# Old Keys



## Pecos (Aug 23, 2019)

So, I am in the process of downsizing and have run into three large old keyrings with a lot of unknown keys on them. Quite frankly, I think they have been reproducing all on their own for the sole purpose of having fun with me while I try to sort them out. I am pretty sure that several of them are probably associated with my departed father's properties in West Texas including several associated sheds. I got rid of those properties 10 years ago, but I am not sure about the keys. Some may be associated with an apartment building my mother used to manage in Seattle 25 years ago. Several might be related to cars that we got rid of 10 to 20 years ago and we were not wise enough to dump the keys at the same time. I have several that look like bus station locker keys, … maybe. Quite a few that probably belong to long lost padlocks, file cabinets, mailboxes and suitcases,

Has anyone else had the misfortune to get themselves in this predicament and is there some systematic approach to sorting through these and getting the useful ones identified while throwing the rest away? It would normally be my luck to throw away one that I will need next month.


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## jujube (Aug 23, 2019)

The only way to find out if some of them are useful is to immediately throw them all away.  You'll find out within 48 hours that you needed at least six of them.


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## Gary O' (Aug 23, 2019)

Seems a sure way would be to take 'em all with you on the way to all the places dear, that you have locked

Then toss the derelicts

I've tossed dozens of keys I had in a small box....for over two years

When living at the cabin, we had 8 padlocks 
I got 'em all keyed alike
Hate too many keys


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## Marie5656 (Aug 23, 2019)

*@Pecos. These keys belonged to my husband. He passed away in April of this year.  There are all these little, tiny keys on them. Probably 20-25 on each of the bigger rings.  The third, with the car key fob is the only with keys I know what they are.  
we do not have enough locks in the house to "own" all those other keys.  I do not think he EVER threw out a key. 
They are living in my kitchen "junk drawer" because I have a hunch this will be a winter project. LOL


*


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## Camper6 (Aug 24, 2019)

Pecos said:


> So, I am in the process of downsizing and have run into three large old keyrings with a lot of unknown keys on them. Quite frankly, I think they have been reproducing all on their own for the sole purpose of having fun with me while I try to sort them out. I am pretty sure that several of them are probably associated with my departed father's properties in West Texas including several associated sheds. I got rid of those properties 10 years ago, but I am not sure about the keys. Some may be associated with an apartment building my mother used to manage in Seattle 25 years ago. Several might be related to cars that we got rid of 10 to 20 years ago and we were not wise enough to dump the keys at the same time. I have several that look like bus station locker keys, … maybe. Quite a few that probably belong to long lost padlocks, file cabinets, mailboxes and suitcases,
> 
> Has anyone else had the misfortune to get themselves in this predicament and is there some systematic approach to sorting through these and getting the useful ones identified while throwing the rest away? It would normally be my luck to throw away one that I will need next month.


What you can do is take the most attractive ones and mount them in a frame.
Get a backing like cardboard or poster board and cover it with velvet. Wrap it a bit behind. Use a glue gun. Then punch holes and pass thread or fine wire through. Leave the glass off. An attractive decoration.  The rest of the keys? Put them in a box and seal it and put the date on it. If you haven't missed them in a month or two. Don't open the box


At the place where I worked we kept all the old keys and put them near the safe. When we were broken into they must of spent hours trying all the locks. Nothing was missing.


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## squatting dog (Aug 24, 2019)

Yes... a few tucked safely away in the shed, because, you just never know.


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## JustBonee (Aug 24, 2019)

My motto ... when in doubt, throw them out!  ....  why stress over it, when it probably doesn't matter in the end where they once belonged.


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## Gary O' (Aug 24, 2019)

jujube said:


> The only way to find out if some of them are useful is to immediately throw them all away. You'll find out within 48 hours that you needed at least six of them


As true as funny

A key ring is a handy little gadget that allows you to lose all your keys at once


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## StarSong (Aug 24, 2019)

I gave our old keys to our grandchildren.  Little kids love playing with keys!


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 24, 2019)

https://www.upcycledzine.com/sculptures-made-from-keys-by-moerkey/


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## Pecos (Aug 24, 2019)

Marie5656 said:


> *@Pecos. These keys belonged to my husband. He passed away in April of this year.  There are all these little, tiny keys on them. Probably 20-25 on each of the bigger rings.  The third, with the car key fob is the only with keys I know what they are.
> we do not have enough locks in the house to "own" all those other keys.  I do not think he EVER threw out a key.
> They are living in my kitchen "junk drawer" because I have a hunch this will be a winter project. LOL
> 
> ...


These look a lot like mine. We could probably even swap and find little difference. I have decided to go down to office depot and get a bunch of those little white key labels and then use the "trial and error" method of figuring out what I actually have. If I label them properly, I may be able to keep them from reproducing, …. and I may be able to actually find what I need when I need it.
I wish you luck with your pile.


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## Pecos (Aug 24, 2019)

squatting dog said:


> Yes... a few tucked safely away in the shed, because, you just never know.  View attachment 75154


Wow, that is worse than mine.


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## hollydolly (Aug 24, 2019)

...or you could get a bit arty with them.....







I bet @Gary O'  could make one of these


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## Camper6 (Aug 24, 2019)

I have used a file to copy those simple keys like the ones on my mail box for spares using the old keys if there is enough material.


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## Pecos (Aug 24, 2019)

After 4 hours I have worked my way down to 31 mystery keys that I think I will just bag. I am putting a reminder in my iPhone to throw the bag away in one year.
I did find and labeled properly a number of keys that I had thought were lost, including the key for the safe deposit box at the bank, several spares for my shed, and several for toolboxes that I never locked.


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## Pecos (Aug 24, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> ...or you could get a bit arty with them.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those keys all look polished, I don't think that I will go there. But if the folks who broke into the office and didn't steal anything encountered this, I can understand why they might have just given up.


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## tortiecat (Aug 24, 2019)

I have a tole painted wooden key hanging in my hallway with hooks
on that I have several old keys hanging on!
Some people collect keys and I have often seen them for sale at flea markets.


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## Myquest55 (Aug 26, 2019)

When we took possession of our current home, the previous owner left over 20 keys on the kitchen counter!  We went around the house to try all the locks and only about 4 of them worked.  Several doors have NO keys.  I sent the left over keys to a friend who makes jewelry


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## Gary O' (Aug 26, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> I bet @Gary O' could make one of these


Once I finish off the jug of Glenmorangie 
It's older than most my keys, however


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## Patio Life (Aug 26, 2019)

Those missing socks from the laundry - those turn into keys that fit nothing.


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## 911 (Aug 26, 2019)

Sounds like a story my dad told me years ago. When he lived at home and while growing up. He said his mom was a lousy housekeeper and couldn’t do wash or iron to save her life. He went on telling me that for about 2 years, it seemed that he always had an odd sock left over when his clean wash was placed back on his bed to be put away and he had finished putting it in his drawers.

He told his mom (my grandmother) about these odd socks that were showing up and she told him just to hang onto them because the other sock would show up sooner or later. Dad said this went on for almost 2 years. Finally, he counted the socks, which he now kept in a cardboard box, and found that he had collected 14 odd socks while he only had 9 pairs of socks in his drawers and none of the odd socks matched up.

He took his mom up to his room and showed her the socks. She told dad that, “Those socks aren’t your’s, those are your Dad’s.” But, he never said anything that he was missing socks. So, when my dad’s dad (my grandfather) came home from work, she asked him if he was missing anything. He checked all his pockets and looked at me and grandma and said, “No, I don’t think so. “How about socks? “No, I have all my socks.” She then told grandpa, “You can’t.”

So, then she shows him the socks and asked him if they looked familiar. Grandpa asked Grandma, “Where did they come from?” Grandma told him the story about dad collecting the socks, then she asked him, “If you were missing socks, why didn’t you say something?” Grandpa told her that he didn’t want to upset her, so he just went out and kept buying new pairs of socks.


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 28, 2019)

I do have some keys here that I don't know what they open.  I thought about getting rid of them but never got around to it.  I don't think I have as many as you do though.


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## old medic (Dec 17, 2019)

I have POUNDS of extra keys that fit nothing we have anymore....


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## Butterfly (Dec 17, 2019)

I have a bunch of those old keys, too.  I don't know exactly why I hang onto them, but I do.

I carefully throw away keys that I KNOW are no longer good, like from when I had locks changed, but I still have that ring of unknown ones.  Weird, I know.


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## Pecos (Dec 17, 2019)

old medic said:


> I have POUNDS of extra keys that fit nothing we have anymore....


Once I got all those unknown keys cornered, I put them in a box and set a calendar date to throw them all away in one year if I didn't need any of them. I have been into that box twice to get keys that I actually need. I have also found additional keys in odd places which I added to the box.

This has reset the throw away date twice. At some point I may successfully get rid of them, or in an act of "evil intent", I will leave them in the shed to drive the next owner of this house a bit crazy.


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## Catlady (Dec 17, 2019)

I didn't have that many mystery keys, so about two years ago I finally went around fitting them to places with keys.  I labeled the useful ones and threw away the rest.  No more mystery keys for me.


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## CrackerJack (Dec 17, 2019)

I too have many old keys now defunct but I cant bring myself to part with them so they are in a drawer out of sight. Amongst them are small keys for suitcases used for hols decades ago and the suitcases have gone to the suitcases home in the sky.

I think keys are a very dominant factor in most people's lives and can cause much hassle...infact they are a pesky commodity but we need them to protect ourselves


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## jujube (Dec 17, 2019)

I have six old "skeleton keys" somewhat like the picture above that came from my grandmother's house.  One of these days, I'm going to have them gold- or silver-plated and made into pendants for my sisters.


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## fmdog44 (Dec 23, 2019)

I attach labels to them (the duplicates). Soon keys will be a thing of the past.


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