An item doesn't have to be hundreds of years old, worth thousands of dollars, or of substantial size to have a significant impact in an antique shop setting.
Oftentimes in an antique shop it is not the extravagant that attracts the attention of the customer, but rather the curiosity of a small or often overlooked item of everyday or common use. Many a conversation has been started when a visitor to our shop is stopped in his or her tracks by small, odd items. One of these such items that we have noticed garnering attention beyond its stature is the railroad date nail.
A good description of what a date nail is can be found at http://www.ehow.com/how_8543431_tell-date-railroad-nails-come.html.
"Nails were used by railroad companies in the last two centuries as a form of record keeping. These nails, called date nails, were hammered into railroad ties to keep track of their age. Date nails have a number stamped on the head, such as "12," to indicate the year. Some of them have letters on the head instead, but are still called date nails. In most cases, you'll be able to date a nail based on the number, but in other instances, you may need to consult expert resources."These seemingly common date nails tell a story of American Railroad history and serve to stimulate curiosity of people who never knew such an item existed. A few customers of ours have even been led by these nails to begin collecting not only the nails, but also other Railroad Related items.
Read more: How to Tell What Date Railroad Nails Come From | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8543431_tell-date-railroad-nails-come.html#ixzz2BHV2g896
Though other railroad collectibles, such as tools, advertisements, lanterns, and ephemera, or paper items, can reach into the hundreds if not thousands of dollars, the date nail commonly sales for just a few dollars each. Collectors most often enjoy the hunt to complete their collection of every year they can find. As can be seen in the above picture from a few of the nails in our shop, many years can be easily found. Here we have 1927, '28, '29, and 30. The earliest year we have had in our shop has been 1924. There could not be an easier way for a potential collector to identify the year of manufacture on any other item.
These nails were used not only on railroad ties, but were also used on any weather-treated lumber during that era, (such as treated power poles). Their purpose was to accurately mark the installation year of the tie or other item, and track its lifespan. When it came time for a tie or pole to be replaced due to deterioration in the form of rot, the company was able to quickly note how long the hardware had held up under regular use. This form of record keeping not only saved the company time and money, but also helped ensure the safety of the railway that saw heavy pedestrian and industrial use during the past two centuries.
Though railways have declined in significance over the years, their allure has done nothing but grow. The sound of a train's horn and the click-clacking of the rails still inspires people. These date nails offer an inexpensive way to have a piece of that history, and they have the potential to be much more than a nail. They are conversation starters, and can be used in many projects to add interest to your home.
Above is a key or hat holder we fashioned from a piece of wormy oak and 4 1925 date nails. It is but one example of how these nails can be used today.
It is sure to do for you what it has done for us. Not long ago a customer said, "Well, I never even knew something like that even existed!", and a 30 minute conversation followed!
What are other small items that can garner the same attention as these interesting pieces?
------Piddles Antiques and Gifts------
See more of our items at: www.piddlesantiques.com
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