eBay

sin-n-dex · ‎05-07-2023

So I got some strange inventory this week, and was wondering what other people's weirdest items ever sourced (or sold).

My weird items are 1850's Victorian Post Mortem photos (you can google that for examples). They are tintype. I recognized them as tintype immediately, but the shop owner sent me an email to let me know in each photo one person was deceased.

I did consider not selling them on account of the "very creepy" factor here... but found out the shop paid a song for each one, and getting $50-100 is pretty typical. So now I'm trying to have an open mind.

When we deal with antiques at the store, we get all sorts of weird stuff. I generally get offered small things that don't take up much room (like postcards or coins or banknotes). I've seen quite a bit of cool stuff in my tenure at the store, but for weirdness, this one takes the cake.

C.

toysaver · ‎05-07-2023

Photography was expensive at the time. Frequently there were no pictures of the person while alive so they dressed them up and made them look as lifelike as possible for the keepsake.

sextons-sweet-deals · ‎05-07-2023

tintype photos are cool and tell a story of history and do have value. They are not creepy!

Anyone in a tintype photo will not be alive today! ( but the shop owner sent me an email to let me know in each photo one person was deceased)

not sure I understand this comment:

but found out the shop paid a song for each one, and getting $50-100 is pretty typical. So now I'm trying to have an open mind.

Are you saying someone is trying to tell you they are worthless and want cheap?

sumsum70 · ‎05-07-2023

Large collection of VHS porn and fetish mags - from a storage unit of a priest's belongings.

Sold the VHS stuff in box lots right here on eBay, discarded the other stuff. I recall being surprised that one of the VHS lots went for more than $100. This was many years ago before the stupid storage wars show ruined those kinds of auctions.

inhawaii · ‎05-07-2023

Slightly off topic.

Remember when you could go to the mall or the kiosk and get your photos processed in ONE HOUR! LOL

Todays generation have never experience the thrill of opening a pack of photos and negatives

for the first time not knowing how thy would come out.

I don't even think they know what a negative is.

Boy have times changed.

And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears

lacemaker3 · ‎05-07-2023

@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:
tintype photos are cool and tell a story of history and do have value. They are not creepy!

Anyone in a tintype photo will not be alive today! ( but the shop owner sent me an email to let me know in each photo one person was deceased)

...

With post mortem photos, (at least one) of the people in the photo was dead when the photo was taken. So the picture was taken after they died. That's the creepy factor.

I

sextons-sweet-deals · ‎05-07-2023

Thank you.

That is nothing new even today. Many family members take photos with their lost one's. This is common in many cultures / race.

It may seem weird, but it shouldn't be. I remember when my father died, and his sister (my aunt) was at the casket holding his hand. I thought it was odd then, but now I regret not doing the same.

dbfolks166mt · ‎05-07-2023

Slightly off topic.

Remember when you could go to the mall or the kiosk and get your photos processed in ONE HOUR! LOL

Todays generation have never experience the thrill of opening a pack of photos and negatives

for the first time not knowing how thy would come out.

I don't even think they know what a negative is.

Boy have times changed.

You are correct about the younger generation but for some film is still preferred. I used a film camera quite a bit and most professional photographers still use or offer film photography. There are pro's and con's to both film and digital photography but film is better for detail and color contrast especially with black and white which a lot of digital cameras won't even do.

dbfolks166mt · ‎05-07-2023

A couple of the strangest things I have found in lots of stuff I have purchased.

4 - Bottles of skunk essence.

One Large bottle of Mercury

krazzykats · ‎05-07-2023

I felt strange when going through a friend of mine's old photos and ran across these types of photos. But it seemed perfectly normal to my friend. 🤔

KrazzyKats • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1998

spark-chaser1 · ‎05-07-2023

In this day and age, I have a hard time deciphering what is weird and what is not.

maxine*j · ‎05-07-2023

@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:
... That is nothing new even today. Many family members take photos with their lost one's. This is common in many cultures / race...

And some parents today have photographs taken of themselves with their children who were stillborn or died not long after birth. The feel that the children are still their children, still loved, still to be remembered.

-

sin-n-dex · ‎05-07-2023

@toysaver wrote:
Photography was expensive at the time. Frequently there were no pictures of the person while alive so they dressed them up and made them look as lifelike as possible for the keepsake.

I think it's very interesting, and I like learning more about it. I tend to try to learn more about anything I get involved in. While we don't deal in things like antique toys or lamps or anything big, we are into things like trading cards, photos/postcards, militaria, police memorabilia, and stuff like that.

There are some living people in the photo, but now that I've looked at many, I'm better able to spot this.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎05-07-2023

@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:
tintype photos are cool and tell a story of history and do have value. They are not creepy!

Anyone in a tintype photo will not be alive today! ( but the shop owner sent me an email to let me know in each photo one person was deceased)

not sure I understand this comment:
but found out the shop paid a song for each one, and getting $50-100 is pretty typical. So now I'm trying to have an open mind.

Are you saying someone is trying to tell you they are worthless and want cheap?

No, I'm saying we didn't pay much for it (probably because it was a random envelope of stuff in a box of things we were buying anyway), and then I found out their value, and that they have good value.

The person who thought they were cheap was me... I was very surprised to learn their value.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎05-07-2023

@lacemaker3 wrote:
@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:
tintype photos are cool and tell a story of history and do have value. They are not creepy!

Anyone in a tintype photo will not be alive today! ( but the shop owner sent me an email to let me know in each photo one person was deceased)

...

With post mortem photos, (at least one) of the people in the photo was dead when the photo was taken. So the picture was taken after they died. That's the creepy factor.

I

I wouldn't say a picture of someone in a casket would be creepy... the part I thought was creepy is them being dressed up and propped up to look like they're alive in the photo.

Maybe the word I wanted to use was eerie...

C.