibs, the good ones, use your loupe.
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.
What about the gold pocket watch that you did not open? It had a crest on the back.
Love Zippo lighters !!
I'm a fan of the lighters!