Georgian wheel barometers

Discussion in 'Furniture' started by afantiques, Jul 27, 2014.

  1. afantiques

    afantiques Well-Known Member

    What's wrong with Georgian mercury barometers, the bottom seems to have dropped out of the auction market lately and I have absentmindedly picked up about half a dozen for less than $150 each that would have cost, in an auction room, about three times as much 10 years ago.

    I don't expect you see many British barometers on the US market, but they seem to have got both more common in the auction rooms and a lot cheaper here in recent years. The funny thing is that people retailing them are still asking prices similar to those some years ago.

    I'm not all that bothered about selling any, as I like early barometers but I am puzzled by the disconnect between the low prices I can buy them at and the very high prices people are trying to retail them at.

    If I buy any more, they have to go in the shed, or at least, the number in the house must not increase without sniffs of disapproval.

    A Georgian one and a later Victorian example.

    upload_2014-7-27_11-40-27.png
     
    spirit-of-shiloh likes this.
  2. gregsglass

    gregsglass Well-Known Member

    Hi AF,
    They have bottomed out here also. Even in 1990s they were bringing almost a 1000. Now they go begging for 200. I saw a 1940s one go for 750 which perplexed me greatly since it was really nondescript. I have lived too long since I saw a Tupperware salt and pepper on stand at a shop for 75 (dollars) not cents.
    greg
     
  3. 42Skeezix

    42Skeezix Moderator Moderator

    Shipping mercury barometers has become very problematic over here.
     
  4. gregsglass

    gregsglass Well-Known Member

    Hi Don,
    Took that in consideration but even at auctions or buying for oneself they just aren't
    selling.
    greg
     
  5. afantiques

    afantiques Well-Known Member

    Maybe they'd be more popular if they could be converted to run on asbestos.
     
  6. silverthwait

    silverthwait Well-Known Member

    Af -- I Love them! My grandfather had a doozie (now, long gone :() and whenever I see an English movie, I look for them. There was one that arrived on eBay a number of years ago that I REALLY wanted. Unfortunately, I decided to be thrifty and forgo the pleasure. (A mistake I have not made since, if at all possible.) This particular barometer was unabashedly English, as, at a certain place, it read, "Wear your Wellies!"

    What's not to love?!
     
  7. kentworld

    kentworld Well-Known Member

    On the Wheel of Fad Favour, barometers have rotated to the "Not In Favour" section...

    Long-handled copper bed warmers used to be popular at one time, didn't they?
     
  8. afantiques

    afantiques Well-Known Member

    Yesterdays antiques tend to become today's antiques again after a few or more years. Some bounce back quicker than others. If you buy stuff according to what it used to sell for you wind up with great heaps of immovable out of fashion stuff. Nowadays I just spend any spare money on things I like that are currently cheap, and keep them. Let the estate sale deal with the final selling. :)

    Antiques dealers should have their brains scrubbed every few years so everything they used to 'know' about values is erased and they have to learn it all over again.
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2014
    spirit-of-shiloh likes this.
  9. terry5732

    terry5732 Well-Known Member

    It is the internet sales, or lack thereof, that drive current retail/auction pricing. US prohibitions on shipping hg have made online sales nonexistent.

    Congressman Obama of Illinois introduced a bill to ban the element from existence.
     
  10. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

    Due to changes in the market including falling prices and mild demand, only high pressure sales techniques will bring fair prices for barometers.
     
  11. spirit-of-shiloh

    spirit-of-shiloh Well-Known Member

    I love barometers and have a few,but, mine are all TS cheapies :arghh:
     
  12. gregsglass

    gregsglass Well-Known Member

    Hi Spring,
    You are soooo clever. lol
    greg
     
  13. silverthwait

    silverthwait Well-Known Member

    Don't you just love it when Spring goes all imaginative!
     
  14. kentworld

    kentworld Well-Known Member

    AF's humour, Brad's legs and Spring's imagination (not to mention his love of cannons) -- gosh, a girl could get quite...! :D
     
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