Salesman Sample "The Three Minute Kind / Wonder Washer" Washing Machine
This antique salesman sample washing machine is a wonderful piece of
Americana and a graphic look back into the way it use to be. Just look
at the new designs of Washing machines offered today and think what your Granny was faced with.
This washer has a look and presence to it with its colorful litho decorations that many of the other sample size washers simply do not have. I have seen several full size versions of this washer and all were very plain and with just a simple name "Wonder" stenciled onto the sides.
The sample size washing machine stands approx 16" tall w/ the stand, and is 12" square. It is the first one like it that I have seen or had, and I have had a lot of these sample size washers over the years. It is very similar in design to "The Dewey Washer", a washing machine I had a sample size of and sold a few years back. It is possible that the two companies were related in some way, with one buying out the other or trying a new advertising approach, or ........... I saw that sample size Dewey washer being appraised by Noel Barrett on the Antiques Roadshow a while back with the new owner making like she had just walked up on it at a garage sale or flea market, implying she gotten it for a song. I wondered if it was staged or .......... That example was nice, but it had almost no decoration other than the name Dewey, and it was not nearly as impressive looking as this one. It was appraised on the Roadshow for about what I am offering this one for.
The printed patent info of Jan 2 1904 on the label is wrong. It was actually patented on January 26th 1904 , and that date it is a good match. The inventor's name was Elmer Victor Allen, and hence the Victor Mfg. Co. name. He actually hailed from Hiawatha, KS. which I bet was pretty close to Leavenworth. I could find nothing related to that name or a similar washer for the second date marked on the label. That could be explained any number of different ways and a bit more research would probably turn that patent up as well. The inside of the washer, and the agitator are set up just like the patent pictures, and it is clear that either the salesman, or his children, gave this washer a few test runs.
Take a look at all the details and construction of this washer. The tin tub lifts off of the stand whose turned legs are finished in old red paint and has X'd metal cross braces to help make it rigid. There is one apology at this point where the inside of one of the legs is chipped. It does not affect the way the tub sits in the stand, and would be a pretty simple and straight forward fix, but it is there. The top has a lot of original reddish brown finish remaining as well.
The applied litho /decal on two sides is really special. One side is better than the other, and the good side is about 90% very nice, and has good color. The other side is mostly there, but faded a bit, and there is some pencil marks throughout from a child no doubt being a child. It has all the information on it that anyone could need, but by far the best part is the way they did the name Wonder Washer using the W & R for both words, and then filling in the middle w/ the slogan "The Three Minute Kind" implying there a 10 or 20 minute model before this one and that this is the "New" improved model.
A Great Piece!
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
JM-WWASH-1
Very Good......$2295.00
Order
Now
Simmons Salesman
Sample / Patent Model of Bed Springs
This is an interesting salesman sample display model that has the patent info attached to
the springs in the form of a small metal tag. At first glance one might think this was a
patent model but it is a bit too big for that. Or that it is
just a piece of doll furniture at 24 inches long, but given it has patent info on a tag attached to the
spring we must assume it is a display model or salesman sample to allow the
prospective customer to view this new idea they were about to buy or sleep
on.
Here
is a link to view the patent as recorded at the US Patent Office.
The text explains that the patent is for the
design of the springs, and their ability to fold this way or that. In
typical fashion the description is very long winded and needlessly
complicated, but I suppose that was by design.
This patent was probably
the beginnings of the famous Simmons line of hide-a-beds and folding chairs.
Simmons was probably buying up all the different spring ideas for furniture
and beds presented to them to
utilize in their products. It would also keep others from encroaching on their
plans and development of this now famous line of furniture. I am not
sure if this was the idea or design that they went with and incorporated into their line
of beds and chairs, but given they made a model of it and tagged it I would
assume it is.
Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
BB-SS-1
Good+......$495.00
Order
Now
Antique
Salesman Sample of a Wash Tub / Wringer Bench
This antique salesman sample washstand / wringer is a wonderful piece of Americana.
To give you a sense of the scale of this
diminutive piece of Americana there is a clear ruler at the base in the foreground.
Amazingly constructed to look just like the real full size wash stand / wringer.
This miniature size laundry bench wringer would have sat as a display on the
store countertop or in the general store window. It may have also been
carried around door-to-door by salesmen to show the prospective buyer exactly
what the full-size bench would look like.
Take a look at all the details
and construction. I believe this was made by the Anchor Horseshoe company
who were the leaders in the field of wringers and wash stands during the late
19th century and later. I have seen this same style sample with their
name and logos several times but most of the writing has disappeared on this
example.
Note how the table on each side
folds up and extends out just like the full size ones. The wringer portion
still works. Note also the primitive thumbscrews on top of the wringer.
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
Click
for Pic
SS-WB-1
Very Good......$1595.00
Order
Now
Automatic
Fishing Pole / Fishing Line Alarm
This is a very interesting example of Yankee inventiveness This unusual gizmo
device
is in super original condition, complete, and is fully operational.
It is not exactly an
antique trap, but
would fit into that category as I believe it is designed to set the hook of
the fishing pole / line after the fish takes the bait. It is not exactly antique fishing tackle
either, but I imagine would be
of interest to that collecting crowd as well. It is also not a gun, but is
designed to fire a cap, or charge to alert or wake the napping or otherwise
busy fisherman who was not paying attention when the fish were biting and this thing was tripped.
It displays very nicely,
has a great look and gizmo appeal and should make a welcome addition to most any collection
focused on those categories or others. From the look of it, and the
construction details, I would estimate it as being from near the turn of the
century give or take 20 years or so.
I am not sure
if it is a model of,
salesman sample of, or the
actual device. It is unmarked as to maker, patent, or other info.
It should have been, as it is a really well designed and well executed piece. I spent a couple hours looking for a patent for it, and saw many other patents for
other vintage and antique automatic
fishing poles and fishing
line alarms but I
could not find this exact one. In fact, this version is somewhat more complicated and
well designed than many of those. All told it stands about 22" tall
with the base which is removable. The top portion is about 14" from
end to end.
On one hand it is kind of crude and simplistic looking, but
it is really well engineered and made so that it sets up quickly, effortlessly, and
it operates
flawlessly. The picture on the left shows just the head with the line
trigger set, and the alarm / gun / trigger at the bottom cocked and ready to
go. In use, the fishing rod tip would be clamped along the top rail and locked into
place with threaded thumb screw. To set the line trigger you lift the top left arm and it
self sets with the vertical spring loaded trigger. The line would be looped over the arms on the right
in such a way that when the fish
hit the line it would activate the trigger, snapping the line taught and hooking the fish. At the same time
the cocked trigger below would be tripped setting off the cap or percussion
charge alerting the napping or otherwise busy fisherman that something important was happening.
On the right is a pic of the entire unit with double prong base for setting
into the bank of the pond, river or lake.
Where or when are you going to find another!!
Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
DH-SS-1
Good+......$495.00
Order
Now
Salesman Sample High Chair /
Doll Chair
This chair is either a salesman sample or a doll
size High chair for display. From the ball and spindle design I would
guess it was made back near the turn of the century and perhaps into the
20's or so. It is oddly out of scale being so tall compared to the
width and depth measurements. I have never seen anything quite like it
before. There are attached arms on each side that may have been for a
table like a kids high chair would have, but i am not sure if that was their
purpose. Interesting.
Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
Very Good . . . . . . $95.00
Order
Now
3
Salesman Sample Size Tools
The orange saw may just be a homemade project made to resemble a sample size saw.
It is a bit crude, but looks OK.
Good+......$50.00 CYN-SS-1
The small brass axe was identified as a candy chopper where it was hung in the store / display. It is unmarked.
Good+......$95.00 CYN-SS-2
The miniature broadaxe is also unmarked, but I am sure is a true salesman sample. It is so well done I do not think it could be anything else. It displays very nicely and should make a welcome addition to most any collection.
Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
Good+......$295.00 CYN-SS-3 SOLD!
The small saw that shows up in the other pics is a dainty little fret saw. Cute
Good+......$95.00 CYN-SS-4
Order
Now
Salesman Sample of a Lifting
Farm Gate
This antique salesman sample
gate is a great idea and very nicely made. The inventor took great pains
to make a special shaped tapered box to hold it as can be seen. There is a name
on the box, and it looks to read Buck XXx of Oregon. That is where it
originated from. The top is wider than the base to allow for the levers
on both sides to operate.
The maker put a lot of effort into the
detail of the gate itself with Mahogany being the main material. It looks to
be a patented idea and this was the model he took and used as a sample thus
explaining the box. The simple but effective design of the mechanism
is great.
The
idea is that the traveler or homeowner would upon reaching the gate, pull on
the lever, and because of the hinges and weight the gate would fold up and out
of the way on a hinge or pivot and when it reached the tipping point fold all
the way back. It was perfectly weighted so that a simple pull would raise
or lower it. Nifty Idea that has applications today.
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Click for Pic
Very Good......$695.00 sOLD!
Order
Now
Salesman
Sample / Patent Model or Toy Wooden Washing Machine
Over
the years I have owned and sold dozens of toy child
size washers, including a number of Patent model washers. I have had ones
very similar to this example, but never this exact same configuration.
It has a few differences which lead me to believe it is a model or salesman
sample rather than just a toy.
The first difference is the quality
of the hinges and fittings. They are castings rather than just stamped
steel or plain brass hinges. It is the same for the way the base was made.
The typical model has little fittings the legs slide into, not this removable
triangular base with cast metal corners. The top gear mechanism is also
different and more detailed than the more typical and common toy washers you
do see. It to has cast parts.
Looking inside another difference
I see is the set-up for the agitator. The typical toy has only four pegs
while this one has 6. And lastly is the way the inside and bottom are
machined with ridges just like a full size washer would have been. And
probably a feature not called for in a toy. An interesting note is that
there is evidence of this having been tested and used with soap residue in the
cracks.
Ok, now with all of that being
said I believe this is either a patent model, or a salesman sample as opposed
to a toy. I can not prove that, but it is just too nice, and too detailed
to be just a toy. Very Nice, and a super display piece!!
SSWASH-1
Very Good......$795.00 SOLD!!
We can help you sell your quality Antiques in this and other categories of Antiques.
If you have similar antiques or collectibles you want to sell please see our
FAQ Page, the
Appraisal / Selling Page, and the
Selling
Your Collection Pages for further info about
selling with us.
This website is Copyrighted
(1998 - 2009)
Larry & Carole Meeker