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Tiny wood-burning stove - toy or salesman sample?

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    Posted 13 years ago

    ho2cultcha
    (5051 items)

    I don't know much about this kind of thing. It looks like it's a toy, but it could be a salesman's sample. Anyone know? Does it have any value? is it a good piece? Age?

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    Comments

    1. stefdesign stefdesign, 13 years ago
      I have a similar one, and I was told it's a salesman's sample. But I'm not really 100% sure, so perhaps someone can chime in who is more knowledgable. Yours looks like it needs a little TLC, and I think the value is pretty much what you could get for it on eBay.
    2. laustin686, 12 years ago
      Turn it over and see if it has a name stamped on it...
    3. Manikin Manikin, 12 years ago
      These cast iron little stoves have often been controversial were they salesman samples or Toys . The vast majority of experts agree that they were toys . Very nice piece :-) Here is one article of many that talk about these type of stoves
      http://www.antiqbuyer.com/stoves.html
    4. TractorDre, 12 years ago
      These were made by both Ideal and Kenton about 1899 . Some were copper clad.
      No. It is not a Salesman sample. It is a Toy. Price is about $300 to $500.
      You will find it listed in the "Cast Iron Toy Cook Stoves and Ranges" page 46.

      The Salesman Sample line is used to fool Newbies to collecting these stoves to pay higher and more ridiculous prices. Let the buyer beware. Buy the collectors books on Amazon or Ebay. Another book is "Toy Stoves. 1850-1950.
    5. Militarist Militarist, 12 years ago
      I bought a modern copy (with Phillips screws) of the Crescent version with a number of little pots and pans as a decorator item for my wife for less than $20. Besides the type of screws used the modern copies are easy to spot by their poor quality, and ill fitting parts.
    6. TractorDre, 12 years ago
      This is true. I have been pointing out that the Philips screws were used after the mid 60' on both the Queens and the Crescents made in Taiwan , Hong Kong, then China. The last ones made with flat head screws were made in Japan.
      People are selling Amazon stock Crescents and Queens stoves on Ebay as antiques or Vintage stoves. They even leave those crazy colors on them, or strip the lacquer off and make them rust a little for the aged look.
      I have also seen this happen with Old Mountain stoves and accessories. They are calling them also "Salesman Samples".

      What a bunch of crooks. Let the buyer beware.
      I gave my sister a real made in USA Crescent stove. It is missing the pots and pans but everything else is there. I wish it was a circa 1900 one with the nickle finish.
    7. AzTom AzTom, 11 years ago
      I agree, it is a toy. That should clean up nicely. Do NOT repaint it.

      My wife likes to collect these old stoves.
    8. fhrjr2 fhrjr2, 11 years ago
      A fun little piece. I am not at all sure why anyone would paint it. That is what stove black is made for. Paint will not last on a stove but stove black will. Use a fine wire brush on heavy rust and then steel wool on everything else then get an old wash cloth or towel and give it a rub with stove black. Let it sit a couple days and give it another coat. Stove black is almost as thin as water and is wonderful for all such items. It has been made by Rutland for years. It doesn't layer up like paint and if you actually use the stove it will take the heat and cure even better. BEWARE! You might want to wear rubber gloves when applying it because you will not just wash it off.
    9. AzTom AzTom, 11 years ago
      I stated not to "Repaint" because that is what a lot of the time. Many of the originals were painted black enamel.

      My point is, for value purposes, you don't want to put any new finish on old cast iron. In this case a little brushing with a fine type wire brush and call it good.
    10. tom61375, 11 years ago
      Took the words out of my mouth AzTom!
    11. Virginia.vintage Virginia.vintage, 10 years ago
      Is an adorable mini stove!!
    12. katbeelee, 10 years ago
      TractorDre, I have a similar one. It is a Queen model with all the pieces including fry pan and pot. The screw that is used is a flat head. I can't find any markings of Japan, China or USA. only the #2 on the bottom. BTW the bottom isn't solid; it has a pattern of holes. Can you help me with age and/or origin and price?
    13. TractorDre, 10 years ago
      katbeelee
      The Queen stove that you have sounds like it is a small one and not the larger. Is it nickel plated? If not it was probably made post late 40's in Japan and not in Taiwan in the mid 60's. The quality would be better than the latter.
      BTW. Some people are changing out these screws on the new China made Queen and Crescent stoves from Amazon to make them look older. Let the buyer beware. These screws are not flush to the surface.
    14. ho2cultcha ho2cultcha, 10 years ago
      interesting discussion. thanks for all your comments!
    15. katbeelee, 10 years ago
      Not sure what you mean by small/large, but the screw is flush. How do I tell if it is nickel plated? Should it not be marked as to where it is made?
    16. TractorDre, 10 years ago
      Katbeelee
      These are the smallest Queen stove that is not a pencil sharpener.
      Two burner
      http://www.ebay.com/itm/QUEEN-CHILDS-CAST-IRON-TOY-WOOD-STOVE-1930s-/371312943701?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5673f9e255
      4 burner
      http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Minature-Cast-Iron-Stove-Queen-/161702598167?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25a639d617

      This one may be your size. Large production.
      http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Miniature-QUEEN-Cast-Iron-Stove-/261886522949?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf9a73645

      Please note that some have solid bottoms.
      Grey Craft sold stove from US., Japan, and Taiwan.
      Next larger but older.
      http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-VINTAGE-QUEEN-MINIATURE-SALESMAN-SAMPLE-TOY-CAST-IRON-STOVE-OVEN-/251952881880?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa98fe0d8
      Note the stove on the box and origin.
      http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Greycraft-Toy-Cast-Iron-Pots-and-Pans-Dollhouse-Stove-Miniatures-/361297297860?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item541eff41c4

      One from 1915
      http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2012/11/28/old_toy_stoves_kids_used_to_cook_with_cast_iron_heated_by_coals.html
    17. Elisabethan Elisabethan, 10 years ago
      I really love this! What a great little thing. I would love to try one of these. Just how small is it? Would matches do as loggs? :)
    18. katbeelee, 10 years ago
      Tractor Dre, Thanks so much! This really helped!
    19. Vida2L Vida2L, 7 years ago
      I just found this thread and am really appreciative of the information contained, especially comments from TractorDre! I have a Made in the USA Crescent stove with flush flat head screws, the flue and shelf, all the burner covers, a sauce pan, skillet, rounded bottom stewing pot, coal skuttle & scoop. I am very pleased to have a better understanding of the value and history of this piece! Here is another great source of info. I found once I was certain it was a toy... http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/1/27/79.10184
    20. kentontoyman, 7 years ago
      The Bird stove was made by the Kenton Hardware Manufacturing Company of Kenton, Ohio sometime after 1894(when they starting making cast iron toys) until 1900. It came in both electro-oxidized or nickel finish. Kenton made over 100 toy stoves and over 1800 cast iron toys.
    21. PandaShark, 5 years ago
      I don't know about this oven but seen a lot have been having issues finding info on the crescent cast iron ovens. From my research Greycraft made repros of the crescent ovens for collectors back in the 1950's. They used flat screws and,all to make it look as real as the originals that were made between 1889 to 1900. Now the one's from the 1950's will be marked Taiwan but if it says made in the u.s.a it is the original older ones. Now to the pans to the sets if it's the repo from greycraft it will be glossy,weirdly shaped and,no markings on all but one which is the flat pan which will say Taiwan but if it's original there should be a # on the bottom like my coal bucket says 19 unlike my greycraft coal bucket that says nothing. The scooper looks way different then the original as well. By shape,size and,finish. Now if you have a stove that has 4 prong screws it dates it to 1960 ish. Flat heads were used from 1800s to early 1900s. I hope this info helped some people out
    22. Icsasquwatch, 5 years ago
      Hi everyone love the info i was just given an old cast iron toy stove i was wondering approx age its only stamped once on the back piece that holds the up pipe made in usa it has flat head screws but the only openings that actually open is the main door and the four burner openings and the long section on top i have no idea how to age this thing but would love the insight thanks again
    23. Eskasmom, 5 years ago
      The one I have from the Home Stove Company (the word Home is part of the "decoration" on both the oven door and the lower "shelf' on the right side was a salesman's sample. It was given to my father who was born in 1913 about 1920 by a salesman having dinner as his Aunt's Hotel in Keysville, Virginia. Our started life as a sample but has now been played with by 4 generations. The train would pull into town everyone would get off and go across the street be served dinner and then get back on the train. The station would receive the # of dinners by teletype and one of her nephews (often my dad who lived at the hotel with his mother after his father died of the Spanish flu) would be at the station to get the number and later lead the passengers over to the hotel.
    24. Lata Lata, 5 years ago
      Love it! this would look amazing in a DollHouse.

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