Well Hello There Fellow Travelers And Hivers
I think I might just be able to say that I'd hit luck here. The third day of me being next to the seaside and we've yet to hit a cloudy day here. But I know it's soon to come. 🙃
The wind was a lot calmer than it was yesterday but the sun was baking a bit more than usual, so going to the beach too early would turn into a dire burning situation. We decided that we'll be heading to Mossel Bay and walk through the antique shops and see what was interesting to look at.
This is part of a series based adventure, in case you missed some of the previous posts give them a quick scroll through.
The Journey Down And Through The Outeniqua Pass
The Merchant, Beach Adventures And A Pinch Of Madness
The Day Before Christmas Made For Donuts And Beach Vibes
Keep in mind the events of this post happened before the post "The Day Before Christmas Made For Donuts And Beach Vibes"
The view from where we parked caught our attention immediately. It all looks as if I would be in a different country, being able to see the ocean with the sandy beaches covered with mountains in the background really gives off a feeling I can't really put my finger on. I feel like I'm not really myself, I feel relaxed and calmed, that in itself feels weird after such a confusing year that was way too long for comfort!
See it's not that I'm wishing away my life, I'm really just glad that the year is drawing to an end and I have some breathing room to end it on a good note.
So we found parking, and well we slipped right to the first one we were able to spot, I don't really know what the name of this little shop is called but lets call it the sled antique shop.
They are doing some restorations to the building, so one can't really say the building is also an antique, although I think it might be. 🔓
Royal Baking Powder
Now I don't know about you guys but in my country you didn't have a proper childhood if your parents or your grandparents didn't store something in these tin cans!
Of everything inside the Sled Antique shop this was the first thing that caught my attention! The maroonish Royal Baking Powder cans.
I swear we still have some of those in our cupboards back home.
The Tree Cutters Sword
Now I knew these existed but I've never seen one myself, let alone touch and hold it!
Okay yeah I know it ain't no sword but it is definitely the weapon of the tree cutters of the olden days. But it has a twist to it all. This is a weapon wielded by two men rather than one. And the one can not go without the other it only works when both pull there weight!
It's old and rusty but I bet that to this day you will still be able to cut down trees of a very big nature with them.
Thanks to the Betty for helping me take this splendid photo, I didn't want to let it scratch on the floor in fears of being told I am damaging the inventory, after all it is still an antique shop ey.
Way Back In The Day, This Was The Cool.
Well what do we have here? Golden Oldies, perhaps. There are plenty of them, I remember my great grandmother use to have one of these back when I was a little kiddo, I should try and find out what happened with that player. I wonder more if it's still in a working condition.
I know there was a bunch of tapes in that same cupboard as well, although I'm unsure if there was cassette of high value and scarcity.
They had a lot of those old cassettes. The Betty having a quick scroll through. Come to think of it one can call this section the old entertainment corner, they even have a few video cassettes and now that is something I've also not seen in ages!
Old gas torches from what it looks like. I might be wrong but it does carry the looks of a blow torch or something of the sorts.
The kettle that pulled me right back into my toddler days! I know my mother had a set of these back in the day, well she still has the whole set, well everything except the kettle that she does not have. The pans and all the different sizes of pots are still well tucked away in her cupboards. If the kettle was in any working order I would probably have bought it for her at a very cheap price, but no need of broken kettles.
Wow come to think of this, if this is placed in an antique shop, then does that make me an old ornament?
Hitler And The Nazi Corner!
Now this is something that I fancy a lot! HISTORY and everything associated with it!
Okay lets start at the top, The first I saw was this hand crafted German Tiger Tank and well it does have a decent amount of detail added to it, it plays the part quite well, the way the metal is bent and shaped is on point.
It's a shame that it was almost 1300 ZAR ($80 US) which was a little bit expensive if you ask me, although I did fancy it, If it was any cheaper I'd probably have bought it!
The Cupboard Of Medals
Do I need to say that although we were in a antique shop there was a number of things that wasn't up for sale. And the biggest number of those were these medals.
I can understand why, most of them comes out of an era that most of the world have no clue even existed. The history tied behind each and everyone of these medals are more rich than most people can begin to comprehend. Just think of it, each medal was worn by a person and with each medal given there had to be a deed done to receive that medal, what then? When the medal was given, how did it end up out of the keeping of the wearer, did he perhaps die or maybe he gave all the medals away, maybe he threw them away.
We can only begin to comprehend the richness of the history behind these medals!
There was one cupboard that had a lot of Nazi Germany medals inside it. It's very clear that the owner has a fancy for these German medals and second world war ornaments. I mean who could blame him, if I had any clue as to how to start such a collection I would. Especially with such rare items. I mean we are located in South Africa, no German soldier from both the World War's have ever set foot on our shores so these are mostly ornaments brought back by South African soldiers back in 1945. It's weird hey? That means that most of those German soldiers were killed in order for those medals to end up here!
The owner even has a German passport, I really wish that I could take a peak inside it and see to whom it might have belonged. Or I can be totally wrong and it's only a little note book that is newly printed.
Something For The Egyptians
I'm not one for vases and pottery items, although I can say that I am a fan of Egyptian artworks. Perhaps because I watched the mummy movies back in the day. Laughs nah I doubt it.
Although the first one has more of a Greek look tied to it? But the overall look of it still appears Egyptian like.
A view from the top of the staircase in the antique shop, I have to say I like the way it came out, it looks really busy with all the ornaments placed around, if I can say so myself.
I don't think either of us realized how long we were strolling about in the antique shop. When we came out it was almost mid day, and we only went through one of the antique shops. This would not do, so we went over to the other far side of the street and went through the second and last one for the day.
One of the old municipal buildings, well I say old like it's not in use anymore. Let me rephrase this, one of the oldest municipal buildings still in use in Mossel Bay.
Shipwrecks
Shipwrecks From 1505
At the entrance of the next antique shop we saw this board showing all the shipwrecks that happened along this coastline since 1505.
Of the 46 ships that got damaged in the bay only one was repaired and only one refloated, quite scary and wonderfull in the same way. I knew the coastline is treacherous but I had no idea it was this treacherous in the bay.
Most of them sunk between Dias and Santos.
Everything Trains!
They had a lot of train stuff along with around 70% of the shop being mostly antique furniture. So we strolled through the shop quite fast. We were on the prowl for small and intriguing artifacts to keep and well furniture doesn't really fit that bill!
Let's get on with it then!
It doesn't look like much but believe me those pieces of metal are actually quite big! Those plates with the numbers are the registration plates of the old steam trains, and well looking at the prices on them they are worth quite a few bucks, the Betty tells me that they had a few of them that they inherited from their grandfather but most were cut up into pieces through the years not knowing what they were worth. Imagine that. 😅
The big round metal object is the door of the steam ovens used on these steam trains! It looks smaller than it really is believe me! That thing was gigantic! I should have had the Betty standing next to it to get the real size of it!
Hamlet
Ophelie
A Pirate's Compass
I was here last year, and the one thing that really got my attention was this cupboard. The cupboard full of compasses and navigation equipment! But this year seeing it again I told myself that next year I will be buying myself one of those!
Check out the compass in the second photo, if that one is still there next year I will be taking it home with me!
I will be getting this one for myself next year, yes sir!
By The Roll Of The Dice
Now I almost forgot to show everyone what I bought at the antique shop, it would have been somewhat of a shame if I forgot to share these little fellas!
So as we walked through the first antique shop we came down on this cupboard that had a lot of weird and silly small things inside it. Like hairpins, old steel needle packs, keychains, badges anything small and relatively intriguing.
Well it was in this cupboard that I noticed a rather old looking dice I picked it up and out from all the stuff laying about and thought oh wow this is cool. As I was about to leave I saw that there was a second one lying in the cupboard, I grabbed them both and proceeded to ask the owner how much for them.
He gave them a quick look and with some hesitation he said for the pair I'll ask you R10 ZAR ($0.60 US) less than a dollar for BOTH! For BOTH! I couldn't believe it, heck I was ready to pay $10 US for each of them. I kept my cool and gave him a polite thanks and went on about my tour of the shop. Needles to say I brought home the dice!
To everyone who made it this far into my post Thank you for the read and the support.
If you found this entertaining or educational please consider a re-blog and up-vote.
Most of all please leave a input in the comments below, whether is good or bad critic I would like to know, whether its your opinion or your way of doing things in a different manner I would like.
Connecting the people of #HIVE across South Africa. #hive