Crystal Box

[greenacres]

I bought this crystal box in a lot for $350.00. I've seen many pictures of these boxes. Is it what I think and worth some good money? How would I get it fixed. I bought it from a women who had a lot of money and lost it all. She needed money. I got crystal glass too. Paperweights by the droves along with it.

[mariok54]

I know nothing about crystal, but some of the others on this site are veritable mines of information. I have found these, which may help a little...

http://www.mcnallycompanyantiques.com/product/boxes--caskets/french-gilt-bronze-mounted-cut-glass-casket

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/baccarat-french-cut-crystal-casket-box-ormolu

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/baccarat-cut-crystal-casket-box-nr

[greenacres]

I've seen the top picture. The second seems identical. Thanks for the pictures.

[Oceans64]

I'm almost afraid to ask but.....  what were they used for?

(please say just a box, please say just a box, please say just a box......)

[mariok54]

Just a box ...   

I have seen some described as jewellery boxes, and you do get some lovely ones with beautiful etchings as well as nice translucent ones.

[greenacres]

It is a jewelry box. I was going to say my teeth, lol Do I take it to a jeweler to repair it?

[mariok54]

In what way is it damaged? I cant really tell other that the fact that the crystal lid seems to have come away from the frame.

And I could say what a nice place to keep your pearlies ...    but I'm afraid that the joke may not travel across an ocean 

[greenacres]

Shouldn't the crystal piece be connected to the top. It comes off like a top, or is it supposed to be like that. The crystal is perfect.

[waywardangler]

mario, we do understand "pearlies" here as we are familiar with "pearly white teeth" but it could be confused with piano keys also.    What we do not get is a "boot sale".  Flea market, rummage sale, garage sale, etc. but a boot sale here means a run to the store to actually buy boots at marked down prices.  Some sayings just do not make it over the ocean.

greenacres, how is the metal piece attached to the top of the base?  I know crystal is heavy and that top appears to be way too heavy a hinged lid for that tin metal strip but why else wuld it be hinged?  If it was just going to sit on top, there would be no need for a hinge.  I assume this was glued and the glue released over time?

[mariok54]

Hi Greenacres, Yes, the two should be connected, but I can't tell why they're not. It may just be a case of loosening one of the screws to increase the size of the opening, pop the lid back in, then tighten it up again... almost like when a lense pops out of your spectacles. Can you tell what the problem is?

[mariok54]

hi Wayward ..  A Boot sale would be directly translated to a Trunk sale .. which probably means nothing over there!   .. Who was it who said ... 'Two Nations divided by a common language'?

I should have guessed you used the same expression 'pearlies'.. which reminds me of Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife!

[waywardangler]

I love Darin's Mack the Knife!  Re: boot sale/trunk sale...I had to ask a British forum member quite awile ago what that was and found out it had its' origins in everyone driving their car to a place, opening up the trunk (aka boot) and selling their goods right out of the trunk, so to speak.  I get it now, but then it was the first time I heard of a boot sale and had no idea what they were talking about.

I live in Wisconsin, USA and in my locale, sales are known as rummage sales or garage sales.  Drive about an hour north and farther and they are called thrift sales.  Drive to Michigan and they are called tag sales.  I knew some guys traveling from Michigan to here and and they passed up many sales because they were familiar with 'tag' sales but had no idea what these other signs were about.  I would have done the same in England because I would not have needed boots.     I would know better now.

[mariok54]

Hi Wayward .. Car Boot sales are now a little more sophisticated, but not much, they're now more like table-top sales    I've picked up some nice pieces, but with all the Antique shows on TV many of the sellers are getting very savvy  

Thanks for that list of variations .. it's always great to learn new things

Whenever I hear Wisconsin it always reminds me of a verse from a Tom Waits song 'Diamonds on my windshield'  ... starts off with  'A Winsconsin hiker with a cue ball head...' and ends with 'colder than a well diggers @*~%'

But that could be because Wisconsin doesn't come up in conversation much over here 

[mariok54]

Hi Greenacres .. sorry for going off on a tangent ...      but please get back with info on the lid

[talesofthesevenseas]

In California I think the equivalent of a "boot sale" is a "flea market" (called flea because goods jump from owner to owner) or a "swap meet", although very little trading actually goes on, it's usually purchases, but generally it is a place where private parties are permitted to sell their possessions without having a business license and the assumption is that they are responsible for paying any taxes on what they make, but there isn't any system to follow up on that and it generally doesn't happen. "Swap meet" is generally used in southern California and "Flea Market" is used in northern California.