What's Selling on eBay: September 2018

by Deborah Abernethy and Mike McLeod
$5,135 (49 bids, 5 bidders): Antique Kent’s 1862 Egg Beater Original Pottery Advertising Batter Mixer.
One of the most desirable egg beaters you will ever find. Here is the all-original, no cracks, original egg-and-batter whisk, Kents’ pottery stoneware piece, a prized family possession treated with care from a no-smoking home. Purchased in London from an antique gallery 60 years ago, it measures 7 1/2 inches at the height of the pottery, and with beater inside, it is 10 inches high and 5 inches at the widest. Featured in the London Museum of History, a fantastic treasure.
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller waiakin.)
DBA: This is the early form of an egg beater where the metal part is attached to the bowl. The metal rotary one with a crank is the one that is most familiar. More of these were sold and used in the United States rather than Britain or Continental Europe. This sale is
definitely at the high end and may be the record for egg beaters. It is unusual to find one of these in this condition. I have seen this one without the beater attached before.

$6,766 (49 bids, 24 bidders): 19th C. Miniature Antique ca. 1880s Japanese Mixed Metal Bronze Gold Silver Teapot.
This auction is for an antique, Meiji Period, Japanese teapot. It measures only 6 3/4 inches tall to the top of the handle by 5 inches wide, including the spout. There is an applied, mixed metal, gold, silver, and bronze floral design on both sides. The only problem is a light ring-wear mark to the bottom of this teapot from years of use sitting inside a tea ceremony. There are no other problems or restorations to this late 19th century Japanese Teapot.
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller wwolst12.)

DBA: I believe that most Japanese families would have a teapot and that these objects are used and treasured by the family. There is a “pecking order” for these objects, and this mixed metal one would be at the upper end. My first thoughts were that this was a retail price. Actually, I found that there are not a large number of these available. Objects can become so scarce that they are sold on the auction market to the end user, the collector. The old iron ones are a lot more prevalent in the marketplace and do not cost nearly as much. While this is a high price for teapots, I could find several similar teapots that have sold for similar amounts in the last few years. The skill and time required to make such a teapot makes it a choice cultural object.

$2,510 (8 bids, 4 bidders): Antique Cast Iron Excelsior Cherry Stoner Pitter 4 Spider Leg Pat’d 1859.
I’ve sold a lot of old cherry stoners, and this is the oldest one of these I’ve come across. It is marked “Pat’d July 26, 1859.” Ornate design on the top where cherries are dropped in and ornate design on legs. Great condition for its age; mainly just some worn off paint, no chips/cracks. It measures 10 1/2 x 7 (not including handle) x 7 inches tall. The legs do not come off of this one.
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller a*cottage*rose.)
DBA: The patent date really sets this one apart from others. This price is high for this object, but it is a bit larger than most that I have seen. Personally, I hate the mess that cherry stoner pitters make where many times the user has to change clothes. I would love to see how this one works and if that large “belly” is more efficient. One can garner knowledge about the market for similar objects by looking at the number of bids and bidders for each one of these objects. There are few bidders in this listing, but those four are obviously serious.

$6,510 (16 bids, 5 bidders): “Old Town Canoe” Antique Original Paint Salesman’s Sample Store Display, 4 Feet.
Straight from a local estate, this has all original patina in mustard/red and highlighted in green is “Old Town Canoe” in gold lettering. Very early piece.
This Old Town Canoe was constructed with a ribbed interior framework and attached seating. Canoe retains two original decals on the wood frame, one clearer than the other. One wood support inside was glued at one point. The only other issue we see is that the bottom is a little rough in some spots. It is 4 feet long x 8 1/2 inches wide x 3 1/2 inches deep.
Old Town Canoe Company is a historic maker of canoes in Old Town, Maine. The company had its beginnings in 1898 in buildings constructed in 1890 for a shoe business, and was incorporated in 1901. Old Town entered the canoe market as a builder of canvas-covered wooden canoes.
The first canoe built by Old Town Canoe was constructed in 1898 behind the Gray hardware store in Old Town, Maine. Unlike the pioneering canoe businesses established by E.H. Garrish, B.N. Morris, and E.M. White, the Grays were not canoe builders themselves, but were entrepreneurs who hired others to design and build their canoes. As it became more well established at the end of the 19th century, Old Town was incorporated in 1901 by brothers George and Samuel Gray, and was run as a family business for decades.
(Photo courtesy of eBay seller rememberyesteryears.)
DBA: The buyer got an incredible deal as these “Old Town Canoe” salesman samples have sold at auction for as much as $23,000 and $24,000. Old Town Canoes seem to hold the record for the highest prices, but even the other name brand salesman samples have sold for more (like $10,000, $16,000, $7,000, etc). Condition plays a huge role in the sales price.
Deborah Abernethy is a certified appraiser with the International Association of Appraisers. She can be contacted at 404-262-2131 or Deborah@expert-appraisers.com. Her website is expert-appraisers.com.

What’s Selling on eBay: September 2018