We’re not all lucky enough to have relatives that have held onto relics from the past for decades. My grandma did save me a few vintage dresses and some gorgeous pieces of jewelry, but I would give anything to take a peek into her home 50 years ago.
And if you’re interested in the past too, we’ve got the perfect list for you down below. We has searched far and wide to find photos of fascinating antique and vintage objects that we just don’t see everyday anymore. From money that’s no longer in circulation to magazine clippings from the 1960s, you’re sure to find something new (yet simultaneously old!) on this list. Enjoy scrolling through these items that could be in museums, and keep reading to find a conversation with Karen Ratzlaff, owner ofLion & Lamb Vintage!
#1 16th Century Ring That Unfolds Into An Astronomical Sphere
#2 Scored A Space Age 1970s Electrohome Saturn Record Player While Thrifting – It’s Got A Huge Bubble Dome, And It Works
#3 My 1959 Frigidaire Custom Imperial
My dream stove. I wanted a vintage stove for the longest time, and when this one popped up in my favorite color (for $400, no less) I made the four hour drive and shoved it in the back of my Honda Element and drove it right back home. She’s a dream. Works perfectly. Takes three grown men to move her, but she’s worth it.
There’s something about items from the past that just makes them so much more magical than what we have in stores today. The quality is often much better, there’s a charm that most antique items possess, and even simple objects like toasters seem to be artifacts when they look nothing like what we use nowadays.
Not to mention the fact that shopping vintage is much better for the environment. And you’re likely to take home high quality items that were made to last if you buy something that’s been around for decades. Unfortunately, we don’t all have access to amazing thrift stores and fabulous estate sales in our area. But with the internet at your disposal, I promise you can find amazing old items with just a little bit of digging!
#4 Stair Dust Corners Introduced At The End Of The 19th Century To Make Sweeping Easier. They Keep Dust From Accumulating In The Corners
#5 Came Across Old Correspondence Letters From A Soldier To My Grandma
#6 113 Years Ago The Press Reported Climate Change
To learn more about why vintage items are so special, we reached out to Karen Ratzlaff, owner of Lion & Lamb Vintage. She was kind enough to have a chat with We and discuss some of the best vintage finds she’s ever come across.
“While hunting for things for my Etsy store, Lion and Lamb Vintage, I often find items I want to keep. Most of the time I resist that urge, but not always!” the expert shared. “One of my favorites keepers came from a private estate sale and is something I’ve never found before nor will I ever again—a 10” painted fragment of an Egyptian mummy case. Is it authentic? I believe so given the source and construction. To me it’s priceless.”
#7 February 9, 1920, My Grandfather Wanted To Be A Cartoonist. He Worked For The Railroad Instead, Sending Home Many Letters
#8 The Bible That Saved My Great-Great Grandfather In WW I
#9 Today While Sorting Through My Grandma’s Attic, I Happened To Discover My Great-Great-Grandfather’s Italian Passport And Ticket To America
We also asked Karen what antiques can teach us about the past. “Antiques and vintage items give us a peek into how others once lived and even shine a light on the social mores of that era,” she noted.
#10 I Inherited This Toaster From The 1920s Around 10 Years Ago And It Has Worked Great Every Single Day
#11 An Eerily Accurate Ad From 1996 I Found In An Advertising Book
#12 Envelope Of My Old Concert Stubs From The 70s I Found Behind My Dresser Yesterday
“For example, I often spot ashtrays when out sourcing for vintage items and it’s a stark reminder of how popular smoking once was in the U.S. With its heyday between the 1920s and 1970s, every home had at least one ashtray if not for themselves then for guests,” Karen shared.
“And smoking was allowed everywhere, including on airplanes and in hospitals. Glamorous movie stars made it look so chic, and doctors recommended it to ease stress. Thankfully, times have changed, but surprisingly mid-century modern ashtrays remain popular collectibles.”
#13 This Is The Forever Burning Light Bulb. A Single Light Bulb That Has Been Burning Almost Continuously Since 1901 In Livermore, California. It Will Soon Be 125 Years Old
#14 Theodore Roosevelt’s Diary Entry On The Day Both His Mother And His Wife Died, Both In The Same House 11 Hours Apart. His Wife Had Given Birth Two Days Earlier
#15 My Granddad’s Identity Card From When He Was A Prisoner Of War In Guernsey During WW II
“Going further back in time, well-heeled Victorians set a table like no other as a way to showcase their wealth and gentility,” Karen added. “Serving pieces included unique sterling silver implements for tomatoes, fish, sardines, fried oysters, asparagus and even potato chips. Individual place settings would have separate forks and knives for salad, fish and meat. Crystal included nappy dishes, knife rests and separate goblets for every possible libation. A far cry from our more casual dining.”
#16 This Old Kodak Film Container
#17 I Got To Use A Mold-A-Matic Machine Today. It’s A Machine From The 60s That Makes A Plastic Souvenir Toy On Demand
#18 Look What My Nana Found Going Through Her Old Bathroom Essentials
My Nana found these perfume nips going through an old box of bathroom essentials and I was absolutely fascinated! She says they have to be at least 50+ years old by now. I’m tempted to use one on my wedding day next year.
While it’s not possible to buy everything gently used, we asked Karen which items she would highly recommend we shop vintage for.
“If you adore costume jewelry, vintage and antique pieces offer a much better value than new items,” she told We. “Typically, the workmanship is finer, and you won’t risk exposing yourself to the toxic elements (such as lead and cadmium) often found in newer jewelry made overseas. Look for prong-set, clear stones, undamaged metal, and working closures.”
#19 I Found My Mom’s Michael Jackson Ticket From 1984
#20 Bought A Dresser Off Marketplace And Found Some Vintage Goodies & “The Gloves I Wore To My Wedding 7-22-1949”
#21 My 1960s Sword Cocktail Stick (Penny For Scale)
“If you’re in the market for a piece of wood furniture, say a coffee table or dresser, back away from IKEA and head for an antique store or estate sale instead,” Karen added. “Older pieces have the quality, craftsmanship and durability not found in flat-pack items and you’ll find some made of beautiful woods that are no longer used such as mahogany and rosewood. Prices may even be cheaper than new items. It’s a win-win.”
#22 This Vintage Sugar Bowl With Tongs Built In The Lid
#23 My Australian Grandpa’s Passport Was Still Under The British Jurisdiction
#24 Yet Another Stanley Insulated Jug. But This One Is About 100 Years Old
We hope you’re enjoying this list of items from the past, pandas! Keep upvoting all of your favorites, and let us know in the comments below what the best antique find you’ve ever taken home was. Then, if you’d like to check out another We article featuring similar old objects, we’ve got another list for you right here!
#25 I Work In The Underground World And Dug Up This Really Old Lysol Bottle
#26 My Grandfather’s Metal Social Security Card
#27 Doodles In 1878, By My Great Great Grandfather
#28 My Dad Worked On A Dam In Iraq In The 80s, He Received This Medal From Saddam Hussein Upon Completion
#29 Worlds Oldest Pairs Of Levi’s Jeans Found In A Goldmine 136 Years Later
#30 Great, Great, Great, Grandfather’s Civil War Draft Notice
#31 Our “Top-Off” Jar & Bottle Opener From The 1930’s Still Gets Frequent Use
#32 My Grandma’s Teacup Was Made In Occupied Japan
#33 A Soldier’s Diary Entry On The Day The War Ended
#34 Found A Game From 1960 With All The Pieces
#35 I Found Anti Nixon Propaganda From 1974
#36 This Corner Piano
#37 This History Book Of World War 1 From Before There Was A Second War
#38 Here’s The Actual First Image Of Coca Cola Back In The 1880’s When It Was Dispensed By Chemist
#39 My Grandma Still Has Her Yugoslav Passport
#40 In 1962, An Italian Magazine Published A Story Previewing What The World Could Look Like In 2022
#41 A 58 Year Old Prediction Came True
#42 My College Dorm Room, 1985
#43 Still Using Grandma’s 1940’s Egg Poacher For My Morning Breakfast
#44 Found A Very Large Floppy Disk When Cleaning Out The Old IT Guy’s Office
#45 This 117+ Year Old Coffee Grinder From Peugeot (Yes The Car Maker)
#46 Still Going, 60’s Microwave Oven
#47 Hospital Bill From 1936 For Birth Of Baby (My Grandmother)
#48 World War Bayonet Under The Asphalt While At Work On A Football Ground
#49 Memory Tickler Of Household Requirements (Circa 1930’s)
#50 In The 70s Car Hammocks For Babies Were A Thing
#51 My Grandpa Has Manual Fire Extinguishers In His House
#52 Grandad’s Cigarette Dispenser, Around A 100 Years Old And Still Works
#53 My Grandfather’s Army-Issued Lighter From WW II
#54 John Steinbeck’s Witty Letter To Marilyn Monroe
#55 I Have A Old TV Remote From The Late 1960s
#56 My Grandfather’s (Now My) Dresser
#57 Paper Found Among My Late Grandmother’s Belongings Talking About The Armistice Ending WW I
#58 I’m A Funeral Director And A Lady I Cared For Was A Seamstress For The Playboy Bunnies. She Had A Bunch Of Cool Old Playboy Memorabilia At The Wake, But This Was My Favorite
#59 Gillette – The Best A Man Can Get
#60 I Found A 1943-45 10 Peso Japanese “Invasion Note” From When The Japanese Invaded The Philippines
#61 112-Year-Old Vaccine Cards
#62 $10,000 Bill & 3 Cent Bill
#63 The House Of Representatives Votes 304-89 In Favor Of Approving The 19th Amendment, Which Granted Women The Right To Vote
#64 I Found This Incredible Diary Of A Barnum & Bailey Worker From 1975- There’s Over 100 Pages Of Entries Detailing His Adventures- By Far The Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Found
#65 Very Old Potato Chip Packaging Claims They Are Healthy
#66 The 100,000 Dollar Bill. Although 42,000 Were Printed, Only 12 Remain In Existence And It’s Illegal To Own One
#67 Vintage Needle Work Skills School Project
#68 204 Year Old Miniature Bible
Passed down through the family and managed to survive moves through 2 continents 3 countries and a half dozen cities throughout those years.
#69 Found A Civil War Printing Block In The Garden Today
#70 Graffiti By Prisoners In 1800s. Canterbury, England
#71 Grandpa Showed Me This $1000 Bill That He Owned For More Than 30 Years
#72 A LEGO Brick From 1949 Can Still Connect With A Brand New LEGO Brick From 2025
#73 Valentine’s From 1956, Belonging To A Child Named Frances. There Were Over 50 Kept Inside The Crayon-Colored Envelope
#74 Vintage Post Office Box Coin Bank From The 50s. 6.99$ At A Local Thrift Store
#75 TWA Air Hostess Requirements From The Mid ’40s
#76 This 100-Year-Old Perfume Bottle That Glows Under Blacklight
#77 Let Me Present To You A 70 Year Old Washing Machine From 1954
What doesn’t it do – heat water, pump water in or out, add detergent, end automatically, spin clothes.
What does it do – move clothes around, work after 70 years!
#78 World’s First Automatic Coffee Machine. 1952. Been In The Family For 70 Years. Still Works Perfectly
#79 This 101 Year Old Copy Of National Geographic. Including An Article About How Amazing The Telephone Is, And Canadians Going Off To Fight In “The War”
#80 Found A Very Old Photo Of A Computer When Clearing Out My Grandmother’s House
#81 The 1956 Hospital Bill From When My Mom Was Born. 6 Day Hospital Stay, $107.55 Total
#82 Ad For A 4-Bedroom Home In 1958
#83 This Is So Cool. 1937 Ss Cig Case With Smokes Still Inside
#84 These Cooking Spoons Are 60 Years Old And Still In Use By My Mother
#85 A Book My Dad Was Issued When He Joined The Army In 1958
#86 My Mother Has A Magnet From Amazon 24 Years Ago When They Only Sold Books
#87 An Ad To Buy A Squirrel Monkey For Less Than $20 In A Comic Book From The 60s
#88 My Deceased Great Uncle’s (Secret) Undesirable Discharge From The Vietnam War
#89 A Mastercard From The 70s
#90 My Great Grandmother’s Diary. She Was Born In 1900 And Lived In New York City
#91 This 40s Magazine Advertising Cheese On Apple Pie
#92 My Mom’s 49 Year Old Mixer
#93 Came Across A Stack Of 1908 Congressional Records While Installing Insulation In The Attic Of Our Old House
#94 Found This In My Mom’s Closet While Cleaning The Other Day
#95 Hand-Drawn Ship’s Route Map From Bremen, Germany, 1910. What Is It Called?
#96 My Library Got Gifted A 160 Year Old Webster Dictionary
#97 Vintage Recycling: When The Spine Fell Off This 1878 Book, I Noticed That The Lining Appears To Be Part Of An Old Magazine Cover
#98 My 22-Year Old Kenesis Keyboard With The New One I Just Bought
#99 Bought A Book And Found A Bookmark
#100 Vietnam War Draft Notice
#101 My Great Aunt Had A Japanese Hunting License
