Most of us have heard the old saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Some people buy it, some create it, some just admire it.
We have embraced the fact that every day is a learning experience in this business and "trash to treasure" is not merely a fad, but here to stay.
You'll hear about the transformation of an ugly chest of drawers into a great piece of furniture or the new beauty of an unwanted armoire turned into a bedroom focal point by adding a piece of old tin, a few coats of paint and a coat of varnish.
But creating these treasures takes time, vision and an initial product that has character and unrealized potential.
AtlasWe recently have come across a large, old, leather bound atlas from 1886. The binding is in poor condition, the cover is extremely worn and tattered and many pages have water damage.
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Anyone who knows us at all realizes that we throw nothing away, and we refuse to condemn this cool book to the burn pile.
Though some might throw this away without hesitation, we are going to turn it into someone's treasure. We acquired the 1886 Rand McNally Road Atlas in a box of stuff last summer.
Initially, we considered listing it on eBay, however, due to its "complicated" condition our plans have changed.
Preserving historyWe are going to carefully extract the beautiful pictures and unbelievable illustrations from this 118 year old atlas and salvage an important piece of history.
The atlas measures 11 inches by 14 inches and has 192 pages. It has full-color maps, diagrams and tables, black and white engravings and in-depth historical descriptions.
DetailedWe believe the detailed black-and-white etchings will be the most desirable to collectors and include everything from "Presidential Portraits," to "Stag Hunting," to "Pyramids at Gaza."
The color maps of individual states and countries are also sure to be of collectible interest. These quality, full-page depictions of historical artistry will be crystal clear once they are removed from the dilapidated book.
We will handle these treasures with care, giving them a cardboard backing and plastic sheath, or displaying them in an appropriate frame. They will be much easier to admire and also great conversation pieces.
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ChallengeEvery "trash-to-treasure" project is another exciting and unique adventure for us.
We learn new things, and find another way to bring old memories and desirable collectibles into homes of people everywhere.
Lucken Hanson owns Lucken's Collectibles in Fertile and Cuellar works with her. Store hours are 10 a.m .- 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Phone: (218) 945-6660 or e-mail at: collectibles@gvtel.com
