Posted 12 years ago
orangecrush
(1 item)
i recently bought this and have been trying to figure out what exactly i have , ive figured out it is a metal barrel stave trunk from between 1860-1910 , not in the best shape but ive seen worse amazingly the leather straps/handles on each side are intact . i could not find a makers mark anywhere .i was just wondering if anyone can tell me more about it etc what its worth, when its from , etc
im keeping it so the value is not the most important thing i just would like to know more about it, i plan on getting it mildy restored /repaired so it is usable but that will be a while
There were too many trunk manufacturers and too little documentation to precisely identify your trunk. It sounds like you've already found out about as much as you're likely to know about it. You are close to its probable age, maybe not quite as old as that. Even experts disagree on these matters. Value is very subjective with many variables. Most trunks such as yours sell from as low as $15 to over a hundred depending on where and how(auction, antique shop, garage sale) they were bought and their condition. Just because you see a trunk listed in an on-line auction for a particular price, doesn't mean it sold for that price. Look at examples of before-and-after photos of trunks from the various on-line dealers. Compare your trunk. You will see what others have done and that will help you decide what you can/should do. I have also seen worse and believe your trunk could turn out to be quite a show piece. If you can do the work or have it done for you, it really doesn't matter what you paid. You will end up with a treasure you can be proud of.
i plan to have it functionally restored so to speak and possibly lightly cleaned mainly the fact that the bottom is cracked and that the hinges need some help other then that the wood is in decent shape no real rust damage anywhere or anything i want it to maintain its aged look but be functional also i figured it would be a longshot as there was no makers mark anywhere to figure out who made it because im sure companies probably used the same papers to line the interior and or it may have been replaced .honestly i payed 68 dollars for it but ive been wanting a trunk /chest etc for a long time and ive missed out on quite a few due to indecision on the price .
I just bought a trunk exactly like this except for the leather strap on the front. It has the original lithograph on it. On the inside of mine though it does have the name of the manufacturer it says
From
M. C. Wade
manufacturer of Trunks
and Traveling bags
329 Market St., Logansport, Ind
Cost...........................
Selling.......................
If anyone has any info on the manufacturer I would love to know more as I can't find anything on it. Thanks!
Check out hmsantiquetrunks.com. The expert there has a comprehensive list of makers and labels. Good luck.