c. 1700
Pierre Fardoil Adding Machine & Watch / Time Piece
I am half owner of this
18th Century Pierre Fardoil Adder / Adding Machine and Fardoil Watch / Time
Piece. The other half owner is Peter Frei an antique dealer based in Mass.Approx.
10 years ago after buying the Fardoil Adder as 50/50 partners we sent it and the
Fardoil time piece to
the Breker auction where they "sold" for approx. $74,000.
The 2 pieces pictured are the same Fardoil Adder / Adding Machine and Fardoil Pocket Watch offered at the Auction-Team Breker sale about 10 years ago. That auction write-up and result can be found online at Liveauctioneers.com/item/36708195_the-adding-machine-of-pierre-fardoil-c-1700. The winning bidder backed out and the sale failed as explained below.
Shortly after the failed auction for the Fardoil my partner Peter Frei, in a fit of faux outrage, over a situation concerning an antique sewing machine we were also partners on declared we were no longer friends. He did admit in writing that we were still partners in the Fardoil. The story surrounding that event is described below as it is somewhat relevant to the big picture, but not relevant to this offer to sell my 1/2 share ownership in the Fardoil adder or a percentage of it as a partnership.
NEW DEVELOPEMENTS: There have been new developments concerning the Fardoil and my efforts to settle up with Peter Frei since I have begun to try to sell my half share in the Fardoil.
First, Peter Frei has removed the ad for the Fardoil from his website where it had recently been listed for sale. When I wrote Peter inquiring why, and if it had been sold, or what his intentions were, he did not respond. Given his current actions and silence it appears Peter has no intention of honoring our partnership or splitting the proceeds of a sale 50/50, with me, or a new owner / partner.
No matter what Peter Frei thinks, has done, or what his true intentions are, I am still rightfully and legally half-owner of the Fardoil and owed half of the proceeds if, or when, the Fardoil is sold. Given the fact Peter Frei no longer responds to emails or otherwise communicate with me, I have decided to offer a new revised proposal to sell my 1/2 share to a qualified buyer or partner, or take on a qualified partner who presents a workable plan to force a sale after which the proceeds would be split between the parties.
Another important new development is the French museum CNAM, despite numerous attempts to open a dialogue with them concerning the Fardoil, have now expressed no interest or ownership rights in the Fardoil, As they once had. The CNAM expressed no interest even when a legitimate legal ownership right was offered to them as a donation.
Given the current situation I believe that a legal action is the only course of action that will resolve this. Given Peters recent and past actions I believe he has opened the door to a successful legal remedy using the courts to force the sale and resolve this situation. There is no question that I can prove my half ownership rights but I am not a lawyer, nor in a position to begin any legal actions to assert an ownership claim myself.
Given that, I am willing to sell my interest in the Fardoil for an agreed upon amount to be paid AFTER a sale is forced or negotiated with Peter Frei. Or, I am willing to take on a partner who will pursue a claim to that end for an agreed amount or %. At this point, I am simply looking for a qualified and acceptable party to make a reasonable proposal that will at a minimum make me whole again after the situation is resolved. With that relatively low dollar amount as a baseline there is a lot of room for profit, or a good way for an qualified and interested party to add an important piece to their collection for little upfront investment.
I propose that the initial investment be nothing more than a concrete acceptable proposal from a third party or some other entity to pursue this legally or otherwise to force the sale with an agreed upon split after resolution. I will sign an acceptable agreement drawn up by the new partner, his lawyer, or other representative. If the French / CNAM want to reconsider their position and establish a legitimate 1/2 ownership to the Fardoil I will still extend this offer to them if approached with a reasonable proposal.
Below is the history of this rare piece of calculation history and my interactions with Peter Frei since the failed auction.
The high bidder at the Breker auction for the Fardoil Adder was Professor Korte from the University of Bonn. He was bidding to acquire it for the Arithmeum museum in Bonn, Germany. My understanding is that Korte, the high bidder, backed out from finalizing the Breker auction sale due to the CNAM claim that the Fardoil was rightfully theirs. The underbidder also backed away when it was offered to him.
The two Fardoil pieces were then returned to the consignors---myself and the other 1/2 owner, Peter Frei, who now has possession of both pieces. Peter Frei and I had been partners in numerous technology-related antiques prior to having a falling out over a situation concerning an antique sewing machine I had paid for that we were 50 / 50 partners on.
To briefly explain that situation, Peter without consulting or discussing with me entered into an agreement with a 3rd party offering that person 50% to sell the sewing machine. That made me a 25% junior partner. When I questioned that action, Peter, in a fit of faux rage declared we were no longer friends and that our partnership was over. There are more details and facets to this story that are irrelevant to this sale and do not need to be retold here.
What should be told is the story of who first found the adder --- that would be me --- and details surrounding that event.
This Fardoil adder was bought in upstate NY prior to the reker auction from a private party. It is one of only two known, and could be the only example if it is the same one that the French Musee des Arts et Metiers (CNAM), the French State Museum, had expressed an ownership right to prior to the auction. CNMA had claimed their Fardoil adder was "lost", stolen, or otherwise disappeared from their collection when it was on display in the US during the 1939 New York World's Fair.
The sellers of the Fardoil lived in upstate NY. They contacted me first and I made an appointment to go see it. They told me that the adder had been "found" in New York, and the now deceased "finder" had been a caretaker / custodian / groundskeeper / employee when he "found" it. The family told me they had had it appraised at Sotheby's or Christies auction house for approx. 5K. I offered to purchase it from them for the same amount in cash.
The family / sellers initially said no, but months later called me and said they were ready to sell the Fardoil. As I was back in CA I called Peter and enlisted him to go and get it. I offered him a 50/50 partnership on the Fardoil. He agreed and went and got it. We split the cost 50/50. He later bought the Fardoil watch and we split the cost of that as well. I have never received any compensation for those outlays. Those are facts that are not disputable.
Peter handled consigning the Fardoil to Breker's Auction. The Breker auction failed after the French Musee des Arts et Metiers / CNAM cast doubt on the rightful ownership of the Fardoil and the Arithmeum Museum backed out of the sale. After the auction failed to produce a sale Peter attempted to market the Fardoil to the under bidder and other parties. To the best of my knowledge those attempts failed. Later the CNAM made a relatively low offer, not to purchase the Fardoil, but rather as compensation for having found it and returning it. That offer was rejected.
Then something akin to the storyline in Lord of the Rings began to unfold, and the "my precious" concept, much like with Gollum and his "my precious" in the Lord of the Rings story began to take hold. Peter, despite saying he was ready to sell, and that he wanted to sell the Fardoil, could not bear to let the Fardoil go, or have it leave his hands.
The disclosure of these details is necessary because I want to insure there are no claims of non-disclosure or other problems down the road from a buyer or new partner in my half share. The attempts after the failed auction for Peter and I to settle up on the Fardoil should also be told so that potential parties are fully informed and can better formulate a plan to finalize or force the sale with Peter.
After the failed auction, and over the next 10 years, Peter offered several proposals to resolve the Fardoil situation between us. All in writing and documented. Peter reneged on following through on every one of them. For the record, let's review some of Peter Fries' past proposals:
Immediately after the auction Peter wrote that if the high bidder or under bidder would not pay the original sale price it had brought at auction he would simply buy us out for 1/2 of the high bid, as we both felt it had not reached its full potential because of the French interference. He never followed through on that proposal, later claiming it was just a negotiation tactic.
Shortly after the auction Peter announced we would settle up over the Fardoil by having a private auction between us, with a third party holding the Fardoil until that process was complete. We agreed to that proposal. He later reneged on that claiming he did not have enough money.
Peter next demanded we wait, and be patient, as the Fardoil was, in his words, "burned" and its value diminished by the French claims, and the failed auction.
In 2019, 5 years after the auction and after numerous requests by us to resolve the situation, Peter said to wait one more year to see if he could sell the Fardoil from his new website. In writing he said that if it did not sell from his website at the end of the 1 year period we would send it to auction again. He proposed that in writing and then reneged on that solution with no explanation and just offered lame excuses about being busy, or other personal issues.
Peter next suggested we should name a price he could buy us out at, with the stipulation that he would need 6 months to gather the money. A proposal that was neither fair nor equitable, but in the interest of ending this ordeal we proposed selling our half interest to him for $18K --- approx. 25% of the original sale price of $74K it had reached at the Breker auction. $18K equated to approx. 50% of what we were due had the auction succeeded---a fair and reasonable offer to resolve this.
Peter rejected that offer outright, in writing, saying he would never pay that amount, with no meaningful counter or further discussion. That was over 2 years ago, much longer than the 6 months he said would be needed to raise funds to buy us out, once again reneging on a proposal he himself put forward.
Most recently in Dec of 2024 we suggested listing it for sale on our two websites at a lower price, to give it more exposure and to enhance its desirability and value. To do that we needed to discuss a price beforehand that we could both agree to. Peter declined, and then hours later wrote he alone would decide if he would agree to a lower price - AFTER I found a buyer---a stupid and unworkable proposal not worth discussing further, and mentioned here only to illustrate the absurdity and his attitude.
We next sent him a demand letter outlining his prior proposals and demanded he act on one of them or I was going to try a new approach, that being selling my 1/2 share, or donating it to the French so they would have a legitimate legal claim of ownership that they could pursue. He responded, and I paraphrase, Good luck with that, and cut off further communication.
After all of that we have decided to sell our 1/2 share, or take on a new partner in our 1/2 share / half interest in the Fardoil, or donate our half share to an interested party with just a few conditions or caveats. This proposal for my half interest in the Fardoil would be a great deal for the right person or entity who thinks they can better deal with Peter Frei, close the deal, or force a sale. Just think, a documented ownership in a rare probably one-of-a-kind and unique piece of calculation history for potentially a fraction of its potential value!
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FARDOIL
Fine . . . . . . $
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Thomas Edison's
Edison System Ampere Meter This Edison System ampere meter is a rare
and important piece of Electrical history. The condition of this large and
unusual Edison amp meter is exceptional. The scale reads up to 264 amps, off the scale, indicating this meter must have been
used with a huge dynamo or motor.This Edison meter measures approx. 10" across and 16" tall. The back of the case is cast iron. The etched glass face is flawless. The previous owner made a copy of the paper scale to cover the original scale to help preserve it. The original paper scale is behind the copy on the face in the pics. It is in nice condition.
The wooden case is original finish and in fine condition. The interior workings look like new. The wooden case is stamped in two places with Elec. Eng. Dept. L.S.J.U. which is Stanford University in Palo Alto CA.
A super nice and rare piece of American Electrical History that will display well and be a great addition to the old office, electrical, scientific or related collection! Nice!!
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AMN-ED-METER
Fine . . . . . $3750.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Thomas A. Edison Battery Powered Electric Fan Motor This T.
A. Edison
battery powered fan motor is in
very nice overall condition. The paint has some losses.
There is gold decorations It runs well on a 6 volt
battery. The blade and cage look OK but the cage and or
its supports appear to be early after market creations that are
not original. These early Edison fans are getting harder and harder to find.
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OH-ED-FAN
Good + . . . . . $3750.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Early
Ear Horn Trumpet / Conversation Tube Very
nice. Flexible woven fabric tube is damage free as are the black gutta or other
plastic like material that the horn and ear piece are made of. Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
GV-HEARING
Fine . . . . . $65.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
J.
D. Adams Salesman Sample Road Grader This is the
real deal. It is very graphic and looks great. This engineering company hailed from Indianapolis IN. This
is a very complicated piece of machinery. I am not totally sure, but was told there are some missing pieces
/ springs to hold the lower grader portion at different angles. Look at all the pics to see all the different gear
boxes, adjusters, fittings and more that this has. This rare & desirable c. 1910 salesman's sample measures
approx. 10.25" H x 8.5" W x 22.5" L.
The operator would stand on the grate at the rear and have to control all the different wheels and levers as the grader was being pulled along. Nice!!
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AH-ADAMS
Good . . . . . $7500.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Bradley Salesman Sample Mower / Mowing Machine
This is the real deal. It is very graphic and looks great. The gear
box cover has Bradley info on it that is readable and shows wear.
There is also a tag that identifies C. M. Clinton of Ithaca NY as the maker.
He is a known model maker and this tag is known on other Bradley farm
implement salesman samples.
The mower blades work as intended. The clutch works. The fold out tool box under the wooden bar is a nice touch. I have the long tongue. It is original and nice and was removed to make storage and transport easier. The seat appears to be a non-magnetic recast. A rare and unusual piece. While salesman sample mowers are out there and do turn up, the Bradley Mower offered here is seen much less often. Nice!!
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JF-BRAD-MOW
Good . . . . . $9500.00 HOLD!!
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Bradley Salesman Sample
Hay Rake
The real deal. This Bradley Hay Rake is very graphic, authentic and looks great. There is also a tag that identifies C. M. Clinton of Ithaca NY as the maker.
He is a known model maker and this tag is known on other Bradley farm
implement salesman samples.
The seat is a Cut-out that spells Bradley and below that is Syracuse where Bradley was located. A rare and unusual piece. While salesman sample rakes are out there and do turn up, Bradley salesman samples are seen much less often. Nice!!
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JF-BRAD-RAKE
Good . . . . . $8500.00 HOLD!!
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Vintage
Whistler Swan Decoy Carved by Bob Gilmore This Whistler Swan
decoy is very elegant with a graceful head and neck, and wonderfully
delineated and painted feathers. It is titled, signed and dated 1990.
The decoy measures about 22 inches long.Bob Gilmore was a founding member of the California tool collector's club PAST and was an excellent craftsman as well. He passed approx. 20 years ago. I traded him a minty nice Stanley 55 plane for this back in the 1990s. A super nice piece!
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CFM-SWAN
Excellent . . . . . . $595.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Antique Merganser
Duck Decoy All of these
decoys are from my personal collection. I purchased this one at one of
the Mid-Week in Manchester New Hampshire antique shows many years ago.
I was told by Gary Guyette that it was carved by Marcel Dufour. It measures about 21 inches long and has great form and surface.Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
CFM-MERGAN
Very Good . . . . . . $895.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Antique
Bluebill Decoy One more decoy from my personal collection.
Looks to have been a real worker and and probably a good one with that
distinctive blue bill. Measures about 14 1/2
inches long. No marks that I can see.Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
CFM-BLUE
Good. . . . . . $195.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
"Puppy' Antique Japanese Toy Sewing Machine This interesting TSM is marked the Deluxe Puppy Sewing Machine Co. Made in Japan and is by the Japanese Puppy Sewing Machine Co. The paint and decoration on the machine are incredible!!! The full body is made of cast iron. The dome lid and wooden base are very nice as well.
Includes two miniature Japanese Geshia like figurine spools with thread that are in fine condition. The original belt was dried out and cracked and has been replaced with a rubber belt that is tight but works. The action is good, although stiff, and no one should be kidding themselves about using it to make doll clothes or other use other then as a part of the collection or as decoration.
Similar machines obviously made by the same company but with different names can be found. There is a similar machine in the archives on our other website - link here https://www.AntiqBuyer.com/past-sale-archives/sewing-machines/tin-toy-SM.htm This one has an electric battery powered light. I installed a switch, and the light is now operational when good contact is achieved.
CON-PUP-TSM
Good + . . . . . $245.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Jewel Stoves and Ranges
Detroit Stove Works Cast Iron Warming Shelf / Trivet
These make for nice wall hangers for the country kitchen look, or use it in
off grid situations. Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
JF-JEWEL-T
Good + . . . . . $28.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
"Slow Cooking Cover"
Cast Iron Cutout
Warming Shelf / Stove Trivet
These make for nice wall hangers for the country kitchen look, or use it in
off grid situations. Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic Click for Pic
JF-JEWEL-T
Good + . . . . . $32.50
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
1885 Bryant Patent ANTIQUE Archimedean Egg Beater / Whip
This 1885 Bryant Patent Archimedean Egg Beater / Whip is marked Bryant's Pat. It is in fine working condition.
The wood handle / knob moves up and down correctly making the dashers spin. A hard to find early egg beater.
Clean and nice.
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SC-EGG
Fine. . . . . . 85.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
"Pittsburgh"
Miners Lunch Pail
This tin miners lunch pail is in great condition. It has a shelf and screw top
container for hot liquids. No rust dents or other damage. Marked
on the top PITTSBURG.
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JF-PAIL
Good +. . . . . . 50.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
McGuire
/ San Francisco Rattan Bound 42" Table
This classic 1960s 1970s era mid-century design McGuire table looks great.
McGuire is a the well known design and furniture store based in San Francisco.
The McGuire tag is on the bottom of the table top. It gives the San Francisco location,
and has a Patent # from the 1960s that covers the rattan border.
The 42" diameter white laminate table top is rattan bound and stands approx. 29 tall. The white laminate top is stain-, scratch- and otherwise damage-free. The rattan border is in very good condition. The classic design oak base is very nice.
A beautiful and very functional piece of Mid-Century furniture that can be used in a number of designs and locations.
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LCM-NCGUIRE
Good +. . . . . . 295.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Weight Reduced Wood Shaft Putter Golf Club The
shaft is drilled with a series of holes drilled in a spiral up the hosel to reduce the overall weight on this unusual
wood shaft club that is simply marked Putter on the bottom. A
nice wood shaft golf club for the
collection, display or use.
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AMN-G-HOLE
Good . . . . . . $20.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Schoverling - Daly & Gales
Niblick 2 Ringer
Wood Shaft Golf Club It is in good overall used condition. The back is marked with all the important info. A
nice wood shaft golf club for the collection, display or use.
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AMN-G-SCHOV
Good . . . . . . $20.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
We buy quality Antiques in this and other categories of Antiques.
To view examples of the types of antiques and collectibles we have previously sold
and are always interested in buying please visit our Past Sales Archive Pages
at our sister website www.AntiqBuyer.com.