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1st Prize Catt. Count Fair, 1982

dad
2018.12.21
I have this jewelry (I think) piece that was framed by my dad over 35 years ago:

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I think the notes on the back say something like:
Bought on 5/5/80 by ??? ??? 5/7 $135
framed on 5/12/80 ??? ??? $11.88 + 17 ¢ for felt
1st Prize Catt. Count Fair, 1982.
(That's Cattaraugus County, where Salamanca NY is)
I'm not sure what to do with it. I don't think it's a particularly lovely piece, but any charms it does have are likely being lost on me. $135 is about $400 in today's money - and for all I know he was thinking investment as much as the beauty of it (or the contest winning.) I don't have much sentimental attachment to it - heaven knows I have my fair share of artifacts that connect me with him.

Of course, that was in a pre-Etsy/Ebay day. (I suspect his visions of carefully hoarded 1980s-era Happy Meal toys being worth something came to naught, since the web turned that into a buyers market.)

Wish I had access to something Antique Roadshow-y!

UPDATE: my mom says
If memory serves, I think he liked it because it was [a broach] designed by Georg Jensen [...] I believe original. It intrigued your dad because it was a jewelry piece, rather than Jensen’s usual tableware."
Interesting!
Very much a WIP, my timelines project might be of interest to people who dig information display problems (and want to provide feedback and/or see how the sausage is made)