Copper Souvenir Bracelet from Chile: The Destiny of Things, Story LIII

Copper Souvenir Bracelet from Chile:  The Destiny of Things, Story LIII

A birthday gift with an interesting story that lead to another story!  Two stories from one etsyian!  And another souvenir story!  

Note from Buyer   Purchasing as a birthday present for my friend from Chile who came from a copper mine town and is now collecting Chilean copper jewelry. She will treasure your Grandmother's souvenir! I'll need them for next week, Monday the 25th or Tuesday the 26th?



I am so happy to know that a birthday person is going to treasure my childhood souvenir bracelet from my Grandmother when she visited Chile.  I wore this often as a child and it has been through many play days!

Just imagine that someone who's birthday is around the corner is from a copper mining town in Chile and one of her friends is giving her these for her Chilean copper jewelry collection!  I wish I could be a fly on the wall when she opens this!

I asked if there was any more to this curious story and got this!

Gail

20 hours ago 

Yes, my friend told me that the copper mine took over their town and everyone had to leave! She came here as a teenager in the mid 50's. Now she volunteers in the Jewelry Dept all year long at the Oakland Museum Women's Auxiliary White Elephant Sale (WES) in Alameda, CA. 100,000 sq ft of rummage sale. Look it up! www.whiteelephantsale.org


Side Note:   100, 000 square feet of rummage sale?  Let me say that again!  100, 000 square feet of rummage sale?  That is HUGE!  The average house is 900-1200 sq. ft, so that's like ten houses worth of rummage sale!  That's gotta be the BIGGEST White Elephant Sale ever! both literally and figuratively!

Dare I say it, yes, I had already planned on going on the spot, especially after looking at the web site!  Then I remembered my goals, but STILL it would be FUN to just go and LOOK!  It's FREE!

Kennedy

20 hours ago 

Hi again!

That is so sad and not right with the world, if the whole town had to leave due to mining taking over.

100k sq. ft rummage sale! I'm in! but wait a minute. That is so cool, but as a recovering hoarder it looks too dangerous for me!

I will write WES up on my blog and maybe I'll be able to go next year and donate some items too!

PS. I think it's so inspiring that you donate your blood platelets and hair. You must be very healthy. Are you going to list some things in your shop in the near future?

Side Note:  I would like to donate my hair again.  Once my Mom requested my hair and my brother's hair (was it the 90s when men had long hair again?) for her Mother's Day gift, so she gave us hair cuts and donated it to a charity that made wigs for chemotherapy patients.

In college for extra credit in one of my classes, you could give blood.  The place on the list told me I didn't weigh enough, so my extra credit was waived.  I wonder if they still have a weight requirement.  Plus it would be excellent incentive to get healthy again and good way to help others.   I remember as a child, going with my Dad to give blood regularly.....

Gail and I have stuff in common and  then I got this doozey piece of information!

Gail

19 hours ago

I have to stay healthy in order to donate, so that's motivation. Thanks! No, not planning on doing anything with the shop right now. By the way, I saw your A&W baby mug. I worked there when I was in high school. I have a baby and a mama sized mug.

Such bargains at WES! Everything is reasonably priced. I'm a clock collector, so my friend finds the fun ones for me. Talk about hoarding? How about 700+ clocks on display. More in boxes :-)

Side Note:  700+ clocks!!!! I had to see this!  And Gail was kind enough too!  but that's another story and will be the next posting!

Saying Good-bye:  For a faded second I started to get choked up when I saw these sold, but the "note from buyer" saved the day!

I have many gifts from my Grandmother, other relatives and friends and need to remember this every time something is let go.  I am keeping the first two bracelets she gave me, which I wore so much they are now broken, but I can't wear metals now due to allergies anyway.  They will be placed in the curio cabinet that held my childhood perfume bottle collection that is now on The Destiny of Things.

What I Learned:

1.  How many miracles and turn of events had to happen for the Chilean bracelet to meet up with Gail for her Chilean friend from a copper mining town as a birthday present?  It took a mining company to take over a town where eventually everyone had to leave?  Then she came to California?  And over 50 years later that is what the birthday girl collects---copper jewelry from Chile!  Now that's another circular story! 

Side Note:  Another circular story, if you love them as much as I do is listed below with a Saint Christopher medal and an urban planning student in South Africa.

2.  Not only does she collect Chilean copper jewelry, but she works as a volunteer in the jewelry department of one of the largest annual White Elephant Rummage Sales in California!  For those of you in California, this has got to be the the biggest event in picker thrift rummage sale for the ultimate collector!  Imagine picking through 100,000 square feet of gently used donated items of all kinds!

I can't believe this has been going on for over 50 years and I'm just hearing about it now!  And on top of all that all proceeds go to benefit the Oakland Museum of California and last year they made 1.8 million dollars!  Not only is a bunch of stuff getting recycled and reused, but it's all going to a good cause!

Check out their website:   http://whiteelephantsale.org/ and check out the map here!  Click on the shopping areas of interest and see a small preview, lists and how big the place is!

If I weren't in hoarder recovery---I'd plan a trip there!  I put it on my list to go next year!  Just to browse!

3.  Letting go of things is getting easier again, so I guess only time will tell what will happen when some heavy duty stress gets thrown in, but for now I'm thankful for easy sailing!

Thank you Gail for your kindness and support in leaving and elaborating on your story and your friend's story and taking part in my HoarderRehab:  The Destiny of Things!

Thank you etsy for another connection with an etsyian kind enough to leave, give additional information and send pics for not just one story, but two stories and also for someone with like interests!  And for taking two more things and giving them as gifts for a new life in a Chilean copper jewelry collection, which brings me closer to a Minimalist Organic home with a music art room, instead of hoard!

Thank you US, UK, Germany, Canada, China, Philippines, Romania, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Ukraine, South Africa and Russia for being with me today as the Hoarder Rehab journey gets easier again.  Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Post Notes:  I know I was supposed to show the pic of my "soon to be" music art room, instead of hoard storage room, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up so there's time to plan a trip to the biggest White Elephant Sale ever!  The next post is going to the 700+ clocks!  Next week, I'll post my music art room.


Other Related Stories:

1.  Orange County Fair Souvenir Barrette

2.  The Mighty Circular St. Christopher Medal Story

3.  This week's most read and all time most read:  Louis Vuitton Collection as Omega and Alpha

4.  This month's most read story:  The HoarderRehab Meltdown