Whenever I inspect the attic in older homes, I look forward to some of the cool things that I sometimes see there. 
There is the usual stuff that interests me as a home inspector, like vermiculite insulation, rat and bird infestations, leaks, asbestos wrapped duct-work, knob & tube wiring etc. But in these older homes one can often see long forgotten "stuff" left by previous occupants. Stuff that can give clues about the lives of those previous occupants, and also glimpses into times gone by----perhaps into even my own youth----or that of my parents.
There are often old tools, antennas, century old Christmas decorations, children's toys, old newspapers/magazines/books (National Geographic seems to be common), and other collectibles and antiques. This "stuff" can often be little "fringe benefits" to the new buyer when discovered after purchase. 
I remember when we bought our current home a couple of the interesting curios that we found were a Peanut Man bracelet and an old flashlight------and an old sock with $40,000 in it!
We also found a ton of old National Geographic magazines (though not in the attic). The pictures later became the wall paper in one of the bathrooms.
Another very common category of attic find is "contraband"----like the teenager's collection of hidden playboy magazines, or drug paraphernalia. In an attic the other day I was transported back to the early 60's when I came across someone's collection of soft-core "erotica." The covers of these old novels were kind of cool and sort of remind me of the old b-movie posters of the same time period.
After a little Google Research I discovered that the author Peggy Swenson was actually a "guy."
When you bought your home did you find any interesting goodies?
Better yet-----what did you hide in the attic when you were a kid? (I don't really expect too many answers to this one:)
Charles Buell
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Click on the Rose 
to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
Never know what is in the attic...maybe that is where they left that crazy old aunt!
Charlie,
Since I am pure of heart, I never hid anything in the attic. Most interesting thing I have ever found in the attic was a box of ammunition and the sellers had no clue if was there.
Since my house was new there was nothing in the attic except insulation. I would have loved to have found an old sock with $40,000 in it.
Gary, I hope to NOT find a crazy old aunt in the attic:)
Steve, I found guns recently----but the owner knew they were there.
Lizette, I hope you clicked on the smiley face:)
I found a 1930's Walking Liberty silver 50 cent piece that fell off my shoe as I was doing a bat hang at the end of the cascade crags lead roof (Hanging by my toes from an I-beam). That was kinda cool. When I was excavating to put in a patio I unearthed a copper spoon dated to the late 1800's (I think 1877) (I also found a plastic toy soldier in that excavation that looked kinda old (50's?). At my school where I teach I found a map of Germany that was made during just prior to the start of WW2. Anyway fun stuff!
Hi Klee----thanks for stopping my----here is a "early" climbing picture for you:)
WOW .... Did you really find $40,000 in a sock? Pretty cool.
Sean Allen
Sean, BEWARE the hidden messages in pictures and smiley faces:)
Sean,
He is about as likely to find 40K in a sock as he is to find it in his bank account. Okay, it might not be that unlikely.
Actually Steve, probably way more likely to find it in a sock!
Pretty cool stuff.
It seems like that collection of I-don't-want-these-to-be-found-by-anybody-else magazines are popular things to squirrel away in the trickiest places. I remember finding them hidden in between floor joists in the basement, behind the half-wall in the attic bedroom- all kinds of cool places! People can be pretty creative (and forgetful).
Charlie,
I have found the ususal stuff hidden in attics and basements, the magazines, video tapes and the occasion drug stash. No large sums of money, however my wifes cousin moved into an old home a few years ago and found money hidden in a wall. It was a stash of old silver quaters in, you guessed it, a sock. There was a little over $200.
Rob---too true
James, one other attic find I had was in a kids room where they had tossed several dozen beer cans:)
Charlie,
How many times have you found empty beer cans and booze bottles left by the builders? You really want to look close at those homes!
James, I would have to say more often with homeowner remodels than with new construction.
I had a bubby that bought a house and when we where in the basement working on some things, he smacked the 6" pipe column (older house with real steel in it) with a hammer, and it sounded solid. Tapping some more, we discovered it was hollow sounding at the top. Looking a little closer, we saw a slit had been cut into the top of the column. Guess what it was full of?
How much----and how did you get it out?
Yep, filled to the top with coins. If I recall, about $800 - $1,000 face value, but MANY where very old, not sure what he ended up with total, he wouldn't tell (some buddy, hu, but he did buy the beers for a long time after that). We cut a 3" square opening at the bottom and it came pouring out.
Too dang cool.
It sure was! Young and dumb, but punch drunk rich, for a minute anyways.
Cool blog. I have yet to find anything cool since I always stress cleaning out the attic.
Trunda, I never have to clean them out so I can afford to have fun:)
I have yet to find anything interesting in any crawlspace or attic that Ihave ventured into. The most note worthy artifacts are some beer cans that were as old as me. I am till waiting for a decent find.
The only thing I found to be cool was in my family home where my grandfather was born.....he had carved on the basement stairs he and my grandmothers initials.......VN + DQ = Love..... with a big heart and arrow surrounding it. He was in the 7th grade when he carved it!!!
Gary, sooner or later you are going to find something cool----I just looked into my crystal ball:)
Chris, that is too cool----would make a great picture. He should made up his mind early!
What's in this gal's attic?/ or better yet, what's in her "up stairs?" It's a total mystery !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIRj_TNZGbo&feature=related
This brought back memories of a rehab we did. Walking through the basement maze was incredible and my techs rigged up a slide from the attic to the dumpster.
Why? The attic filled not 1, 2 or 3 dumpsters. It was so jammed pack it took 4 dumpsters to empty it and yes, we probably had more than 20 or 30 years of National Geographic.
Tina, some of them do indeed get might packed