In this day and age, there is nothing that a bit of sleuthing won't find. That interesting place called the Internet is the speediest way to find what you are seeking. It is there. Trust me. It is there. Everything is there. In a grand total of about 3 seconds, thousands upon thousands of likely "suspects" are rounded up, sorted and laid out for you to investigate. It does not take long before a hit has taken place and everything falls into place.
Yesterday while I was "purging" the Little Bayou House (this is an ongoing chore!), I came across something that my oldest son had salvaged from his Papa's shed. Pop's shed (and barn) was a wealth of intriguing prizes to a curious pre-teenage boy. He could scrounge to his heart's content and lay claim to any number of spider-web blanketed, dust encrusted treasures. And he often did. At one point (as most boys that age), he was highly interested in anything to do with automobiles. Boys' dreams seem to always involve cars, boats, knives and guns. I dealt with it and usually gave in to their whims as long as they promised not to do bodily harm to each other. But, back to the find of the day. At one point, my son acquired several old hubcaps from Pop's shed. He asked and he received. Pop was eager to share his treasures with his grandson. The hubcaps came to the Little Bayou House and have been here since.
Now came the curiosity. Just what automobile used to sport this fancy hubcap? I asked several of my mechanic/classic car aficionados if they recognized the hubcap. I received several different answers but none seemed "quite" right. Sooo...I took it upon myself to do a search. I took the photo, did a reverse photo search and there was my hubcap! It was easy! I felt proud of myself and went back to set the record straight with the others. Yay for me!
Anyway, just as a matter of record, the aforementioned hubcap once belonged on a 1950 Oldsmobile 98 Sedan. Makes sense now since Pop owned several Oldsmobiles back in the day along with a Studebaker, a bevy of Jeeps, a 1957 Chevy Truck and, at one point, a Cadillac. Of course, nary a one of these was new but were used ones that were deemed "unfixable" until Pop got them. He was an amazing mechanic along with being a farmer. Each vehicle was restored and used until he got something else to repair. Then, he would sell the previous one. Growing up with all of these vehicles was a lot like an automotive version of the party game Musical Chairs!
At least, I know the make and model of the hubcap's vehicle. I was advised not to toss it in the garbage but rather try to find a buyer for the cap. The classic car craze has boosted the prices on what used to be junk. Wait!! Maybe I should go check my son's old room once again! There may be millions of dollars worth of junk in there! I'm rich!!! Ok, maybe not.
I am a collector..not a hoarder..that just does not have a nice ring to it..so I am a collector! Many people collect things..stamps, coins, dolls and even things like fishing lures. 
I have it all, not complete sets of anything but I have dibs and dabs of everything. I just collect things. If I find something interesting..I keep it. That is what has gotten me in the state I am today. Too many collectibles! Not that I can really call everything I collect a "collectible" in the sense that it is most commonly used. I use "collectible" simply because junk sounds like what a hoarder keeps and we already settled that..I am not a hoarder! Yesterday and today however, I have come to the conclusion that I have way too many collectibles. They have far outgrown the shelves that line the dining room walls and have taken over every nook and cranny in my house. My niece calls them my dust collectors..and after cleaning for the past two days, I realize she is right. Oh my goodness! There was so much dust! The main dilemma that I encountered today was where do I put my treasures?? And what am I ever going to do with them?? I am quite sure that my kids will never know what in the world half of this stuff is nor why I ever saved it. It will be like some great mystery that they can piece together after I have made my way to the Great Beyond! (Barring, of course, that they do not just toss the whole kit and caboodle!) What fun it will be for them to ponder why I have a perfect collection of odd teapots..none of which match the assorted teacups..all of which I never use! Or why I have saved
hundreds of antique pictures of people I do not now nor ever knew. Maybe Great Aunt Thelma's spoon collection will spark some interest or perhaps Great Aunt Ruth's pink glass dishes will light up someone's eyes. The Civil War items definitely will raise an eyebrow but how about the rolling pin collection? Or the fairy lamps, Christmas ornaments, crocks, wooden boxes or canning jars filled with buttons or beads?? Just let them delve into the old steamer trunks to find clothes, letters and diaries of someone that has no connection to the family in the least. Will they understand the reasoning behind my keeping all of this..will they see it is simply because of the fact that I am a "Keeper of Things". My house is like a mini museum filled to the rafters (literally) with odd and wonderful surprises and I am the curator of this rather odd conglomeration of keepsakes. I am positive that most of it will pass the wayside as "junk" just because it has no monetary value. The value lies simply in the fact that somewhere, sometime, someone held these things as important in their lives. I grew up in a household where it was an unwritten law of "waste not, want not" and so I naturally save things. Things that may be useful..and then those that probably are not ever going to be useful again. It matters not if these things are viewed as priceless treasures to my kids or anyone else..these "collectibles" make me smile so in my small world they are invaluable! Besides, some day my children can have a great yardsale!.....Now where shall I put this wonderful collection of spittoons??
