Courting-Candle Crock #history #facts #historyfacts #romantic #dating #decoration #socialmedia #antique If you’d like to read the story that included the first-ever mention of the term “courting candle” in print, I’ve put it up (for free) on my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/posts/courti...

There's a hidden history behind a highly sought-after item. It's a tale of trickery, deceit, and made-up details... and we're going to burn right through them! #history #decoration #antique #treasure #facts #story #mythology #legend

Did you know that "tiny sticks" are sometimes more desirable than big ones?

If you’ve ever been curious about the truth behind the most-mysterious (and magical) MacGuffin metal, I just released a video on it! youtube.com/shorts/cz_u4...

“Made In Switzerland” is the clear winner of #Eurovision this year. That is all.

You wouldn't think that the antique equivalent of an appliance's underused attachment would be a good investment, but some of them can actually double or triple the value of an object! www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFYe...

A botched pour of silver and a broken piece of uranium glass added up to a new brooch.

It has been a while, but I'm back with a long-form video. The story might sound like something from a badly written roleplaying game (or maybe a crime "documentary"), but it's the true story of how I became The Silver-Butcher of the Vale. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxl9...

I love that the vest matches with the pigeon-centric color-scheme!

I've been working on a long-form video. Here's a cryptic preview:

I’m in the market for a new razor, and I was going to purchase a Braun. When I arrived at the store, though, this was my first impression. The text should read “Look barber-fresh every day”. If a company can’t be bothered to proofread their packaging, how can I trust their products?

@ramsesthepigeon.bsky.social My friend and I were on a call, and they found this purple like coin. Do you know what and where they’re from? (These are the same coin btw)

Are we still doing "giving"? If so, my wife's cat is definitely "giving Wednesday".

If you thought that grape scissors were weird and unnecessary, wait until you see the other silver stuff that Victorians used. See if you can spot the cucumber spoon! www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6U6...

De Beers may have said "A diamond is forever", but the joke is on them: Sapphires, emeralds, and rubies are timeless (and more fascinating than their status as "expensive rocks" might suggests)! www.youtube.com/shorts/j_pHD...

If you spot strange marks on antique forks, spoons, or other such items, they could be trying to trick you! youtube.com/shorts/wCSkH...

There's a very good chance that you already own some of this mythical metal! www.youtube.com/shorts/ob-Pi...

Should "real life" be hyphenated? What does an en dash do, anyway? Is an em dash something else entirely? Why are we asking so many obviously leading questions? This edition of "Wordsmithing 101" addresses some lovely little lines! youtu.be/CUnrtC3aIYo

Marcus Stone's "Bright Summer" – painted in 1892 and reproduced as this illustration for "The Graphic" in 1895 – depicts a Victorian woman playing with her cat. In my opinion, the cat's demeanor can be best expressed with a lowercase eroteme.

I'm exceptionally bad at this "normal" social-media thing, so I'm following some advice (which may or may not have been offered as a prank). Anyway, apparently one is meant to "hype" folks. Here goes! The latest episode of "Wordsmithing 101" will be out tomorrow at 09:00 ET! Here's the thumbnail:

Can these gift-cards be used to purchase gift-cards? If so, I have an idea for @spiffingbrit.bsky.social…

Silverplate is effectively the "clutter" of the antiques world... but you should still dig through it, because you'll occasionally find treasure: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU0A...

I'm not sure whether to be proud, embarrassed, or apologetic. I'll go with "thankful". After all, I literally couldn't have made it to this milestone without all of the folks who clicked that little "subscribe" button. In all sincerity, folks, thank you! There's more to come!

In case you weren't aware, the alloy called "nickel silver" doesn't contain any silver at all. Also, if you say "EPNS" too quickly, it sounds naughty. www.youtube.com/shorts/zKbQm...

Can someone help me find a reliable source for the claim that Brian Thompson was booked for DUI in 2017? As near as I can tell, folks are citing a post on Threads, and I'd personally prefer something a bit more robust.

What I’m inferring from this is that Yale, Cambridge, and Princeton are bad universities. Meanwhile, MIT is clearly just antagonizing people.

Trying to gild the lily is a bad idea (unless you want to vaporize it). youtube.com/shorts/nY0OG...

Glamorous glasses' ghostly glows: youtube.com/shorts/KuwJ5...

Ancient Celts used to tote these bronze objects around. Incidentally… if someone happened to dig up a hoard of coins from a burial chamber, would that person have mined cryptocurrency? #history #english #jewellery #antique #vintage #money #ancient #facts youtube.com/shorts/4vc_G...

This is an antique cameo that was never removed from the shell into which it was carved.

Faking watches is a timeless tradition. youtube.com/shorts/eFQhD...

A centuries-old mystery lies at the heart of the Oscars. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCKD...

Apple's proofreading-focused #AI can't proofread. www.youtube.com/shorts/T6saW...

If your cat were featured as an example in a dictionary, which word would he or she exemplify? Baxter is vying for "languor."

It’s that time of year again. This holiday season, remember to proofread! youtu.be/sxfxy-3dGz0?... (Yes, that’s a four-part, a cappella parody of a classic Christmas song… and it’s about commas.)

British candlesticks from the 1890s still look brand-new after a bit of polishing.

My third-grade teacher turned the entire class against me when I refused to accept her claim that Jupiter is bigger than the sun. I had to get an astronomer to correct her during our trip to the planetarium. In other words… TAUGHT: Jupiter is bigger than the sun. LEARNED: Fight the power.

This picture is entitled “Do I Want To Keep My Fingers?”

When I was younger, I suspected that there was a man in the ATM who dispensed cash. I now understand that my suspicion was shaped by sexist assumptions.

This display is titled “Old Toilet.” It features an early-20th-century toilet. The past is so often marked by what we leave behind.

My cat occasionally looks like an AI’s attempt at drawing a cat.

Yeah, I get you. The feeds are still 'being trained' as it were, and mistakes are happening. We're trying to keep from giving people an eyeful, but part of the problem is that a LOT of us have fled the other app all at once, and it's kind of... the pool is now furry-flavored.

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that I’m supposed to write something like “Goodnight, everyone!” as an engagement-driving post, right? In unrelated news, here’s a Tibetan mask carved from a turtle shell and wrought in silver, copper, and gold. Sweet dreams!

Not only were cameras decently fast by then, they could also fit in a person’s pocket. There were even examples that had both horizontal and vertical viewfinders. camera-wiki.org/wiki/Pocket_...

I used to amuse myself by creating fake hazard signs for the modern workplace.

The next time that you hear the word “bookmark,” remember this late-19th-century English example (which is sterling silver and features a Viking figurehead). Why remember it, you ask? Well… because I think it would be funny if someone eventually mixed up Viking longboats and English bookmarks.

Folks keep insisting that I’ll be haunted by this old portrait, but I don’t think that “waking up to cups of tea” is synonymous with “haunted,” even if said cups of tea might be precariously balanced on bookshelves, candlesticks, or sleeping cats.