Discover Vintage America – February 2012
Rare barber/dental chair could command top dollar
Q. My great grandmother collected cut glass from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. My mother sold most of it 15 years ago, except for this bowl that’s now mine. She told me then it was out of fashion and not worth much. Is that true? What was this bowl used for? It has no signature. -- T.G., Kansas City, KS
A. While currently not trendy, people still collect Victorian cut glass. A problem beginning collectors face are the many pieces made since the 1940s in East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland. Your unsigned, Brilliant cut-glass rose bowl could fetch more than $200 at auction.
Q. This light belonged to my husband’s grandfather. It was converted to electric. What’s its value? – R.B., Palmyra, PA
A. Your Victorian hanging brass lamp with prisms and painted shade could sell in a shop for $1,200.
Q. A friend left me a barber/dental chair. Made of wood, it’s held together with pegs. The back is adjustable and slides back to go up or down in slots. Since I have no use for it and it has no label or identification, I would like to know its value so I can sell it. – W.T., West Palm Beach, FL
A. Your chair was made around 1800-1820. Dr. Josiah Flagg made the first chair for dentistry in 1790 when he attached a headrest that tilted back to a wooden Windsor chair. Your chair is an American country-style, slat-back armchair with a similar headrest. Handmade, it’s a one-of-a-kind, therefore I could find no price records. However, because of age and rarity it could sell at auction for $2,000 or more. You may wish to contact one of the many dental museums, collectors on the Internet, or an auction house such as Skinners in Boston.
Do you need more information on an antique or collectible item? For a personal reply, send a photo, history, size, signatures and $25 to Anne Gilbert, P.O. BOX 740136, Boynton Beach, FL 33437-0136.