According to Marjorie McLaren of Anchorage, Alaska, October’s What Is It appears to be a Victorian Sewing Bird “Third Hand” with a pincushion.  The metal appears to be embossed brass (and might be a replica as it appears quite shiny).  The bird clamps to a table with the beak facing the sewist.  By pushing down on the tail, the bird’s […]

 September’s What Is It was sent to us by Cheryl Miller of Fort Collins. Here is the note she sent with these pictures:  “I purchased the item above from the Brass Armadillo a decade or two ago just because I liked the looks of it. I have no clue what it is. It appears to be made of ivory and […]

 August’s What Is It is a one-of-a-kind corkscrew candlestick. It is 10” high with 3 fluted legs, attached with a fastener to a 4” round base, It holds a 1 diameter candle.  We had several correct guesses. Jerome McLaren of Conifer, Colorado tells us these were called Bible candleholders which sat on a table. As the candle burned down you […]

 “July’s “What Is It” appears to be a vintage wooden-framed block pulley, holding three grooved wheels (sheaves), with metal attachment fittings on top and bottom.  When paired with a similar block pulley, with a single rope threaded through the pulleys of both blocks, it becomes a system generally known as a ‘block and tackle.’ Block and tackle systems have been […]

 We had several correct guesses to our June’s What Is It. Christine Green of Westminster, Colorado; Deborah Krinitzsky of Littleton, Colorado; Connie Godwin, Lyons, Colorado; and Lynda Moore of Sun City, Arizona all identified the objects as prehistoric stone axes. Congratulaions! You have all won a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector.  Though they aren’t found for sale as […]