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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Shangas, post: 30277, member: 360&quot;]Thanks QuirkyGirl.</p><p><br /></p><p>In case anyone&#039;s wondering, Toulmin &amp; Gale survived from 1735-1876. It went bankrupt in 1876. But before then, it manufactured dressing-cases, writing slopes, vesta-cases, travelling inkwells, games compendiums, tantaluses, and God knows what else!! They really turned their hand to everything they could think of.</p><p><br /></p><p>T&amp;G had a contract with the British Army to supply them with stuff like dressing cases and writing cases.</p><p><br /></p><p>Everything you see in the photographs is original to the box, or original to the period of the box, as best as I could make it. It is without a doubt my most intrinsically valuable piece.</p><p><br /></p><p>--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, the story behind this piece... </p><p><br /></p><p>London. Ca. 2011. </p><p><br /></p><p>I was in London with my father. We were visiting my brother (who was living &amp; working there at the time). </p><p><br /></p><p>We went to Portobello Road Antiques Market and were browsing around. We entered a shop, and saw the box open on a table. </p><p><br /></p><p>Dad goes: </p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;Do you want it??&quot;</p><p>&quot;Dad, we can&#039;t buy that!&quot;</p><p>&quot;Why not?&quot;</p><p>&quot;It&#039;s huge! It&#039;s heavy! It&#039;s delicate! We probably can&#039;t afford it! And how the hell are we gonna get it home to Australia!?&quot;</p><p>&quot;Never mind about that! I&#039;ll figure it out! Do you want it??&quot; </p><p><br /></p><p>Dad knows I&#039;ve been after one of these almost since the day I was born. But they&#039;re PHENOMENALLY hard to find. In working condition, they go for absolutely INSANE amounts of money. </p><p><br /></p><p>So I said: &quot;Yes&quot;. </p><p><br /></p><p>So dad sought out the shopkeeper and he gave us the lowdown on the box. </p><p><br /></p><p>He&#039;d purchased the box at auction about a year before. It had sat in his shop for something like 9 or 10 months. And despite repeated price-drops, nobody had shown any interest in it at all. He was getting SICK of having it in his shop (it does take up a fair bit of room) and wanted to get rid of it! </p><p><br /></p><p>So we asked him: &quot;How much?&quot;</p><p>&quot;A hundred and thirty quid&quot;.</p><p>&quot;A hundred?&quot;</p><p>&quot;Nooooo! I&#039;ve had this here for too damn long! I gotta get rid of it! That&#039;s my best price!&quot; </p><p><br /></p><p>We ummed and aahed and hmmmed about it for a bit...and then we decided: &quot;Oh hell. We&#039;ll buy it! (We might never find another one!!)&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>And it wasn&#039;t really a bad price, when you think about it. </p><p><br /></p><p>So we bought it. We removed all the bits and pieces from it. Wrapped them up, packed up the box and brought it home to Australia. I was absolutely PETRIFIED that I wouldn&#039;t be able to get it home, or that it might break in some way!! </p><p><br /></p><p>Fortunately, we managed to sneak it past customs! The customs-officer looks at my duffel-bag and he goes: </p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;What&#039;s in the bag?&quot;</p><p>&quot;A box&quot;.</p><p>&quot;Oh alright! Go on mate, go on...&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>*phew!*</p><p><br /></p><p>I RAN out of the airport! </p><p><br /></p><p>And it&#039;s been mine ever since <img src="styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png" class="mceSmilie" alt=":)" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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