Treasure Here at Home EDITORIAL

DAYTON, October 3, 2004 – There is one weekend activity I find very relaxing and an enjoyable pass time. It’s browsing the numerous resale and used furniture shops in and around Dayton.

I’m not a seasoned collector and never have anything in particular in mind that I’m looking for when I go. Browsing and making a find is the pleasure in all of it. I also don’t like auctions. I like the one on one bargaining experience with the shop owners for the things I decide to purchase.

On a recent trip to Dayton I was browsing one of the large shops with items stacked from floor to ceiling. Going slowly up and down each aisle I made mental notes of the things that grabbed my attention. I don’t go after the big find. I purchase what I like and think will be useful to me. This may be a mistake but it makes for an enjoyable experience.

I found 15 white china plates with a cobalt blue rim covered with dust on the bottom shelf of a remote aisle in the store. When I turned them over they were stamped American Airlines, Japan.

To me condition is everything. I don’t want junk and these plates, except for the layers of dust and dirt were in excellent condition. The owner wanted one dollar per plate and I purchased them, largely because I like their smaller then usual size and they had at one time had been used for airline food service.

I drove home pleased with my purchase and went right to work washing them and cleaning them up. After a trip through the dishwasher they appeared brand new.

But my curiosity wouldn’t let me stop there. I went to the Internet searching e-Bay and Google to find out more information about the plates. I found that the plates had been made in Japan and were considered a “transportation collectible.”

The plates had been used in late 60’s and early 70’s for food service onboard American Airlines flights. Flying has changed a lot since that time and really isn’t as much fun as it used to be. These plates recall another time.

I discovered a site devoted to transportation collectibles called Cabin Class Collectibles at http://www.cabinclass.com.

On this site plates like the ones I purchased are offered for sale for $7.99 each and on e-Bay similar plates sell for about $5.99 each.

I purchased these plates because I liked them and am not interested in selling them. The history and information I found on the Internet about them made my purchase even more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been.

Browsing the shops is fun. You just never know what you may find and you don’t have to be a seasoned collector to have a great time.

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