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Page 34 The Antique Shoppe September, 2019
FIGURAL WINDMILL WEIGHTS PROVE “HEAVY” INVESTMENTS
By Larry LeMasters
LeMasters’ Antique News Service
Many 21 century collectors are not
st
familiar with windmill weights
since very few vintage windmills
still stand. There was a time,
however, that the sale of windmill
weights was big business since every
farm in America had one or more
wells that were driven by windmills.
Basically, there are four types of
windmill weights (counter balance
weights, governor weights, spoke Bull weight advertising Fairbury, NE,
weights, and regular weights), that was made for a 10-foot wheel
but only two of them are highly and is valued at $2,000.
collectible.
The largest and most spectacular weight (and the
one that all collectors want) is the counter balance
weight or tail weight. As the name implies, this
weight sat at the opposite end of the
blades and served to counter balance
the wheel upon the tower bearing. The
shape of this weight (dog, horse, etc.)
often became the trade symbol for the
company that manufactured it. This
aided in advertising for the company since
its trade symbol was visible on windmills
all over the country.
The spoke weight has recently Star windmill weight marked “H37” that
become a hot item among collectors. weighs 38 pounds and is valued at $450.
This weight, placed on the wheel spoke, helped
the wheel lift the sucker rod. This is an excellent
weight to begin a collection with since many are
still available at affordable prices.
The majority of windmill weight
collectors are collectors of American folk
art. Most of these collectors collect only
counter Balance or tail weights since
these are the impressive ones. These
collectors are always looking for figural
weights such as animals, moons, stars,
etc. Horses are highly sought after
figural weights, as are weights with Cast iron “Boss” windmill weight, circa 1890,
advertising or writing on them. that sold at auction in 2015 for $461.
There are also collectors who
simply collect all weights, regardless of
their original usage. And there are the
collectors who collect only what they
like. This last group is the type of
collector to have a windmill weight for
a doorstop or yard ornament.
Old paint on windmill weights is a Antique,
true dilemma. Usually old paint on an Hummer cast-
iron rooster
object is a good thing, but authentic figurative wind-
windmill weights seldom have any mill weight that is
paint on them since time and weather valued at $335.
has erased all signs of the paint. When
paint is found on a weight, most often it is merely remnant paint from
when the mill or the weight had been painted by the owner years before.
If you find a windmill weight offered for sale that has a perfect paint job
on it, trust that it is a reproduction.
Cast iron reproductions are relatively easy to do, so most cast iron
items (weights, banks, etc.) have been reproduced. It is sometimes quite
difficult to tell if the weight you are looking at is a reproduction. Ethical
sellers should tell you if the weight is a reproduction, but many buyers
think the words “ethical seller” is an oxymoron, so let the buyer beware!
When purchasing windmill weights, as with all cast iron
objects, be watchful for cracks or welding marks. A cracked
or welded weight may render the weight nearly
worthless, especially if your goal is to resell
the weight. If you are looking for windmill
weights in the North, be aware that rain and
snow, freezing and thawing over time, created
freeze cracks in many of the weights. Some
collectors will purchase welded weights if the weld is
of superior craftsmanship and the weight is needed to
round out a collection.
New collectors should ask as many questions about
Dempster Mill weight valued windmill weights as they can. Look for old
at $800. farmers who may have actually used a windmill
Rooster windmill weight produced weight on their family’s windmill in
by Elgin Wind Power and Pump Co., their youth.
circa 1890. This weight is valued The more knowledge you
at $3,800.
have of the weights, the better your
chances of making wise purchases.
You should learn what the drilled
holes were used for in weights—nearly
all windmill weights have holes.
Authentic weights have tapered holes,
so beware of straight drilled holes in
weights—this is probably a sign of a
reproduction.
For investors, a few years ago a 118-pound
(these weights are heavy) windmill weight, made by
Althouse-Wheeler Company of Wisconsin, sold
for $6,025, proving windmill weights are heavy
investments.
Finally, when studying windmill weights,
prospective collectors should become familiar
with the companies that manufactured these
weights. Some of the companies were known
for the quality of their castings while some
companies cast rough, pitted weights. If you want
more information on the subject, a good—out of print—
book is Windmill Weights: Pictured – Identified
by Rick Nidey and Don Lawrence. This
book was self-published in 1996.
Nidey and Lawrence invested three
This star weight, used on a years or research for their book, and they
12-foot Star Windmill,
is valued at $2,500. state they have 384 photos of different
weights with 278 of the weights
identified. These are impressive numbers
and should tell the potential collector the
breadth of windmill weight collecting. And,
since invariably Nidey and Lawrence did not
collect information on every windmill weight
manufactured, some lucky collectors will still
run across some undiscovered gems from
time to time. As with all collections,
Cast iron “Boss” windmill weight, circa these undiscovered gems are what
1890, that sold at auction in 2015 for $461. make collecting so much fun.