Featured Vintage Butter Molds, etc.

Good day! I am a Herbalist who enjoy collecting and putting new life into culinary antiques! I was wondering if anyone knows of the current market value for round wooden butter molds? Here in Iowa vendors seem to sell them for quadruple the market value that I typically see elsewhere and on-line. It's usually no less than $85 for butter molds that are in poor condition and shabbier than the pineapple butter mold that I own! In fact, when looking on-line, the only molds that I have seen command $85 are museum quality pieces that look as though they have never been used! Yet, here in Iowa I have tried, to no avail, to very politely explain to a dealer that they have substantially over-valued their items. For instance, I once saw a vendor at a flea market* selling a thoroughly used book on Griswold cast iron for more than twice the cost of the book from the publisher since it's still in print! (* It's getting ever more difficult to find flea market prices at Flea Markets!) But, I get the impression that vendors would rather allow their their items to sit unsold, rather than lower their prices to reflect the market value of a given item. Some vendors have treated me with reproach when I attempt to haggle with them with an understanding of the value of what they are selling. For example, the average value of butter molds that I have seen is usually stable between a generous $25 to as much as $45, though rarely more than that! So, I am unsure where local vendors at Antique Malls are getting this obscene $85 price point at, but they have so far been unwilling to budge at all.

I was also wondering, however, if anyone has experience with preserving and caring for culinary antiques, such as wooden butter molds. Some have told me NEVER to use vegetable oil on them to keep the fibers of the wood supple, while others have told me only to use mineral oil. What should I use, and how often? I want to show my collection of butter molds the best care that I can since I regularly use them.

 

Welcome!
I'm sure we'd like to see some!
When you post photos please use the full image button.
There will be others along to help. Maybe more tomorrow.

 

I've been know to enjoy some herb.......on occasion !

 

Bay leaves?

 

only in my spagetti sauce....

 

Welcome, MacMorrigan! I agree with the negative on vegetable oil, although if you use them regularly, it might wear off in that process. You want an oil that won't go rancid or build up and make the wood sticky.

 

Tung oil?

 

I doubt that, King. He needs something suitable for contact with food. Mineral oil would be okay, I guess, but not the kind of oils you use on furniture.

 

Welcome to our forum!!!

Since we have members literally from around the world I would not be surprised one bit if someone knows just what you need to use. However it will not be from me.

My response is to your probably rhetorical rant/question regarding your local dealers. There are a lot of dealers who sell at all levels from yard sales up to high end antique shows that have an over inflated view of their items. They would much rather hold out for the almighty dollar rather than sell the item for a reasonable price & move on to something else.

You see this a good deal at antique shops where the merchandise has been sitting for so long you can no longer read the tag because it is so faded. I refer to those place as antique museums because they obviously do not want to sell their items or they would have been marked down long ago.

This may because they paid too much for the item in the beginning or maybe they believe what they saw in a book regarding the worth of their item or in some cases they saw an appraisal of a similar item & decided theirs was equally as valuable.

 

Wow! I am impressed by such a robust reply in such a short period of time! I have tried to upload a photo, but if not please try using these two links:

* http://macmorrighan.tumblr.com/post/163158239311
* http://macmorrighan.tumblr.com/post/163158265971

I plan to borrow my Dad's camera, which is much better than mine, and photograph it for use in a book that I am writing since I was able to find out so much information pertaining to the symbolism of the pineapple!

@Bakersgma, if you can think of any specific oil that might suit my purpose, please don't hesitate to post a comment.

@bercrystal I would totally expect to see these sorts of prices at high end antique store, but all of the stores selling at these prices are far from it. They are more along the lines of shabby chique. I was really surprised by the cost of that book, which was still in print! I have often wondered if part of the problem re: prices for antiques is because this is Iowa! I would love to own a Descoware bean pot and a Griswold cast iron cornbread pan with a wheat stick motif, but these are almost never found here in Iowa.

 

Make all photos 480xwhatever the accompanying number is and you should never have any trouble and then always use the full image button.
Do this after you write your comments.

 

i'd think olive oil might be a good choice..maybe even sunflower....

 

Food grade mineral oil does not go rancid the way organic oils may.

 

point taken....but the op states.." since I regularly use them."....so I don't think rancid would be any problem...

 

Hi,
I always use mineral oil. My friends in England swear by "vettie oil". If you use them a lot, the butter you use will keep them nice. if you do not use them I would use a good paste wax.
greg

 

It always tastes better with Blue Bonnet on it !!! ( that's an old jingle )

 

Do you mean Vitamin E oil? ("Vit E Oil"?)

 

I was told to use walnut oil on my antique wooden bowls.

 

Hi,
Her way of saying "veggie oil". I say those oils go rancid she says do not.
greg