Featured Is this worth investing in?

Hey (again) all,

I posted earlier about the lamps found at an estate sale. At the bottom of the box I found, not a lamp at all, but this! My initial research came up that it’s a bowling ball liquor dispenser (Age varies) that’s missing the little bowling dude on top. I see that they have these little trophy toppers on eBay, and wondering if it would be worth buying to make it complete. Everything is complete and in working order, just missing the topper. What are your thoughts?

 

There's an old thread that discusses them, but adds very little:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/some-kind-of-drink-pump.31372/#post-415254

Here's the topper on mine:


It ought to have value, even with a replacement topper, but I don't know how much.

Here's an ashtray with a different bowler topper:


Could work.

At the very least, it might be good for parts. Things probably get broken over time.

 

Clever you. Think you're right re topper. Original glasses may have some value.

Debora

 

No. I had a black one in good shape with the original topper. Garage sale'd it.

 

I think some bowler would love to have it on his bar! If I could pick up the topper for a reasonable price, I would go for it.

 

I'd have bought it.

For me, it's always a question of the shipping cost - weight isn't much, but they're quite bulky.

I did have another - chromed with a horse on top. I disposed of it because it had been used and the innards showed some nasty corrosion, but my nephew (who is a millennial) snapped it right up.

I'd collect them if I could, there's probably a dozen variations. (Not difficult to come up with themes.) They are cool.

Before I got the chromed one, I saw the innards from one alone, complete and unused, for sale in a thrift store. Now I rue not buying them - I'd still have the horsey one. It does indicate that some people are willing to re-purpose just the outer shell. And some people might need parts.

 

Yah, the potential cost of shipping factored heavily in my decision to garage sale it. I love funky vintage barware stuff, but simply can't keep everything!

 

These may be the porcelain tea sets of barware. All those tea sets from the '50s and '60s, nicely made, very pretty, and all in immaculate condition because nobody ever used them. They are still beautiful decorations... if you want to give them the shelf space.

These things may fall into the same sort of niche.

What was the topper on the black one?

 

Bowler topper on the black bowling ball. The contents of mine didn't look as decorative as the thing in the middle of OP's piece, but similar. I've never seen a chromed one - is it chrome over plastic - or what?

I had one of those old pelican chromed ice buckets at one point in time too!
Also garaged saled that one. Most of my vintage, common barware was garage saled. I still have some of my more interesting pieces in boxes, brought home before the sale of my old shop. Grateful to have had the ability to sell it easily.. Without shipping costs..

 

Chrome over plastic, yes. A mirror finish. Sadly, I did not photograph it.

 

Neat looking thing. You should be able to find the top little bowler some place.

 

Check eBay. There are two pieces that could work.