Come sit with me.
I have a story to tell.
If you’ve ever worked a vintage market before, you know that one of the most fun things about having a booth is the other vendors. You make friends and share stories and get coffee together.
And along the way, you do some shopping.
So it was with the booth that was next to us. It was run by the sweetest couple with an amazing array and display of vintage finds. There were boat rudders and vintage dressers and mirrors and screen doors and windows and a four-foot abacus and bowling pins on the inside of a bowling game that spun around.
And in the middle of the booth, there sat a box.
This box, to be exact.
He looked relatively innocent. It didn’t scream. He did not shout. He just sat there surrounded by the fancier, showerier things that were exiting the booth one by one, going home with a steady stream of customers.
Everyone left.
No one paid the slightest attention to the plain, ordinary, plain box.
The box was still sitting on the table when I went to their booth to chat on the last day of the market. I know this sounds almost unbelievable, but I promise you, I heard the box call my name.
Doubt me if you must. But all of you. you know me You know that I, KariAnne Wood, ball box.
“Hello BoxI said.
Then I unhooked the latch and opened the lid.
And GASPED.
Here is the latch I turned on.
It was so old that I had trouble opening the box.
There is a hook on one end that wraps around the screw at the top.
wait
Don’t scroll down yet.
Do you have any guesses?
What do you think is inside?
(As a gross aside: I’ve never seen one of these, if that helps as a hint.)
Here is the view I saw when I opened the lid.
What in the world, I thought?
Spices?
Pharmacy bottle?
A test tube?
No.
Not even close.
It is a kind of box.
A rare vintage hardware salesman’s sample box.
And in surprising news?
It was almost all intact. As the salesman left it lying around and went to get lunch.
Apparently, the box was used by traveling salesmen to carry miniature samples of hardware products from store to store.
The actual hardware was too big to lug around.
So instead?
Instead of bringing a full-size inventory, a salesman will bring this compact display box filled with sample hinges, drawer pulls, screws, knobs, latches, hooks, or other hardware pieces with him when he goes on a sales call.
He will box and open these vials so shop owners can see the style, finish and quality in person before ordering.
These boxes were similar to the early portable showrooms.
It was a salesman’s calling card.
I did some research and I think this sample box is pretty basic.
Some sample boxes had velvet linings or fold-out trays.
It was a fancy cousin to this box. And fancy was important because presentation was important during sales calls.
It is such a piece of history.
I can almost see the salesman opening the lid and taking out the bottles and talking to the salesman like a salesman.
Just look at those labels.
Here’s a close-up of the lid.
You can see all the different types of hardware located in the box.
And now?
I have a question for you.
I’m torn. I was thinking about displaying it this way—perhaps with the lid open and displaying the bottles (perhaps arranging them a bit better).
Or.
Or what if I made an advent calendar out of it?
Then I will actually use it. Can’t you see it? Small verses are tucked into the bottles and keep the labels, but only number the bottles.
But in changing it to an Advent calendar, I’d lose some history along the way.
It is a dilemma.
I love a DIY project where something is actually used.
But then? I am very emotional about history. I could write a whole story about this salesman. I feel like we’re friends now that I see what he did every day for work.
Let me know what you think.
Team Advent Calendar or Team DIY.
I can’t decide.
Can you help the vintage buyer?
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