Posted 9 years ago
KathyKay
(53 items)
This toy/doll trunk is 14 wide and 10 inches tall. I've been working on this one for awhile, it is finally done. The last item that I needed to get done was the interior tray. Thanks to two fellow trunk lovers I was able to restore this with features that would have been there when it was originally made. I obtained a reproduction leather lock cover, it has the Excelsior name and patent date stamped in the leather. I was provided with pictures of a toy trunk like this that had the original tray. Using those pictures as a guide I had a tray with the removable hat box made. My carpenter/brother used old wood to construct the tray so it would have that aged patina, I added the covers to the trays. This is my favorite trunk in the growing collection of toy trunks.
WOW!!! How awesome is that? Beautiful restoration Kathy Kay -- so nicely done. The bar just keeps getting higher -- well let's say the inspiration to do a good job is prevalent....
Love the tray -- congrats to your bro. !
Very Nice!!
You don't see oak slats that small very often.
Someday I hope to add one to my collection
Really special Kathy- A Wonderfully done restoration ,Well worth the effort to put the leather lock cover back on her. It totally makes it with the tray as well. Awesome to see the true spirit of that trunk come back to life. Love it!
Thanks for the love everyone. bjb5859 you are right you don't see this size very often. Over the past few years I seen two on e-bay, that is where I got this one and I've seen a few at Brimfield Antique show in MA. Very rare size this one will stay in my collection and someday it will be passed to one of my daughters.
Hi Kathy Kay -- I have recently acquired an excelsior trunk and was wondering where you ordered your leather lock cover piece. Would you mind letting me know -- either on this thread or you can email me basic23skidoo@hotmail.com. Many thanks!
Kathy
A list of the words that come to mind: Envy, Amazement (at the job you did on the tray), Envy oh and envy. Incredible accomplishment and again the tray brings it all together.
Thanks JonB
What a beautiful job. What is the value on a trunk like this. I have one just like it only its 12" wide. It has it original tray and is in excellent shape. I don't know if I want to restore mine. It does needs new leather handles. If someone has any info on where I could get replacement handles and a site or book on these small trunks. My email is russmith48@yahoo.com Thanks Russ
Hi trunkjunky please post pictures of yours, the trunk junkies among us need to get a our daily fix. I'm always up for admiring someone else collection that is what drives me to continue the hunt.
May I ask a (quite possibly silly) question. What was the purpose of these small trunks? Were they purely for children to play with. Were they trunks for traveling salesmen to stow their wares. Or were they small versions of full size trunks utilised as samples by the manufacturers? Just curious.
Lovely item by the way.
Hamish - not a silly question you see lots of small trunks for sale on auction websites, they are advertised as salesman samples. They are not samples but were made and sold as toy trunks. Several very knowledgeable trunk collectors/restorers have done lots of research on trunks and share their knowledge on this site as well as their websites. Jim from HMS Antique Trunks addresses this question on his webpage. Not sure if the link below will work - if it doesn't go to HMSAntiquetrunks.com and view his trunk FAQ page, there is a section on toy trunks. Until I read over information on Jim's site as well as comments made by Marvin from Thisoldtrunk.com I was thinking these small trunks were salesman samples. I have learned a lot from Jim and Marvin and love their work and appreciate them sharing the information they have gathered over the years.
http://www.hmsantiquetrunks.com/trunk-faqs--trunk-myths.html
Well that explains that, thanks. I'll have a look at the websites you mentioned.