The weird stuff

Before Christmas I told you a little about the pawn shop where I work. Janie wanted to know about the weird stuff so...Janie Junebug, this one's for you:

This item came in to the shop not long after I started. It's made of brass and has felt on the bottom, maybe so it wouldn't slide (on a ship?). We think it's a light of some sort, and everyone who's seen it seems to agree.

As you can see, it's also adjustable, and the top part comes right off. Inside there was paper stuffed down in the tube, but no evidence of fuel, no wick, no reservoir. Here's another view from the side:

So. That's the weird. Because although we think it's a light, we're not sure, and if it is, then how did it work?



Dianne also wanted to know how stuff goes out of the shop. For the most part people come in and buy it. Lots of folks bought wooden lobster buoys last summer and interesting signs. Jewelry sells. And we even had an art dealer from DC come in  buy a few pieces, which says something for the quality of our merchandise! We also sell on ebay, usually 7-day auctions, and usually stuff that needs a wider audience like an old Raggedy Anne doll (doll stuff tends to sell well), books, vintage games, and 'marked' items, ie anything that has the maker's mark, preferably a famous one! We recently sold some George Jensen silver cuff links for a pretty penny. I've even started my own ebay account and currently have a total of ONE item available for sale: a limited edition copy of The Velveteen Rabbit with a real velveteen cover. I'm also thinking of selling my Magic cards...

Now. Tell me about you. Got anything fun going on in your life? Writing anything that's got you hooked? Reading an awesome book? Do tell!