@Desmondjg You asked what your rare piece is. I have or had it myself. It is a tow bar for connecting a trailer to a car. You stick it on the underside of the rear end of a car you've built, then stick the other end on the underside of the front of the trailer you've built.
I don't remember if it was part of a set.
My oldest Lego piece is this wood lorry from around 1955: http://www.priceminister.com/offer/buy/212545952/camionette-lego-en-bois-ref-801.html and it is for sale. There are plenty of photos on the link. Sorry, I haven't figured out how to attach a photo here.