THRIFT STORE FIND: RETRO TECHNOLOGY - 1948 ROYAL QUIET DE LUXE MODEL PORTABLE TYPEWRITER

If you are under 20 you may never have seen one of these before, but they are the predecessor of what was used prior to their being computers to create professional-looking writing and correspondence.

Unlike to today's computer keyboard where you barely have to touch the keys, it took effort to get the keys to strike the page and there is no auto-correct - you have to use white-out if you make a mistake, but there is something enjoyable about using it if you are writing from your heart.

I spotted this barely used retro gem at a thrift store a few months ago.    

It was hard to believe it was over 70 years old as it was in pristine condition, but the instruction manual showed it was made in 1948.

Close up of the features:

THRIFT STORE FIND: 1954 U.S. Army Sound Reproducer

This was spotted at local Salvation Army for sale for $99.99.  It indicates it is a U.S. Army Signal Corp with at date of January 1954 Sound Reproducer RP-104/UIH-2. 

It obviously has a turntable so it probably was used for entertainment purposes, put it also has where you can plug in a microphone and speakers, so it was probably an announcement system as well and there is also and outlet that something could be plugged into (close up below). 

I did find a link to part of a manual online found here and below is a diagram from Page 4 showing what it came with.

Page 4 from Manual found online.

THRIFT STORE FIND: VINTAGE NUTCRACKER SET

If you have ever heard the term "hard nut to crack" it was probably after dealing with something like the above.

I had not seen since I was a kid a Christmas at my Grandmother's house and I am not surprised they are not popular today, although they did fancy up a Holiday table visually with all of the different shapes, colors, and textures of assorted nuts on a table or buffet. 

This should also be under the category of "Kids don't know how easy they have it today" to be able to get pre-packaged shelled nuts.

Back in the days before you could buy packages of nuts that had already been shelled, you would purchase nuts in the shell and have to crack them yourself.

Usually, it was an assortment of nuts that were placed in the bowl then you would take metal nutcracker that is stored in the center, place the nut in between and squeeze hoping the nut would crack open.  Unless it was a peanut, the first attempt was not successful, or only partially so.  There were also those occasions where it would slip out and project all or part of it the nut across the room. I can still hear my Grandmother's voice saying "Be careful!  Go pick that up!". 

Once you cracked the nut open, usually in two or more pieces, there was a pick like metal object also in the center that you would use to pry out tiny portions of the nut to eat.  Walnuts were the worst.  Usually, you could only pick out a crumb-like morsel at a time.  

While the above has a Depression glass vibe to it, I am guessing this is a late 50's to early 60's reproduction.  

I used to go with my mother-in-law, who was a Depression glass fanatic to flea markets on the weekend to hunt for Depression area glass that she collected and displayed in a large glass china cabinet in her dining room.  She would hand a piece to me to guess if it was real or reproduction and then tell me if it was or was not and why and on this it felt heavier and the glass was too clear, but I by no means am an expert.   It also has more of the look and feel of a tea/snack set my mother had from the late 50's/early 1960s.

While a piece like brings back childhood memories, they are more ones of frustration that joy so I left this treasure at the thrift store for someone else to find.

Thrift Store Find: "I Cleaned My House Last Week..."

With all of the "Live, Laugh, Love!" decor you find in a thrift store, it was refreshing to find the above sign.