wall trunk from 1879 possibly a CLINTON WALL TRUNK

[brandon6649]

trying to figure out not only the maker, but what it might be worth as is. i posted it on craigslist for $400 and instantly had several people offer to come pick it up right then. need a little help here.

[mart]

Why do you think that ??  Should have a name on it,, Clinton had their name on the side on a metal plate or at least the ones I saw !!  Lock on yours looks different from Clinton locks !! Not made quite the same !!

[brandon6649]

yes you're correct. however they only started putting their mark on latter models. I have matched it against clinton trunks around that time, but the closest i could find to that date was 1882.. It was the exact same trunk and had the number 2 on both latches. Everything matched....... So Im assuming this was before they put that part on. And the one I matched this one too, did have the metal Clinton badge on the side. But like I said, from what Ive seen, this was literally one of the very first they produced. The actual production date on the trunk is April 15 1879... Soooo... any more thoughts or ideas?

[mart]

Is that date on your trunk or were you talking about their production date ??  There were so many of these steamer trunks made that unless its marked it would be difficult to date or attribute to a company !!  Normally the locks and latches were made by a separate company !!  Not always by the one that made the trunk !!  Would have to check and see if Clinton made their own !!

[brandon6649]

date on trunk.... all i know is there has to be something more too it.. had a guy from the UK today, send a cashiers check for $500 just to take it off craigslist until someone from his company could come pick it up... i just wanna figure it out before the check gets here and i take a huge loss...

[brandon6649]

either way....... should i take the 500$ and call it a win ? or should i hold on to it until i figure this out. for whatever reason since i posted it, ive had no less than 15 people from different parts of the WORLD contact me about this trunk.....what do you think?

[mart]

No,, Chances are the Money Order or Cashiers check is fake !!  This is a scam that has been going around for years !!  Deal only with those in the U.S and cash in U.S.Dollars !!  You are in the U.S. aren`t you ?? No matter where the scammers say they are from, Nigeria is a hot spot for this !!  Friend of mine in Japan works with an Internet Fraud group !!
Go to several antique trunk websites, while Clinton is mentioned on a few it is not considered rare or one of the top makers !!  So the value of yours, if it proves to be Clinton, is at best about $400. in unrestored condition and that would be top price !!
Did some checking and Clinton Wall trunks would have the Clinton name on the side hinges !!  So open it and look !! Frankly if someone from your area offered $400. for an unrestored trunk, you should have taken it !!  Just deal in cash only, nothing else !!

[brandon6649]

yes i am... and he sent a company profile as well so i dont know . also, if he sent the money today, there is really no harm if it is a scam ya know... i havent given it to him and dont plan to until the money gets here. worse case, hes a fraud, there are antique dealers here in town that want it. but of coarse they wanna pay no more than 300, which is better than nothing. so ill get it figured out. thanks for your help. wish someone could help me with a value or maker. if anyone else has any thoughts or input please dont hesitate to post.

[mart]

Like I said Clinton put their name on all side hinges,, Miller did too I think !! These trunks usually bring about $75. if that for an unmarked trunk !!  You can wait till a few of the other members give their opinion !!  Thats just my opinion,, they may have a different idea !!

[sapphire]

brandon, DO NOT let that trunk out your hands until you take that 'possible' cheque to a bank and have them confirm legitimate funds. The sweet scam is to send a cheque (often for more than the cost......so you can 'pay' the shippers for the 'buyer'). Then once the cheque hits the bank it's a dud, you have that money deducted from your actual account and you have just PAID someone to not only buy the trunk but for shipping it to them.

[mart]

And do not try to cash anything from overseas !!  That makes you the criminal and since they have no address that can be found or real names,, you would be in a heap of trouble !!  A while back I sold a quarter horse and had him listed on a sale site !! I got the same crap you have been getting !! One actually asked if his cage came with him !! But mostly they asked no  questions at all , didn`t want to see him, didn`t want to know his pedigree,,,  Didn`t care about his health,,,nothing !!  Now you just do not buy a horse like that !! Finally any time I got an email that was questionable I just told them,,no shippers, they had to pick him up, U.S. Dollars only and in cash !! No exceptions !!  That weeded them out pretty fast !!

[bigwull]

You put this on Craigslist...@$400...and got offered that,...So now your brain is in a spin..."Oh its worth more than that"...to use my old phrase.."if its not eating corn"...then you sit on it...and hope that you can get more...as for making a huge loss...you,ll only make that if you paid a lot for it in the first place...but if you got it for next to nothing..then $400...is good money....I recently bought an item for $5 ..I sold it for approx $150...even although i,d found a previous one that sold in 2009 for $700...but the money i got for that item...I used it yesterday..at an auction..to buy a full set of Le Crueset..cast iron cookware..that retails at over $1000..so for my initial outlay of $5...i got all this super cookware....The secret is ..Not to be too greedy....

[jacon4]

The secret is ..Not to be too greedy....

Agrees, the most successful dealers i know are all about turning over their inventory as fast as they can, not holding out for the last dollar of value. Those that do hold out because of greed or in many cases because they are to attached to a piece, almost always lose money in the end.

[jacon4]

The above chest was offered for sale by a dealer for 40K, i offered 15k, NO!, i offered 17.5k, NO! I moved on even though i still wanted the chest. Several years later, the dealer quietly put the chest up for auction & got less than half of what i had offered years before, and so it goesssssssss.

http://www.northeastauctions.com/search/detail.php?l=399&a=americana09

[bigwull]

And do not try to cash anything from overseas !!  That makes you the criminal and since they have no address that can be found or real names,, you would be in a heap of trouble !!  A while back I sold a quarter horse and had him listed on a sale site !! I got the same crap you have been getting !! One actually asked if his cage came with him !! But mostly they asked no  questions at all , didn`t want to see him, didn`t want to know his pedigree,,,  Didn`t care about his health,,,nothing !!  Now you just do not buy a horse like that !! Finally any time I got an email that was questionable I just told them,,no shippers, they had to pick him up, U.S. Dollars only and in cash !! No exceptions !!  That weeded them out pretty fast !!

From experience..if I held to that Dogma...I,would not have become friends with a guy from Maryland,6 years ago I got an un-solicited email from a guy in Maryland...He,d found out from a third party that I had a very large RC Tiger Tank.see link,.that was worth around £4500..I,d paid £1800,,for it,3 weeks before....He offered me a very good price for it..and asked me if I would accept a Bankers draft..and if I could deliver the tank at cost..back to the company..that had made it...see link..I agreed to sell it to him,...then 4 days later my Mother died..I sent him an email explaining that the sale was on hold until after I had dealt with my bereavement...the next day..when Avril and I returned home...there was the biggest bouquet of flowers we had ever seen,and 2 x boxes of Hand made chocolates..sitting in our porch..with a card of condolence...from.. ..the guy in Maryland...3 weeks later i delivered the model tank back to the original maker..and received from them..cash for the model and £400 costs....Now had i rejected his un-solicited email..I would not have got a good sale...or had such good feelings about...a total stranger...

 http://www.armortek.co.uk/