I had never heard of Ed Halliburton, or oil well cementing, had no idea how dang rich you could get on 1700 shares of one companies stock (Equivalent of 3 million dollars, per quarterly earnings, so, 12 million a year, from the stock of an oil well cementing company!)
It didn't occur to me until I read the above (always worth reading this blog, eh?) to think about these things. I have two of them. One is a pretty routine modern Zero Halliburton attache case, with a water-damaged interior, which I got from some free pile, I think. The other is a real oddball, and now that I look at it, probably worth a buck or two! Back in the 1950's, before Halliburton sold out to Zero, it appears they were the OEM for the cases for a quack medical device called the Relax-a-cizor. When my grandmother died in 1971, one of these turned up in the basement, and I gutted it and threw away the gadget in it (a dubious device to exercise your muscle with electric impulses, using some oddball vacuum tubes!). I don't use it for anything but storing old camera junk. Handle, gasket, and aluminum ribs give it away despite no lock or label.
ReplyDeleteThose cases really are beautifully made.
I've wanted one for many years and tomorrow I'm picking this one up at an estate sale for 40 bucks...! Now, what the hell am I going to do with it? Not sure... but for 40 bucks, I will use it as a laptop carry case!
Deleteand " always worth reading this blog " is the compliment of the day! Thank you!
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