Sometimes you go to Estate Sales and you find items they pulled out of a barn - but occasionally you also find items that actually came …off the top of a barn.
This is an old copper and brass weather vane that I got yesterday. Perfectly weathered patina and in very nice condition (no hail damage, dents or lightning strikes). I have been attending auctions for decades and I have never had the opportunity to purchase one of these at a reasonable price.
They are now considered as folk-ark and it is RARE to encounter one at a random sale. These are relics of the past and most old barns or homes that had them on their roofs have been torn down. There is a large Amish community about an hours drive from where we live and if I had to place odds, you MIGHT (possibly) find one of these there - slowly rotating in the sun - maybe.
Now this next item was indeed stored inside.
It’s a Nishiki Superbe 10-speed. Covered in dust and both tires are flat, but I could not pass on it because it too went cheap and I was amazed at how clean and original it looked.
The leather handle bar wraps look amazing with seemingly minimal wear and all threads intact. It has a steel frame but many aluminum pieces - very light weight, at least to my uneducated eye. ( My knowledge of bikes would certainly not cause an overflow of a thimble.)
The handle bars are marked: “SR” (There is a Eagle) and below that “SAKAE” On the other side of the bars it is marked; “World Custom Japan.” The serial number is: KH 05859.
If any of you bike enthusiasts can let me know what I have here, your thoughts would be appreciated.