Hopefully we can avoid the humorous answers (wives, debts and rust) and gain some really interesting insights into our passions (MX5 accepted).
I collect Kismet Foot Pumps.
Kismet was the brand name given to a range of pumps made by William Turner (Sheffield). William Turner closed its doors in the 1950’s. It is assumed that Mr Turner named his pumps after the Kismet Opera.
Some pumps were made and boxed exclusively for quality cars (Rolls Royce, Bentley etc) but later many were made for the military and used in active service.
I own an original Kismet Car and box which has such a pedigree.
I have been fortunate to obtain and restore all but one of the range. I have not collected the huge Garage Pump as I don’t really have a suitable place to display such a beast.
However, I have the uber rare Scooterflator and 2 military badged Duplex pumps.
In my quest to obtain these historic items I have also an impressive collection of tyre pressure gauges made by the same company.
My collection has some interlopers (Wood & Milne, Aerite, Dunlop) but generally I have acquired Kismet pumps. Wood & Milne are unusual in as much as the normal internal mechanisms are on display on the outside. I have a 1911 genuine Wood & Milne with a fully working gauge (very rare).
Most Kismet pumps are approaching 100 years old and all work perfectly well. The internal washers are leather and now handmade and require oiling every 6 months or so. The pumps perform as well today as they were always intended. I wonder if a Halfords pumps will be operational in 100 years!!!
Anyway here are a few pics to give you an idea of my passion.
Slowed down collecting these. ( The cubes, not the Ltd Ed V8 diecasts)
Prices are escalating these days.
I think I’ll be unloading a few for profit.
Got a good few rare examples…in the loft.
Really need to get up there and bring them down to display.
For me.
Family thinks I’m a bit unhinged with them.
I repeatedly have to remind them I’m simply unhinged in general…until I’m needed to unkok their kokups.
Nice to hear that some of those 100+ year old footpumps still give good service. The days before the word obsolescence was invented.
I have lots of collections - here is a pic of one of my favourites - Medieval, WW1 and WW2 caltrops.
Technically they are just hobbies but I have more skis (4 working pairs and 1 snapped pair) and fixed gear bikes (5 in my flat and 1 on loan) than I can use at any one time so I guess they are becoming collections.
The bikes especially after fitting these this week:
Wow, this really shows up the huge diversity of what humans like to collect - there are some really peculiar things here too.
It makes my love of collecting records (vinyl and CD), and retro systems to play them on, seem quite ‘normal’.
Studio Glass (collection now gone to museum), books - mainly modern history and natural history, music - vinyl and CD’s (I’ve just pulled about 40 LP’s to go to a charity shop), stamps, etc… Too much of everything really.
Regarding LPs?
May be a thought to call an LP reseller…you might be surprised.
I flogged a Wishbone Ash a few years back for silly money.
So saying, back in the day I immediately one-played my albums and recorded them onto metal cassettes to preserve them.
One LP I have is a one-play direct cut of Ein Kleine Nachtmusic from 1978 which I’ ve been told is likely worth a few hundred…so I’m hanging on to it together with few other alleged gems.
Tread carefully when disposing of stuff…you never know,
It seems that my “Penguin Cafe Orchestra” LP’s are worth quite a bit.
Well there we go.
Honestly, as time goes by, cannot be too careful with stuff was run-of-the mill “in our yoof”
