secret treasure part 2

So we're still in the train room and Super says to me he says, "Have you ever seen my Collectibles Room?"

And I'm all like, "Whaaaa? Nooooo..."

So he walks me down the hall he does to a door that has always confounded me because it has a different lock and a board across the bottom of the doorway. (Which I later learn keeps out water in case of a flood. Smart.)

He opens the door and I basically jizzed in my panties. (Yes, you can click that. No, it is NOT me jizzing in my panties.)

He tells me most of it is for sale, just make an honest offer.

So... There is basically an antique store IN the basement of MY BUILDING and I never knew until 2 weeks before I'm gonna move out!! (probably for the best actually...)

And it's all cozy too with a nice lounge chair and a good record player. Sometimes, on a Sunday afternoon, Super says he hangs out smoking and drinking and playing tunes.

I went 'round and 'round that room and kept on seeing new things every time... like going to a museum without all the boring reading.

Lots of old tin toys.

Cool old radios and creepy gnomish characters.


A superman that turns out to be a hair brush from AVON - complete with hair...

A cool BB-gun called "Daisy" (not for sale though).

This wagon was kind of neat. It was a delivery cart for a store in Toronto back in the day (owned by A. Elliot). The address is still there but it is a newer house now. I wonder if the people that live there like antiques...

I liked this little guy but didn't buy it... don't need more little trinkets...

But I couldn't help taking this old package when Super gave it to me. "Nerve Food" for "sleeplessness and general weakness". Yeah, I could use some of that. Oh wait... it contains Arsenic and Strychnine... nevermind... I'll wait until I'm actually battling heart disease to willingly ingest those thanks...

And here he is... the man of the hour, Super McBlurryhead, demonstrating a cool Indian Harmonium.

I am coveting that Black Cat Cigarette sign behind but it's worth a pretty penny so I shall refrain...

Turns out there are a few other rooms down there full of other stuff but not neatly organized like this... more furniture, lots of records, a bunch of bikes (if only I'd known THAT a year ago!!).

I learned the Super is a first-generation Canadian from Dutch parents (Frisian even!!) like me. I wonder if this explains some of our scavenging/collecting similarities? hahaha!

There's a 3rd and final part to this saga. Read on!

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secret treasure part 1

Moving is great for sorting out the clutter. It is so much easier to edit out objects that don't fit in anymore.

But some items ride a fine line and I recently came to decision-time for two old tables. I decided that if I had time to spruce them up before moving, they could come along. Otherwise they would get the boot. As luck would have it, after a busy week of work and an even busier weekend, my Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty wide open and I decided to paint the tables.

Little did I know what great discoveries lay ahead when I set forth on this project!

My table renovation story is intertwined with getting to know my building superintendent much better and discovering several treasure troves in my basement's building. I already knew this place was special but now I'm pretty sure I'll never live in an apartment building quite as unique as this one.

So here is the tale in photos... I'll tell it through the captions beneath each photo:

These are the two table in question, BEFORE. On the left is one I pulled out of the dumpster downstairs - it was out in the garden all summer and I have plans to use it as a stand for a big Boston Fern I got recently (that's a whole OTHER post to follow). On the right is one I picked up at Value Village for $5. I love the wheels and the drop leaves but hate the colour.


The reason this was in the dumpster, bottom shelf was cracked. This was my "I-have-only rudimentary-tools-and-skills" fix.

Protective plastic booties for the wheels.

My super Super said it was OK to do my project down in his workshop. I've admired this workshop for a long time so it was fun to hangout in there. Super has a rubber ducky on his toolbox, a good sign of a fun personality.

This is not a tiny workshop. It's huge and well-stocked!

Super is a man after my own heart. He pulled this chair out of the same dumpster as I pulled the table from. He fixed it up real nice.

(There was already a lot of spray paint in the air when I took this picture.)

He is fixing up this nice little shelf for his son. COVET!

He also supplied me with gloves and a face mask! I told you he was SUPER, all looking out for my health and stuff.

Further evidence of Super's fun-ness. Jokes about seniors taped to wall (he is a senior).

The car he is restoring is a DODGE SHADOW!


He has a bucket of nipples.

OK, getting back to the tables... here they are after being coated in primer. I spray bombed these and one can just barely covered them both.

Also - graffiti artists must have huge forearm muscles!! Mine are still sore two days later!

Now, I already knew that there was a large room in the basement of this building that was completely dedicated to a massive model train set. It was a charming discovery when we first moved in and I bragged about it to everyone. In the course of talking with Super I discovered he had taken it all apart and is selling it off (the stuff originally belonged to a previous, elderly super and the current Super was tired of maintaining it... so if you know anyone who is into model trains...)

He let me in the room to take a last look around.

I was lucky to see it running when we first came here - even for someone not "into" trains it was a magical sight! It is a big room (at least 12ft x 20ft, maybe bigger) and the whole thing was one huge scene with several tracks running around through it. The walls are all blue with clouds painted on them. The sense of one person's pride/love/dedication/madness for it all was palpable.

Now it looks like this. Kinda sad. (It reminded me of Seth's Dominion models.)

The topmost engine had a pricetag left on the box. $300!!! Which made me realize there is a lot of money in this room if the right buyer ever comes along!

Maybe a museum or a hospital? The IWK in Halifax has a train set in it for kids' enjoyment. (It pales in comparison to this set actually...)

This Bedford tower reminded me of Nova Scotia. Hard not to feel nostalgic in a room full of old, unused toys I guess...

Please see Parts 2 and 3 for the conclusion of the table project and other good stuff!!!

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