Posted 14 years ago
lazyace
(1 item)
Friend of mine found this on the burn pile at work... We saved it just in time... looks like an old railroad baggage cart. Steel wheels, the small front and rear wheels pivot... no markings of any kind on the frame or the wheels... there are stake pockets in each corner, but no stakes. It is mostly wood, with steel corner reinforcements, and VERY heavy... a lot heavier than it looks.
Any idea what it might be worth? Or is it just junk?
although it can be used as a baggage cart, it was originally used to move corpses around. It looks to be from the 1910's. Hope that helps.
Move corpses around? Where? They must have folded them in two, the cart is only about 3 or 3-1/2 feet long.
I've seen these on loading docks and warehouses for moving box and bulk. The city market had loads of them for boxed vegetables and whatever. Very heavy duty and stout.
Back in the day (1950) when I started in the grocery and produce business all of the head lettuce,celery,green onions, carrotts and etc came packed in layers of icein wood crates.All had to be hand trimmed before displaying it for sale.When the first carrotts came in cello bags we had a hard time moving them,everyone wanted the carrotts with the tops on them,haven't seen them around for a while.
My research shows this item to be an old railroad or warehouse cart. People are sanding them down and making coffee tables out of them. I seen one at auction in this condition recently go for 50.00. But online finished they sell from 300.00 to 1000.00 or more if logo still exists on the side. Worth more refinished. google vintage railroad cart or warehouse cart. Hope this helps.
Just to add-if you find one in original condition that you can read letters on and the patina is nice-don't refinish it. Then it is worth more in original condition. I seen a small one at auction last weekend go for 300.00 untouched because of condition. I should have bid myself but hadn't done the research as well as I should have.