Featured Antique andirons help

Hello everyone. This is my first post to the forum.

So I recently purchased these old lemon top brass andirons. I believe they may be from the 19th century, but I'm not certain. Is there any way to determine when they were made? Does anyone have a ballpark figure as to what they might be worth?

 

there may be some here that u could compare to for a price point..

at the moment , they are worth the under $58 that u paid for them......


https://lens.google.com/search?ep=g...jNS0yMzFjLTQwYzItYjMxNS04MmNmMmFlMzFjMTAiXV1d

 

They do not look like they have ever been used in a fireplace.

 

No they don't. Perhaps they've never been used in a lit fireplace.

Debora

 

So anyone have any idea about approximate age on these?

 

My best guess would be 1980s.

 

What makes you think that?

 

I would think these would be a lot older?

 

What makes you think that ?

 

Well, just the style and dark color of the patina on the brass, as well as the fact that the legs don't appear to be secured by a simple threaded bolt as would be the case with more recently made andirons. Plus the heavy weight of these andirons doesn't seem consistent with something that was made in the 1980's. Also, I've seen photos of very similar looking andirons posted online described as being from the late 19th century. Does anyone here have accurate information on this?

 

Bump

 

The problem with something like this is that they have been made forever. Very hard to tell how old these are. I am not seeing the kind of wear and tear, nor patina I would expect to see from 120+ years of use. Were they made in 1980s or 1950s? Could be either but I would guess sometime in that time period.

Here are a couple examples that do exhibit the wear and tear of 120+ years. The first remain unsold at $150.00. The second sold for $70.00.

ANTIQUE FEDERAL BRASS ANDIRONS LEMON TOP WITH BALL AND CLAW FEET | eBay

Pair Boston Lemon Top Brass Andirons - Oct 04, 2015 | Schwenke Auctioneers In Ct (liveauctioneers.com)

Here is a much older pair sold by a well respected auction house that should know their stuff. Even though polished, they exhibit the patina one would expect to find. Sold for $200.00

Pair Federal Brass Andirons - May 30, 2009 | Brunk Auctions In Nc (liveauctioneers.com)

 

Thank you for your input


QUOTE="verybrad, post: 9557190, member: 37"]The problem with something like this is that they have been made forever. Very hard to tell how old these are. I am not seeing the kind of wear and tear, nor patina I would expect to see from 120+ years of use. Were they made in 1980s or 1950s? Could be either but I would guess sometime in that time period.

Here are a couple examples that do exhibit the wear and tear of 120+ years. The first remain unsold at $150.00. The second sold for $70.00.

ANTIQUE FEDERAL BRASS ANDIRONS LEMON TOP WITH BALL AND CLAW FEET | eBay

Pair Boston Lemon Top Brass Andirons - Oct 04, 2015 | Schwenke Auctioneers In Ct (liveauctioneers.com)

Here is a much older pair sold by a well respected auction house that should know their stuff. Even though polished, they exhibit the patina one would expect to find. Sold for $200.00

Pair Federal Brass Andirons - May 30, 2009 | Brunk Auctions In Nc (liveauctioneers.com)[/QUOTE]

 

Kind of disappointed rn tbh

 

don't be........ they're very nice and the price was good !!

 

I think it is a supply vs. demand kind of thing with andirons. Have to think that a very large percentage of andirons made in the last 200 years have survived. They are durable and tend to be kept. Add to that, they are not nearly as much in demand as they once were. There are a lot of very nice examples available for very little money.

 

I still have one or two sets of andirons....and my brass firebox border.....but haven't had a fireplace since '88,,,

 

Antique brass (andirons, candlesticks) has been duplicated since first made. To distinguish antiques from repro requires looking closely at construction details. I would not buy based on a couple pics online - none of the links shown by brad look likely to be authentic to me, the first two definitely not, third can’t tell from that one pic but I’m skeptical. The OP ones shown are certainly 20th century, not antique, and agree with mid 20th or later.

Indeed the demand for andirons is terrible, the supply is huge, and most people can’t tell the difference (or don’t care). So I have found it is pretty easy to pick up authentic ones for peanuts here in New England. New housing rarely has even one fireplace, even here in New England. We have six fireplaces in one home, and three in another, so I have accumulated a lot of andirons over the years and studied how to tell the difference. But as with most antiques these days, most people buy on the appearance, and simply don’t care about authenticity.

 

And if the construction methods are similar enough, a lowish price for the antique version is probably justified! Sometimes age doesn't confer much extra value.

When I stopped by a local thrift store 2 months ago, I saw entire antique metal-rimmed English China sets gathering dust at ~$55. Newer microwave-safe dishes were selling at double the price per piece. Tastes and demands change!

 

Having purchased MANY andiron sets on the cheap for inexpensive resale years ago makes me think that. I guess they could be 1970s, but they look 80s to me.

No need, even in a warm southern climate, I found I could easily sell them on any venue or at a consignment shop for more than I paid for them, so I always bought them even if they weren't old. Most that I bought were not old. These are a lovely example, you didn't do badly, it's a steep learning curve.