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Back in 2005, I was searching for a shoeshine box for my husband. I know that it’s a nutty gift, but I found all his shoe polish, old rags, and brush in a nasty, zip lock bag. He would get it out and polish and buff his shoes on occasion. He was taught to take care of his shoes, his car, his clothes, all his belongings.
We didn’t have a shoe box when I was growing up, but every Saturday my Father polished nine pairs of shoes on the stone windowsill outside our living room; all ready for Sunday Mass. Meanwhile we were all getting baths to look spick-and-span ourselves.
what a lovely picture!
I’ve got a shoebox identical to the photo. My father gave it to me when I was a newlywed.
We will celebrate our 41st anniversary next month.
How wonderful to find it!
There are no coincidences in life.
That’s just like the one in my closet. I can’t remember the circumstances around getting it but it probably obtained it around the time I needed to have shined shoes for my job. That places it around 50 years old. Don’t have much use for it any more, wearing sandals or running/walking shoes mostly. On occasion when I need to use it I dig it out from the back of the closet. It and the brushes still do a good job.
Try putting it in a yard sale and see what happens….
I had one exactly like it for years. I must have lost it in one of my moves. It would be at least 60 years old.
My grandfather had one identical to the photo. Now I’m wondering if it’s still around somewhere!
We had one nearly identical (except WWII stickers) when I was growing up. I have no idea what happened to it.
One would have to consider the veracity of this after reading your piece, FSC. It’s truly a miracle that you found it. Talk about a perfect gift for your husband. Hope he was as excited to receive it as we were learning that you found it.
What a terrific story!! I love when cool things like that happen. It’s just a little gift from God that you weren’t expecting. What a fine thing to be able to share it with the Dad that had chosen it so many years ago. I love it!
They couldn’t believe it – neither could I – what are the odds? I don’t even see them for sale anywhere nowadays…
Me too – I really miss my father-in-law – a real Southern gentleman who liked nice, well kept shoes!!
Not about a shoe box, but decades ago I bought a ceramic tea set in a gift shop. A platter, teapot, sugar & creamer. Over time, the creamer was broken, I moved several times, and eventually just didn’t have room for it. I handed it over to my mom and she sold the remaining parts on eBay.
Fast forward 10-ish years, I’ve moved to my family’s new home town, and I’m shopping with my sister-in-law at an “antiques mall” in town. I spotted a tea set that looked *exactly* like the one my mom sold for me on eBay. Still loved the look, and now lived in a house with a place to put it, so I decided to buy it. There was a platter, a teapot, and a sugar bowl…no creamer.
What were the odds? Kept it for a few more years, until a couple of rambunctious kittens destroyed the teapot and sugar bowl (still have the platter). It always amazed me that tea set managed to find it’s way back to me, and your story was a wonderful reminder. Thank you!
Just go to Amazon and search for “Shoeshine Kit.”
Oh thank you for sharing this heart-warming story. It makes me happy just imagining the happiness you two are sharing over this recovered precious kit.
The same thing happened to me. When I lived in MA I found an antique cake plate with 4 serving plates, cream with little orange flowers and gold rimmed. I bought it and love it. We moved to FL and one day we were puttering around in a tea and cake shop that had vintage tea cups for sale. My aunt said hey, don’t you have a set like this? There was 3 cups and saucers, a creamer and sugar container. I snapped it up and added it. I’ve never seen another piece since anywhere. Strange, but fun!
We inherited one of these from my husband’s grandfather. It’s in a closet somewhere. I’ll have to get it out and appreciate it more!
My mom was the Saturday night shoe shine person in our house. We kids had to collect all the “Sunday” shoes and bring them to her for some polish and a buff (as if they got scuffed from being in the closet all week since the last weekend’s church service!) Now my kids wear Converse to church.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
They still make them like that. I have one only five years old that I bought at a shoe repair store in town. Same design. Yours is better, of course.
Great story. This is what my father’s kit looked like.
Very fancy! Love it – the first one I’ve ever seen with 2 speeds of polishing!