Original 1851 Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy Textbook
For only 25 cents, a person brought an original copy of “Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy Textbook” from a thrift store. It came out in 1851! Amazingly, it has stayed in such good shape after more than a century and a half. There is a chance that the former owner had no idea what it was. After all, they would have sold it for much more than that otherwise. This was found at a garage sale in Illinois. The book was released for “public or common” schools across the United States. This is now worth $150.
Original 1851 Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy Textbook
Vintage 1939 Schumann Piano
In 1847, Schumann started making pianos in Illinois. It saw tons of success and grew rapidly. In fact, they had to relocate to a big factory in Rockford not long after that! The company produced upright, player, and grand pianos. Their products were popular in the early 1900s. The piano in question is a 1939 Schumann that normally costs more than $10,000 even if it had bumps and scratches. A buyer was lucky enough to buy this for less than $60 at a thrift store! Aside from a few scratches, it was “in great shape.”
Vintage 1939 Schumann Piano
