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Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb (Hong Kong)
This September 2008 brochure from the Hong Kong Museum of History — of which this little sub-museum is a branch — describes a little-known historical spot incongruously and inconspicuously located in the middle of a Hong Kong semi-industrial area. The site’s value lies partly in proving that people actually lived here long before many other people think they did. Grade: 1
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JOE, The Tram Inspector (Hong Kong)
Issued in conjunction with the Hong Kong Peak Tram’s 125th Anniversary, this large and undamaged cardboard card has characters and support bases that one is meant to punch out and let them stand on their own. The Peak Tram having been established in May 1888, that suggests this little souvenir came out in about 2013. Grade: 1
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The Peak Tram – Over 100 years (Hong Kong)
Probably from the late 1990s, this single-sheet, multi-fold short pamphlet giving the history of the tram’s development. The brochure went out of date fairly soon after that. Grade: 1
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The Peak Tram – Over 120 Years (Hong Kong)
And the Peak Tower too, with both the Tram and the Tower being in what seems like constant stages of renovation. This 2010 folded brochure is larger than its 100-year predecessor, of course with more having been added to the attraction in those 20 years. Fog and clouds still get in the way, though. Grade: 1
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A Brand New View (Victoria Peak, Hong Kong)
Undated but probably from the late 2010s, and how many different ways are there to say “Brand New”? Even since this single-sheet brochure was published, the tram itself is brand new — again. Now all they need is tourists to ride it. Grade: 1
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Ngong Ping Nature Centre (Hong Kong)
From Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in January 2010, this single-sheet multi-fold pamphlet featuring all Ngong Ping attractions other than the three primary ones. Grade: 1
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Ngong Ping 360 Attraction Guide (Hong Kong)
This is the English version of a January 2007 guide to Hong Kong’s famous Big Buddha and Skyrail cable car facilities. The cable car had some real teething problems when it first went into service, but nothing amiss lately. Grade: 1
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Emirates note card
This came in a plastic sleeve. We thought it was a postcard until we looked more closely, and it’s a folded note card provided by the airline without any envelope. Though we found that to be strange, it is what it is and we offer it to you. It’s unused, and blank inside the card but identified as Emirates on the reverse. Grade: 1
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Discovery Bay Destination Guide (Hong Kong)
This large, folded map — available in 2022 — explains and presents dining, shopping, and other options in the Discovery Bay enclave on Lantau Island. It is not a tourist destination, rather what some people might impolitely call a Stepford-style area for people who want to pretend they’re not in “Asia”. It emerged on barren land in the late 1970s. Grade: 1
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PMQ (Hong Kong)
PMQ originally meant Police Married Quarters, whose premises on Hollywood Road stood virtually derelict and empty for years before being renovated into an artsy complex starting in 2014. Think of it as having an art and design focus. Folded brochure from 2022. Grade: 1
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Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme (Hong Kong)
Bilingual pamphlet issued in October 2022 from the Development Office and showing a variety of old buildings and areas in the Government’s sights for renovation or restoration. Grade: 1
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Sky100 (Hong Kong)
One might think of Sky100 as Kowloon’s answer to Victoria Peak, except that if one visits Victoria Peak, one can see most of the view for free. (And in the opposite direction, of course.) Brochure from 2022. Grade: 1
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Hong Kong Wetland Park
One of our friends will attest that this is a spectacular location for bird watching, especially during migrations. The current (2022) brochure from Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department packs many graphics even if few specifics into its folded pages. Grade: 1
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Madame Tussauds (Hong Kong)
A folded brochure available in 2022 promoting this attraction in the Tower on Victoria Peak. Grade: 1
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Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark – Geotour Routes
A December 2017 brochure … Hong Long being about 80% rural, some of these places are hard to find but nearly all are worth the effort. Grade: 1
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Hoo Kee (Singapore) – woodblock
Google was absolutely created for occasions like this. We have an old printer’s woodblock (sourced in the 1980s but certainly dates much earlier) with information readable as “HOO KEE No. 104, Amoy Street, Singapore 1” and then much text in Chinese. However the HOO KEE name is locked inverse to the other letters, which suggests it might have been wrongly made. Anyway after much Google searching we tracked down Hoo Kee Bak Chang, and someone’s online Blog entry saying this: (lightly abridged): “My fave spot for bakchang in Singapore, and which I think still produces the best rendition on the island, is Hoo Kee at the busy Amoy Street Food Centre in Tanjung Pagar … Hoo Kee was started in 1948 by husband-and-wife Chew Hai Chwee and Lim Soek Loo. Its first location was Fu Xing coffeeshop at 104 Amoy Street. It’s currently run by the 3rd-generation of the family …” As for the block itself, it measures about 10″ x 4-1/2″ x 1″ and is quite heavy. We’d love for it to get back to that family but first-come, first-served. Grade: 1
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Sin Wah (Singapore) – woodblock
In the same manner as our previous entry for Hoo Kee, but smaller (12.5″ x 2″ x 1″). Sin Wah was founded in 1976 but is now at a different address from that shown on the woodblock. We think, but who knows, this block had to be rejected because the company’s telephone number changed. Grade: 1
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KOCMOC (Cosmos) pin set (Soviet Union)
KOCMOC in Russian is Cosmos, and commemorates the USSR/Soviet space programme in the 1980s. This 4″ square plastic presentation case holds six unused pins. We feel fortunate to have found other examples of this for sale on line, so have priced ours lower. But it’s all original. Grade: 1
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Корабли герои (Hero Ships) – Soviet Pin Set
Apologies for the dim scan but it was difficult without disturbing the contents of this white plastic container. Dating from the 1980s in USSR, Корабли герои means Hero Ships in Russian, and indeed there are 10 unused pins in superb condition, all but the big round one depicting … ships. Interesting historical artifact. Grade: 1
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автомобили горьковского автозавода (see text) (USSR)
“автомобили горьковского автозавода” in Russian means “Cars of the Gorky Automobile Plant”. GAZ (the company) dates back to 1932, with GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, being a Russian automotive manufacturer located in Nizhny Novgorod, formerly known as Gorky. It is the core subsidiary of GAZ Group Holding, which is itself part of Basic Element industrial group. JSC Russian Machines is the controlling shareholder in OAO GAZ. That’s all we know, and now you do, too. This is a complete and original 1982 set of 17 unused pins showing various Gorky models. All are contained in a sturdy cardboard sleeve whose reverse gives a few more details. Grade: 1
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USSR Cities – Coats of Arms pin set
This little round plastic box that looks exactly like wood — really — is about 4-1/2″ in diameter and holds 52 pins, each showing the coat of arms of various Soviet/Russian cities. These are originals and the set dates from the late 1980s. Pins are in as-new condition, as is the container, and we honestly don’t think** there are any duplicates, it would take a day to figure that out. Grade: 1
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Uniform patches (Thailand)
There are five original cloth patches here — three different designs — and the bag they came in. Not being able to read Thai, and with Google Translate not being much help with such a complex language, we do not know what they represent. But they are unused and sure do look official, so do with them as you will. Grades: 1
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Thailand uniform pin
Such items don’t scan well so we hope you can see this well enough. It’s a three-inch official looking pin from the 1980s that seems like it should be on some kind of uniform. We do not know what the Thai writing says. Impress your friends. Grade: 1
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Stone Amulet (PR China)
It’s stone, just under 2″ across, and the round part in the middle floats freely in that area as it was carved out of the main rock, not placed there. This is like a large pendant but would be uncomfortable to wear as one — there would be other uses for the traditional design. Grade: 1
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Story County State Bank – cash bag
This is a very old — we have no idea, maybe 1940s? — drawstring bag made of what seems like canvas. It’s about 8″ from top to bottom. It’s never been washed and looks both sturdy and ancient. The bank itself either failed or closed in 1985. We don’t often use this term, but the bag is … atmospheric. Someone will love to have it. Grade: 2
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Ink Pen
Apologies for the fuzzy scan but we had no other practical option. This pen comes from the 1940s or earlier, is altogether nearly 8″ long, and elegant in its way. Not certain if it can still be filled with ink, though. Maybe. Grade: 2
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USA Campaign Buttons
This complete assortment from the 1970s. Grades: 1, generally
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Old Milwaukee Days – Schlitz Circus Parade (Wisconsin, USA)
A folder giving the parade route, agenda, and all the entrants for this “Gratuitous” Grand Cavalcade and Street Procession in July of 1966. Yes indeed, those were the days. Grade: 1
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Zanzibar Antique Curio Store (Zanzibar, Tanzania)
A little ad card from 1967. The shop seems to be gone now, at least under that name. Grade: 1
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Silver Curio Shop (Zanzibar) – ad card
This little ad card shows two outlets of a company established in 1905 — the main store in Zanzibar and the branch in Dar es Salaam. This was in 1967. A quick Googling now suggests that the Zanzibar shop has either closed or changed its name, with the Dar outlet now the primary location. Grade: 2
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Seychelles – information
With apologies for the chaotic scan, but we wanted parts of each of these three 1966 documents to appear: (1) Information for Intending Residents; (2) Immigration Formalities; and (3) Fifty Facts about Seychelles. Among those 50 facts, “Palmiste or ‘millionaire salad’ is a local specialty considered by gourmets to be among the world’s delicacies,” mainly because removing this terminal shoot of the palm kills the tree. We would not be having that meal then or now. All three documents together. Grade: 1
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Biere Benin (Togo)
At the time (1968), Benin was not yet Benin, so we can’t fairly say that the name of the beer is confusing just because it came from neighbouring Togo. All that notwithstanding, this is a single-sheet, multi-fold pamphlet from Brasserie du Benin S.A., all about its facilities and product. Grade: 1
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1967 Nairobi Show – Trade Attendant badge (Kenya)
For Day 2. We have similar badges for other days — just poke around. Grade: 1
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1967 Nairobi Show – entrance badge (Kenya)
For Day 2. We have similar badges for other days — just poke around. Grade: 3
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1967 Nairobi Show – Guest of Society (Kenya)
We also have similar badges for various days — just poke around. Grade: 1
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Addis Ababa Airport Tax receipt (Ethiopia)
Most likely from 1975, a receipt for the International Passenger Embrkation (sic) Fee. Grade: 1
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International Airports Authority of India – International Passenger Service Fee
Proving that sometime in the mid-1970s, we paid. Used. Grade: 1
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EAK (Kenya) – bumper sticker
Unused sticker still on its 3M Sprint Marking Film backing, the sort of thing drivers used to affix to their car’s rear bumper. Do they still? Grade: 1
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USA property deeds and notes
This collection is so complicated, it’s even hard to know how many separate documents there are. As a start, they begin from the early 20th century and include two unused Letters of Transmissal for Independent Oil & Gas Co. shares (1930) ; an Indenture Deed from Minnesota (1917) for a land sale, with another serving as proxy for minors; a Mortgage from Story County, Iowa (1919); Warranty Deeds — one stamped, for a commercial sale in Iowa (1918) and another in 1919; and a Phillips Petroleum transaction. These make engrossing if not earth-shaking legal reading. Grades: 1
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Jame Masjid Delhi (India) – camera ticket
In 1974, this ticket allowed the buyer to enter Jame Masjid (mosque) with a small, non-movie camera (not meant for Meenar). Many years later, and not knowing the meaning of the reference to Meenar, we Googled. That was no help at all, so we’ll leave that to you. Grade: 2
