What exactly is this?

[Equilibrium]

I ran across this down at the Elnora Tractor and Quilt Show in Southern IN. They had a huge flea market and antique sale and there it was.... just sitting there. My husband said it looked like a laundry basket. It sorta looks like it might have been used for holding produce.... maybe apples or potatoes or who knows what in a root cellar but.... I dunno. Just curious and I kept meaning to post the photo and ask but.... it slipped my mind. I was going to buy it until I realized the price tag said $69. Forget it for that price. I'd rather use a rubbermaid laundry basket to store produce than shell out that kinda $$$.

[Viceroy]

Not sure, maybe if there was a decimal in front of that 69 ha?

[dapjwy]

It's beautiful whatever it is.

Viceroy: Yup...wouldn't that be nice?

[biigblueyes]

Sure it was $69 - but it's an ANTIQUE whatever-it-is. It would look so good in your living room. . .

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by biigblueyes

Sure it was $69 - but it's an ANTIQUE whatever-it-is. It would look so good in your living room. . .

True. Maybe you could talk them down just a little. It really is beautiful.

[WG Admin]

It is an olive basket.

[havalotta]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

I ran across this down at the Elnora Tractor and Quilt Show in Southern IN. They had a huge flea market and antique sale and there it was.... just sitting there. My husband said it looked like a laundry basket. It sorta looks like it might have been used for holding produce.... maybe apples or potatoes or who knows what in a root cellar but.... I dunno. Just curious and I kept meaning to post the photo and ask but.... it slipped my mind. I was going to buy it until I realized the price tag said $69. Forget it for that price. I'd rather use a rubbermaid laundry basket to store produce than shell out that kinda $$$.

Oh shoot, I forgot all about that show you had mentioned a while back to me! Oh well, I really hadn't the time to spare with all the trip planning I've been doing anyway. That was a cool find! How many dealers would you say, show up for that sort of thing?

[biigblueyes]

Originally Posted by WG Admin

It is an olive basket.

You're good!

Turkish olive basket — Les Petites Gourmettes

I gotta question - would they be antiques from here in the US? I guess the real question is do they grow olives commercially here?

[Equilibrium]

WG> OMG.... it IS an olive basket. How did you know that?
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hava> I'm afraid to tell you because you're gonna flip out. I didn't know it was such a large show or I swear I woulda reminded you so don't flip out on me ok>>>? There were about 500 dealers set up inside the fairground buildings and.... at least another 500 outside... probably more. Most weren't dealers so "stuff" was going cheap... that's the part I'm probably going to regret adding. Remember when we were down by biig's and they had all those "dealers" lining the streets where you picked up that mirror for $5? Sorta like that only no clothes and kids toys were being sold anywhere... everything was older or collectible for the most part except for tools and some crafters selling birdhouses and the like.
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biig> I think it's more of a collectible rather than an antique. I just plugged in olive basket and they were vented so they could harvest the olives then submerge them in water and swish them around to clean them and they're still in use today. Looks like they're being used as decorator items in houses where I was thinking more along the lines of actually using it because I could store things that needed to "breathe" in it or add a strap to the handles so it could be hung around my neck for collecting pears or whatever is all and it wasn't worth the kinda $$$ they were asking for it to me. The person selling it was an actual dealer.... I could just tell by the pricing on what they had out. And.... I know there are commercial olive growers in CA so olives are probably being grown commercially in other states too. Funny.... whenever I think of olive groves I only think of Spain or Morocco and I'm sure they're grown elsewhere in the world too.

[Equilibrium]

Ok Mr. SmartyPants and anyone else out there who might know…. what’s this? I took the photo at the same tractor and quilt show and when I bent over and took a look at it…. I could tell that someone had modified a shovel by cutting out a portion of it and welding back a piece of metal mesh. The only thing I can think of is somebody created their own tool for moving embers in a wood burning stove? I’m at a loss on what this “tool” really might have been used for.