ANTIQUE CHEST? RIP-OFF? PLEASE HELP!

[Shoemaker_Tyler]

My girlfriend & I just purchased an old chest today for 120 bucks. I thought it was kind of a rip off because it feels fairly cheap and it's pretty beat up. But she needed a dresser & decided to buy an old chest for all her clothes instead so she didn't mind spending the money. Now I'm just curious about it's history & what it might be made of. Here's a picture, hopefully the link works:

http://windsor.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=136403850&img=http%3A%2F%2Fimg1.classistatic.com%2Fcps%2Fkj%2F090618%2F271r6%2F62754da_18.jpeg

Upon closer inspection I discovered the 'gold' hinges/metal workings are just spray painted, possibly by the last owner. Not sure about the type of steel under the paint. I would LOVE to know more about it, what do you think? total ripoff?

Thanks.

-Tyler

[regularjoe2]

Welcome to the forum , Shoemaker_Tyler .

Looks like a old trunk that someone took the time to refinish , paint & decorate ....perhaps because it was looking pretty rough .

I really don't know what you thought you were buying , so .....

A total rip-off , to me , would be paying the money & getting nothing in return .

I'd say that the black-painted panels ( I can't really tell , though ) are probably tin , and the gold painted hardware is steel .
You can easily test for tin (steel) panels & steel hardware with a 'fridge magnet .

I've seen people pay as much as you did , for much rougher-looking ones .
Most of these trunks are deceptively light-weight , compared to how heavy they 'look' .

If it does not 'flex' alot & does not stink like mold or mildew .... and if it works for what you bought it for ... what the heck .

Sure , you probably could have gotten one at a lower price ...say $50 -$100 bucks , but you didn't & it's too late to take it back , right ?

I'm not tryin' to be a smart-a** here , just trying to say that the old rule is : Let The Buyer Beware !
As far as it being an 'antique' I think it's missed the mark a little (antique = 100yrs old) .

[Shoemaker_Tyler]

You're right, it has good use value and looks great, with lots of character so I don't really feel ripped... I was more trying to determine if it was anything special. I would say 120$ is fair, a good dresser costs what, maybe 200 - 300$, and is rather conventional and ordinary.

I would love to know the year though, and maybe where it would be from. Could be anywhere I guess, with no letters or stamps anywhere leaving my any clues. Definitely VERY light for what it looks like, you're right on the button about that one.

Thanks for the hasty reply.

[talesofthesevenseas]

The dome-top trunks are nice, yours looks great and it's functional. It also has a lot of history. I'd say ya did just fine! We used to have an old dome-top in the attic when I was growing up. It was full of all my dress-up clothes. Sadly, it was being stored for a friend of my mother's and after about a decade, she wanted it back. I would pay $120 in a heartbeat to get back that trunk with all those happy memories in it!

[cogar]

Shoemaker, that is a fine old trunk, one of the best I've ever seen. And it looks great there as a decorator piece ......... which is all those old trunks are good for anyway.

When you store items in them, it seems like everytime you want to take something out, that item is always on the bottom of the stack. HA HA

[KC]

As far as it being an item that Christies or Sothbys would love to get their hands on - No.  As far as being a very desirable and decorative item that lots of people/decorators I know would love to get their hands on - Yes.

[railman44]

There were no camel-back or flat-top trunks that were made from fine/expensive materials to my knowledge (these aren't steamer trunks).  They were tin and wood.  Most times a cheap wood.  The locks, etc. were just enough to keep the lid closed and locked.  They could be "jimmied" open with ease.  Someone took some time restoring yours and did a fairly good job.  It certainly wasn't a rip-off if the wood is solid.  In my neck of the woods, nice camel-back trunks are getting hard to find.  They remain popular as an accent piece and somewhat utilitarian as storage inside.

[Tim]

Your camel-back, turtle-back, round top or at the time called 'Barrel Stave Top' trunk dates to about 1880. I have restored several and they are very tedious and time consuming. It is difficult to determine much from your photo. The front center clasp/lock seems to be missing and some restoration has been done. These were usually of oak slats on top and sides for strength and metal coverings. From what I can see, you did not go wrong for $120.

The camel backs originally cost more and could hold more, but when traveling, because of the hump, they were the last ones loaded on the train, however they were also the first ones off the train.