Weird and Wonderful Things That Sold…and Not!

Many of us have bought things that others have thought were…crazy. More than once I have seen the raised eyebrow, the head shake and heard the words, “That’ll never sell” from my family. Even now I still see the occasional head shake, but no one doubts that it will sell! Weird stuff sells all the time.

Here are a few of my favorite quirkier things that sold…

Hand-made Clay Bird Figurine

Yes, this figurine was different, but different in all the right ways to me. I would have kept him, but there was some dissent in our house.

Cancer Slides of the Female Reproductive System

This lot is probably one of the most interesting I’ve bought. These 1980s slides depicted cancers at the cell level as well as surgically removed tumors and cancers in situ on female reproductive organs. I grimaced more than once looking at these.

Old Nun’s Teeth with Gold Fillings

Over the years I have bought some of the personal effects of deceased nuns that weren’t wanted by family members or the religious order’s archives. I was allowed to take home a box of jewelry and smalls to go through everything and come up with a price for the whole lot. When I opened a small brown envelope and dumped the contents into my hand I’ll admit I jumped a little. Wasn’t expecting these! I took them to a jeweler who said they were 10kt gold and he’d give me $8 for them. I thought I might be able to do better selling them as oddities…and I did!

Cast Iron Bits

I have a fondness for old cast iron that harkens back to another era. I put these random items together in a little lot.

Ceramic “Alien” Vase

I thought this tiny handmade vase was a bit of fun. Couldn’t resist.

Vintage European Puppet Head and Hands

I found this puppet (she did come with a disintegrating cloth body) at an estate sale. I was number 36 in the door and it was tough picking. Many of the things left were unpriced and quite a few were jumbled with other things in cardboard boxes. There were a fair number of items, like this Swiss Miss puppet, that were in sad condition. Still given her age, I thought someone might want to use the paper mache parts of her for a project. She sold surprisingly quickly.

Chinese Finger Puppets

I bought a lot of nine from ShopGoodwill. Most had a bit of wear/damage, but I thought these unique vintage puppets would find a home. The first lot sold a few months ago.

Weird Stuff that Hasn’t Sold Yet

Designer Turquoise Howlite “Flinestone” Necklace

I bought this necklace by Alexander Kalifano at a sale about two years ago. The faux turquoise stones (dyed howlite) are huge and heavy. (The necklace weighs two pounds.) I keep thinking there is someone out there who will love this. Maybe!!

Handmade Goth Ceramic Vase

Thought this little vase would have found a home by now. It’s been favorited quite a bit.

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While I don’t go out of my way to buy weird things, I do keep an open mind. And to be honest, I am more drawn to odd, quirky things with a bit of wear than say a pristine piece of Lenox porcelain or mass-produced collectibles.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve bought or sold??

Wishing you happy hunting,

Karen