Last week’s feature and survey about finding ancestral items on eBay prompted a number of interesting stories about online purchasing strategies and finds. Here is a selection:
Mary S. Dobard of Katy, Texas:
Several years ago I purchased four copies of The Youth's Companion, published in the 1920s. My mother, Mary Eames, was one of the illustrators of stories on "The Children's Page." What a delight it was to find these wonderful magazines on eBay!
Tracey Toms of Norristown, Pennsylvania:
I haven't been lucky enough to find photographs of my ancestors, but I did have some luck in searching for a business-related item. My paternal ancestors were involved in Kuhl’s Dairy in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and I realized that materials from the dairy may still be around, and people collect such things. I put an automatic search into eBay, and am now the proud owner of bottle caps that came from the dairy farm my ancestors ran.
Adrienne Fuss of Larchmont, New York:
I found two postcards on eBay for a production of The Quaker Girl, a play that my great-great uncle, John Palmer Slocum, produced about 1911 — with his name on one of them. That was a great find!