When Attic Treasures Aren't
American Pickers is a History Channel show about two guys who travel about the country scouring attics, barns and basements looking for that special find that epitomizes the phrase, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." Wendy and I watched it for the first time a couple weeks ago.
Well hea, I've got an attic above the rafters in my garage. Lots of old stuff up there. Even I don't know what's all up there. Wonder if those guys from the show would be interested. They offer cash on the spot if they find something they want.
But first let me check up there first. I know right away there should be something Wendy and I as future grandparents will want.
No, it's not the Lite Brite, one of the toys our boys played with for a time when they themselves were just tikes . . . though I do hear that old toys are popular with collectors. So after digging around the attic some more I find what I'm looking for.
See it there, partially obscured by the old blanket? It's our boys' old Simmons crib, bought before father-to-be Greg was born. It was a gift from my parents who bought it for us at a furniture store near Saginaw. Lasted us through two boys, then lasted through my sister-in-laws' two boys.
It's been up here in the attic ever since. With some effort, I pulled it down piece by piece and set it in our basement, ready to be re-assembled. In my opinion, they don't make cribs like they used to.
Wherein likes the problem apparently. My son and his wife complained that our boys' old crib is obsolete. Not only that, it's been condemned. Outlawed. Can't even be re-sold if those picker fellows happen by.
What?? How so? My daughter-in-law Lindsay sent me an e-mail with three links detailing crib recalls and recent federal guidelines that ban the sale of cribs like the one we bought almost 30 years ago. The problem? It has a drop-side. Thought it takes two separate actions (lift the side then kick the bracket underneath the side) to cause the side to drop allowing access to the baby inside the crib, apparently this crib is considered too dangerous for use nowadays.
I personally think this crib is as good as any made right now. But I won't do anything to risk the well being of our precious little guy, as Wendy likes to call him.
Now, what about the Lite Brite?
posted by Big Dave T @ 6:01 PM
11 Comments:
I had the same problem with the family crib. It came to us second-hand, to be used for me. You see, I was that last child that wasn't supposed to be possible, and the folks had not kept anything. I slept in it, my niece and 2 nephews, my own two kids and a handful of other nephews and nieces. Then when I tried to hand it down to my kids, I was informed that the rails were too far apart to be safe. Yeah, I get it, but I surely hated to see it go out of service. Somehow tradition and sentiment was trumped by, uh, safety. Go figure.
Good luck with that Lite Brite. Those pegs are choking hazards. The last time those were used at our house was at an adult party when my hub spelled out "Smoking" on one and and arrow on the other to guide people outside.
Mind as well get rid of all those fantasy football magazines too. They never do you any good.
ah yes, the lite brite-our daughter had one of those. seems an occupational therapist thought it would help w/ her lack of small motor skills. what it did was give her mother cause for being a nervous wreck-I was afraid the animals and her baby brother would swallow/choke on the pieces or that I'd slip and fall on the things.
LYNILU--Somehow I think ten years from now the rules will have changed again. The cribs they make nowadays will be found to be no safer than the cribs they made way back when. As my dad says, too much big brother.
ANONYMOUS--Sure they did. Had my best finish ever this year. But, generous guy I am, I'm going to give them to my brother as he needs the help more than I do.
CARINE--Wow, that's two comments on the choking danger posed by Lite Brite. Maybe that's how it got into the attic to begin with.
In some respects babies and little kids are handled safer and now there are laws to keep them safer. I don't know if the older cribs could be re-made into cribs that follow the guidelines now but the older cribs were pretty sturdy. So, are you and Wendy going to buy your son and daughter-in-law a new crib?
TECHNOBABE--We bought our son and daughter-in-law a layette that included a crib. They're all set. We need a crib ourselves in case the little one needs to take a nap when he comes to visit.
we just bought a "pack and play" Dave.
Never do anything to put little Terry Talaga in jeopardy. It's still under interpretation how son 1 and 2 turned out due to this mysterious crib with multiple recalls. I agree with Lindsay, out with the old, in with the new. Have you seen the show "Storage Wars" It's about people who buy storage units for auction after the owners don't pay their rent. Very interesting show. Check it out, I think it's on Discovery Channel.
Just another of the many things that are unsafe for our kids now-a-days!!! I'm sure you've read about all the things that we survived / thrived on that aren't safe anymore.
CARINE--Good call. Wendy just said this morning we need to get a pack 'n play. And it looks today like we might need to prepare sooner than we thought.
ANONYMOUS--No, haven't seen Storage Wars, but it looks interesting. It's kinda like one of those shows that asked what's behind door number two, right? Could be jackpot, or nothing.
PETER--Wendy likes to tell me how she used to stand up in the front seat in the family car during road trips. Can you imagine how far you would get doing that today?
I think all those children that were put to bed in that lift up and kick the lever cribs that we used are now having the babies that we now put in the Pack and play.
Just watch, in a few years those will be outlawed too.
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