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24 - Antique Shoppe - www.antiqueshoppefl.com
$12,700 (16 bids, 3 bidders): Early 1900s Standard Reproducing Co.
What’s Selling on eBay? Antique 5-Cent Coin Op Player Jukebox. Very beautiful solid wood, I

believe, mahogany cabinet. All of the mechanism seems to be here, but I am
not an expert on this machine. It
by PHILIP HAWKINS and MIKE McLEOD does function when 5 cents are slid
into it. I believe it needs adjustments
to play records. Speaker does power
$6,270 (35 bids, 19 bidders): Rare & Antique sewing machine, The Foliage, on, and I can confirm it does produce
by D.W. Clark, USA 1858. This is the oldest sewing machine I have had in my sound. The needle may have condition
hands; it is of the year 1858, highly sought after and valued. We are talking issues, and the arm needs some kind
about a museum sewing machine, a small brass machine, 160 years old. of adjustment. When a coin is fed into
The foliage sewing machine originated with D.W. Clark. It has foliated fixed the machine, it turns the lights on
and moving arms, a rectangular base with egg-and-dart border. The hook-and- and the record mechanism turns and
cloth feed is operated by an will deliver the record, but because
adjustable steel arm pivoting it needs adjustments, the needle
in two planes, controlled won’t touch the record and play it
by a cam and two pins on and replace it in the carriage, unless
the crankshaft. It is 6 inches you touch and activate the switch.
wide. Then, the carriage will go back and
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller
popmania.) end the sequence and turn the lights
off. Having said this, this is a very
PH: In the second half cool piece and very restorable. It’s a
of the 19 century, there very beautiful piece of coin-operated
th
are records for around history!
200 sewing machine (Photos courtesy of eBay seller casindav-
sannim.)
manufacturers; most had a
business life of less than 10 PH: I was not able to locate
years. any historical information on the
Records of American Standard Reproducing Company
sewing machine makers lists of Chicago. That said, the
D.W. Clark, working 1858-1860, in Bridgeport, Conn., makers of the Foliage forerunners to the more familiar
and Cherub machines. These small tabletop machines are often referred to as jukeboxes of the mid-20
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toys, but they were not. century came in a variety of styles—some with paper piano rolls. The most
This appears to indeed be a rare item. I was only able to locate one interesting I could locate was a machine that offered selections of cylinder
previously sold at auction, by Christie’s in 2002 for £750. I was able to find records on a wheel that could be rotated by the Multiphone Operating Co.;
several auction sales of similar-style 19 century machines by various makers, one of their examples realized $95,000 at auction in 2018.
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but all sold for less than $600.
These early machines are likely quite rare, with low production numbers
and technology upgrades so that the venues, mostly saloons, would have the
$929 (46 bids, 9 bidders): Antique Pointer Empty Box Cardboard Shot Shells, latest attraction with which to lure their customers.
10 ga., Advertising, Meriden Sears. This came out of an old estate. I’m just
selling the empty box, which was still sealed.
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller eldoradotradersinc.) $618 (43 bids, 33 bidders):
Huge Antique 17 /18 C. Hand-
th
th
wrought Iron Castle Medieval
Chest/Door Lock Key. This auction
is for a huge 9-inch long by 1-inch
thick by 3 ¾-inch wide key. Sadly,
we do not have the massive lock
this originally went to, or it may
have gone to a huge door. It is
hand-forged and dates from the
th
th
early 18 century or possibly 17
century. This antique wrought
iron key still retains its original iron patina, and there are no problems or any
PH: Product containers and boxes fall into the collecting category of restorations.
ephemera. Items of ephemera were not usually expected to last beyond their
intended use, such as this Pointer brand shot shell box. In this case, the box JH: It’s hard to judge age of a forged or wrought-iron article from
would be plain, allowing for affixing a pre-printed label for different products photographs. The size of this key certainly would make it an unlikely candidate
the company made. to have been carried and more likely to have been left in the lock itself. I was
Artwork is often the driving force behind the desirability of the item. In able to locate several iron keys in the same genre, such as:
this case, we have attractive printed artwork featuring the head of a hunting “Antique Giant Key. Could have been a trade sign, a castle key or for a large
dog holding a quail in its mouth, a couple of shells, nice graphics and colors. I safe. The key measure 14 ¾ inches long x 4 7/8 inches; it is very heavy at over
was able to locate several Pointer brand shell boxes that had sold at auction; 2 ¾ pounds.”
the most recent reported being in a lot of six of varying brands that sold in It realized $75 at Jasper52 Auctions (4/2017). Another in a different auction
February 2020, the lot bringing $400 at Dan Morphy Auctions in Denver, made $200. I found a number of keys offered that were left with no bidders.
Colorado.
Some earlier reported sales show that the printed labels for Pointer brand Philip Hawkins, ISA AM, AAG is an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers and a
varied. Sounds like the seller got a great price for this example on eBay. founding member of the Appraisers Association of Georgia. He can be reached via the ISA website or at
404-320-7275.