(Photo: Zanda)
Rockets, flamethrowers, and cannons - Oh, My! Stars Allen Haff and Ton Jones from SpikeTV`s series,
Auction Hunters, discovered power-packed collectibles in storage auction units during these three episodes. Other items found were a semi-automatic Japanese pistol from before World War I, a hand-carved archery set from South America, and machinery used for mining gold.
Read or take notes on these interesting `Factoids` from
Auction Hunters.
Season 3, Episode 16: "Little-Ton Jones."
(Model Rocket - Photo: SpikeTV)
• Pioneering booms and busts have left Colorado with over 500 ghost towns.
• John Denver`s "Rocky Mountain High" was made an official Colorado state song in 2007.
• Colorado`s rich mining tradition began in 1859 with the Pike`s Peak gold rush.
• Snow Blowers are the leading cause of accidental finger amputation annually.
• Over 600 fingers were severed due to snow blower accidents in 2011 alone.
• Allen`s father also owned a bread truck named Betsy.
• The first model rocket was built in Nebraska in 1954.
• Model rockets have been used for aerial photography and even espionage.
• Rockets were created by the Chinese in the 1st century B.C., using bamboo and gunpowder.
• The largest amateur rocket ever made was 36 ft. tall and weighed 1,648 lbs.
• The Eimco 12B weights 4200 lbs. and runs on compressed air.
• At 2.4 miles, the Tau Tona mine in South Africa is the world`s deepest mine.
• Cave-ins are the leading cause of fatalities in subterranean mines.
• GPS requires a minimum of four satellites to generate an accurate location.
• The first model rocket company was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1957.
• In 2008, a Continental pilot reported that a model rocket nearly collided with his plane.
• Rocketeers must obtain waivers from the FAA to fly rockets inside of controlled airspace.
Season 3, Episode 17: "Choo-Choo, Cha-Ching!"
(Farimont MT-19 Speeder - Photo: SpikeTV)
• Palmer, Alaska is 60 miles north of the city of Anchorage.
• Palmer has up to 19 hours of daylight in the summer, yielding world record harvests.
• Silent auctions are cheaper to run because they don`t require an auctioneer.
• The first gun with a holster/buttstock combination was the Mauser C96 in 1896.
• Alaskan Railroad construction began in 1903 and took 20 years to complete.
• A speeder is also known is a putt-putt, jigger, or trike.
• A Fairmont speeder was featured in the Buster Keaton silent film, The Railrodder.
• The "Grandpa Nambu" was designed by General Kijiro Nambu in 1902.
• Emperor Meiji ascended to the throne at age 14, and reigned for 45 years.
• The U.S. and Japan fought on the same side during World War I.
• Kamikaze suicide attacks sank over 100 U.S. warships during WWII.
Season 3, Episode 18: "Ton`s Hot Commodity."
(Flamethrower - Photo: SpikeTV)
• In 1990, a wooden sculpture from Cameroon sold at auction for $3.4 million.
• The searchlight atop the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas is nearly twice as bright as the sun.
• Searchlights were first used in battle by the British Navy in 1882.
• Private ownership of a flamethrower is not restricted by federal law in the U.S.
• Flamethrowers were first used in battle by the German Army during WWI.
• Just 2.5 acres of the Amazon rainforest contains over 700 different species of trees.
• In 1978, the U.S. voluntarily banned the use of flamethrowers in the military.
Have you found any of these items in your storage auction unit?
Let us know on Twitter
@ibid4storage or
Facebook.
Also
Auction Hunters` Factoids XVI
Auction Hunters` Factoids XV
About the Author...
Chuck G. is a freelance blogger and celebrity interviewer based in Southern California. She`s a Geek who watches US Women`s National Soccer, ⤠Pizza & Beach Life. You may follow her on Twitter @chuckgwriter.