All That "Other Stuff"

[bigscoop]

It’s always like this around here, every once in a while I discover another drawer, or tote, or box full of this stuff. It’s all of that “other stuff” that ends up in your finds pouch at the end of the hunt that you tell yourself you’ll go through later, but never do. I’ve probably got more lead around here then a smelting facility! Enough toys to start my own Toys Are Us store. Enough costume jewelry to run my own Avon route.
And so the burning question is, why?

Eventually I dump it all in the trash, a year later there it is again! I found a tote in the bottom of one of my closets the other day, yep, it too was full of this stuff, could hardly pick the thing up. Have no idea what all was in it, none? Just more trinkets from hunts past. It’s crazy how fast this stuff accumulates around here. Why? Why do I keep going through this same routine? Why don’t I just trash it after each hunt like I do with all of those pull tabs, bottle caps, and other scraps? I mean, it’s not like I plan on opening a “Trinkets & Stuff” museum……so why?.....lol

 

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[releventchair]

Spotted a small hand full of clad this morning. Asked myself how long it had been there.....And it's been a while.
I'm down to about a gallon of "stuff". At least stuff in one container. Other stuff remains scattered.
Evidence of a positive type I guess keeps some of it around.
Souvenir/to remember. Stuff of value pretty much only of worth the memory of hunts or recovery sites. But able to jog the memory like the finest trophies.

One old large spoon might be worth a nickle. Could become a ring , or something else.
Should have given it to the senior who's childhood homes yard it was recovered from. Don't think I'd seen her after the recovery though. She did stop one time and showed me around a little.
The site had history due to the original homestead being a blacksmith shop. It burned. Left lots of signals too...
The old house when I hunted it had burned too , but was repaired. The previous resident recalled firefighters tossing stuff out of the house.
She recovered shortly after porcelain doll heads in the field near the house. Kinda sad for her , but the family was intact.
I lack contact with her. The indirect communications source is gone.
Otherwise , that simple poor spoon might have value to her. Or not.
If she did not know how it ended up in the yard it might still hold interest.
I like the ring idea for her. She seemed the type that would consider it worth the memory...

Then there's the better spoon recovered in a now park that has a debris field from what seems an old homestead.
The spoon was recovered distant from the debris field quite near a creek. Someone's lunch or picnic long ago maybe.
A better quality spoon with the bowl at the handle folded like an L. as if leaned on a bit too hard.
Sized right for mason jars , who knows.
The previous owner would be fun to interview as to the goins on on that site. But is likely long gone...

Another spoon I folded the handle to hang on a belt. It rides on a knife sheath and has traveled far with me. Should rebend it again as the handle just overlaps the bowl a little. Round side out when hanging/ in position on the sheath it rides well and does not snag on things.

Then there's a couple spoons that found thier way into the silverware (sans real silver) drawer. A fork or two too.
They are welcomed as some mysterious force has escapes disappear at times. A silverware relocation or protection program or hey diddle diddle riddle, I don't know.
New recruits make for an eclectic gathering but hey , nothin wrong with that.

Were I to find many silverware items ( despite having found some , it's not a high total) there can be made windchimes of them. Bent they can be used for wall hooks or drawer pulls.
So they don't get tossed. Yet if they just set with accumulated stuff , the why can be asked. Maybe the touchstones of memories have too much perceived value? Or evidence of a kind of success?

 

[Fat]

I that’s your trashy stuff, I would like to see the good stuff...

 

[bigscoop]

I that’s your trashy stuff, I would like to see the good stuff...

Here's a little bit of it.....

 

[Actionman]

Keep the lead! You must know someone that either casts bullets or sinkers for fishing! Heck looks like some of those sinkers are good to go use now. Even when scrap prices are down, I like to recycle all metal items. It took a lot of work and energy to get that out of the earth!

 

[Fat]

I just knew your good stuff was going to be great. Thanks for all that warmth on this cold cold day.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I save the silver, spend the clad, repurpose the lead (melt & recast), hang the rings on a "suncatcher". Sell or give the jewelry away (used to turn in a bunch, and key chains, in at the local park's lost & found). I pretty much toss the rest. I do have a couple useful things - hammer head, ax heads, a logging chain - that I cleaned up and still use.

In the garage is a small box with a few things like crotal bells and old buttons.

 

[billb]

Wow That’s really good stuff Bigscoop congratulations

 

[bologna321]

your "trash" looks better than most of my keepers

i recycle all the lead, copper, and brass scrap i can

 

[Carolina Tom]

I find a lot of that other stuff. I clean and photograph some of the stuff!