7. This Week's Stories and Requests for Help We try to post stories and   
   comments from our readers each week. Send your story to newsletter@tias.com.    
   With everyone enjoying the outdoors and vacations, we're a little short on new   
   stories. For now, we'll republish some interesting stories from past issues,   
   but we sure would love to hear new stories!   
      
   Here's a nice story from one of our readers. Thank you for sharing!   
      
   "When I was about 15 years old, my parents took my sister and me to a large   
   antique place that use to be a general store.  It was packed with all sorts of   
   interesting objects.  One thing that caught my eye was a pin with a photograph   
   of a beautiful baby. I asked the owner of the store about it, being young and   
   with no experience, and she told me that it was most likely a mourning pin.    
   Probably the baby died and the mother wore this as a reminder of the child   
   whom she lost.  I remember that it cost   
   $16, a huge sum to me at the time but I bought it and wore it   
   often.  I couldn't imagine how this got out of a family's possession.  That   
   was the beginning of my mourning jewelry collection that now numbers over one   
   hundred pieces."   
      
   What inspired your collection? Drop us a note at newsletter@tias.com.   
      
      
   Another reader needs help finding out what some metal objects were used for.    
   Here's the post:   
      
   I have a 6' piece of black metal, joined in the center...one end has a hole in   
   it like it could be hooked to something, the other end has two looped   
   hooks....any idea what it is...I have two of them.  They are about 36-40   
   inches long with no identifying marks, numbers or letters on them.  Would   
   anyone happen to know what they were used for?   
      
   You can view the pictures here:   
      
   https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques/posts/10154452641403656   
      
      
   Another reader presents a mystery object:   
      
   Another reader has a small metal item that is a mystery. It's oval middle is 3   
   inch +ù 4 inch and the handle is 7 inches.  The ..."little lip 1/2 inch with   
   13 rolls of pocky things..." Any ideas out there?   
      
   You can view the pictures here:   
   https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques/posts/10154452849653656   
      
   If you can help either of these readers, feel free to post on Facebook, or   
   send an email to newsletter@tias.com.   
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   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2   
    * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)