Chinese Cash Coins

Some coins from my collection of Northern and Southern Sung Chinese cash coins.

These coins are the larger and less plentiful Value 2 coins (each large coin was equivalent to two normal cash coins), and the Southern Sung coins are much scarcer than the Northern Sung coins.

Annam Cash Coins

Some coins from my collection of Annam cash coins.

Most of these Annam cash coins are smaller and thinner as compared to those cash coins of China and Japan.

Japanese Cash Coins

Most of the Japanese ancient cash coins have these four characters, Kuan-yung Tung-bao.

Many of them have plain reverse, while some have single character or symbol on their reverse.

Metallic Tokens

Collecting metallic tokens is a fun hobby just like collecting coins.

But unlike coins, tokens are not legal tender.

Red Plastic Pouches

These red plastic pouches (priced at 50 cents each) were issued by Singapore Mint from 1972 to 1983 to hold almost all those years (except 1975 and 1977 ASEAN) of $10 silver and nickel crown-size UNC coins.

If you don't keep these pouches well and clean them regularly, they become moldy and oily, covered with fungal growth.

Many coin collectors and dealers had thrown their pouches away.

Leather Coin Pouch

Berre leather coin pouch, made in Hong Kong.

In 1989, someone at my previous work place was selling leather coin pouches like this to earn some pocket money, and I'd bought one.

Maple Leaf Pouch

In the early 1990s, when you bought a Canadian Maple Leaf 1-ounce gold coin from a local bank downtown at Raffles Place, you would receive a red pouch for every coin you'd bought.

But the gold print would fade off very easily in a short time.

1990's Goldsmith Plastic Box

A good quality goldsmith plastic box of the 1990s.

Goldsmith Plastic Boxes

Low quality goldsmith plastic boxes of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Their covers pop loose easily!

Another Goldsmith Pouch

In the late 1970s and early 1980s when you bought a gold item, the goldsmith would put it inside a pouch that had a cheap plastic zipper like this.

A low quality plastic box was available upon request.

Goldsmith Pouch

In the 1970s when you bought a gold item, the goldsmith would put it inside a pouch that had a brass zipper like this.

But a hard plastic box was available if you had requested for it.

1960's Goldsmith Plastic Box

In the 1960s when you bought a gold item, the goldsmith would put it inside a box like this.

Old Singapore Passport

The very first design of a Singapore passport (hardcover bound with high quality silk cloth) issued in the mid-1960s right after independence.

Badfinger: Straight Up

Keep your hard-to-find collectible Badfinger 12-inch vinyl record and buy a music CD like this.

Another VHS Video Cassette

Mel Fisher, the greatest treasure hunter who'd ever lived!

You might have thought VHS format was dead a long time ago.

But I was watching movies from some video tapes like this until around 2002 when my VHS video player had gone bust.

VHS Video Cassette

You might have thought VHS format was dead a long time ago.

But I was watching movies from some video tapes like this until around 2002 when my VHS video player had gone bust.

National Geographic Vinyl Record

This 7-inch vinyl record produced in 1969 is still very playable after all those doggone years.

Exercise Equipment

This is probably the only one of its kind pneumatic exercise equipment (made in Sweden) found in Singapore.

It works like an air pump when you extend it and pump up the air pressure to provide resistance.

I'd bought it at a reasonable price about 3 months ago from a Swedish national who'd since left Singapore for home.

Weightlifting Belt

Weider® weightlifting leather belt.

10-Kg Dumbbell

This 10-kg dumbbell might be out of use for an eBay Singapore seller, but it's very useful for me.

I'd bought it for a reasonable price on September 2  from that cheerful seller who was about to move house then.

Multitester

Sanwa multitester, made in Japan, bought in 1972.

Still working fine after all those doggone years.

Soldering Iron

Antex Precision soldering iron (made in England) bought in 1972.

Still working fine after all those doggone years.

Brass Mold

Grandmother's brass mold for baking kueh bulu over charcoal fire in the olden days.

Hand Drill

Before the electric drill was invented, I'd used this manual hand drill when I was young.

This grandfather's tool is still working today.

Old Screwdrivers

These grandfather's screwdrivers are simple in design and they are still useful today.

Tiny Scissors

This tiny pair of scissors may look like a toy, but it's sharp enough to cut paper.

Folding Scissors

Have you used this kind of scissors before when you were young?

In the 1970s many street stalls were selling them in the night markets.

Knife Handle

In 1980, I'd handmade this metallic knife handle when the wooden handle was broken.

This knife is still useful in the kitchen today.

Corkscrew

A grandfather's wine bottle opener (made of wrought iron) is called a corkscrew.

Its handle is made of hard wood.

Guinness Bottle Opener

Some grandfather's coffee shop in mature HDB estate may still be using this kind of wrought iron bottle opener.

1950's Bottle Opener

A grandfather's bottle opener of the 1950s and it's a can opener too.

Aluminum Shoe Horns

1960's aluminum alloyed shoe horns, made in England.

You don't need one for your left shoe and the other for your right shoe.

Jockey Shoe Horn

Does anyone use a shoe horn nowadays?

 A jockey might have used this long shoe horn to wear his riding boots.

Police Whistle

A rare grandfather's whistle (made in England) of Straits Settlements Police Force.

Rotax Pen Nip

A spare nib for a Rotax fountain pen.

Gramophone Needles

Gramophone needles from the 1950s for playing those grandfather's 78rpm shellac records.

Old Silver Cups

Weight for weight, old silver cups hardly fetch more than old silver coins in prices.

Pewter Eagle

This is a waste of materials to attach a pewter eagle casting onto a block of wood to make a heavy trophy. 

Whoever was the person who'd come up with this smart idea, when you had the money to waste, you'd wasted it.

Cherubs

Some of my collection of cherubs on display.

Lighters and Matchboxes

The so-called anti-social habit of smoking is discouraged nowadays.

As time passes by, lighters and matchboxes like these are hard to come by.

Magazine Holders

Hard plastic magazine holders are ideal for filing your pamphlets, booklets, journals, and magazines when you want to refer to these reading materials frequently.

More Postcards of Elvis Presley

Keep your new postcards individually inside good quality transparent sleeves.

As far as possible, avoid direct contact with your fingers on these new postcards.

A Piece of Junk Mail

This is definitely a junk mail, make no mistake about that!

When a bank sends you any snail mail with an image of a banknote not worth the ink that's printed on it, you bet that bank is trying to earn easy money from you.

SingPost IPO Cards

Do you recall SingPost putting these IPO publicity cards attached with fridge magnets into your mailbox? 

Some people thought that these cards were junk mails and threw them away without saving those magnets.

Snail Mails

A carton box full of snail mails accumulated from the late 1960s to late 1990s.

Hundreds (perhaps more than a thousand) of envelops and letters can be packed into a box like this.

Some old envelops bearing interesting postmarks may become collectible postal history, so don't peel off those postage stamps.

Aluminum Containers

Don't keep any foodstuff inside any aluminum container.

Chemist Glass Bottle

Made in England, this is an early 1970's chemist glass bottle w/plastic cap.

Pill Box

Ores from a gold mine in South Africa.

If you don't need to use a large pill box like this for your daily supplement or medical pills, then use it to keep some other stuff.

Plastic Capsules

If you'd saved these plastic capsules once used to pack those rolls of film negatives, you can now use them to pack stuff like collectible coins and tiny rocks, among others.

The capsule in front contains pulverized gold ores from a mine somewhere in The Philippines, given to me by someone in 1988.

Money Bag

An early 1980's money bag from New Zealand.