Antique Commercial Humidor Case - totally amazing!

[wchurst]

Yes, you are correct that I reused the photo of it that was posted on this forum several years ago; I found it when I was researching this company. I thought that photo was better than the one I've taken recently, which I have now attached. I also have photos of the gears inside of it that make the glass go up and down, as well as photos of the back showing the levers.

I was thinking about listing it on Craig's List tonight but got home late so might do that in the morning.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a fair price? I have never seen another one like this one, which was from Flagstaff.

Nice case - sunny1az !!!

I have the 4-section version of this myself, but in solid Mahogany (Heavy Beast) w/ 12 levers: Used it in my Cigar Shop in Calif, but only to display Cutters, Cases, Lighters etc.
(These do not humidify well by modern standards...originally they used Tin-buckets of water in the lower portion of the cases, as was the norm for humidifcation back in the 20-30's.)
I kept mine when I sold my shop last fall, and am going to use it to showcase my tobacciana-collectables at home once the remodel is done...I just couldn't part with mine either!

As for the company that made these, and held the patents on them, all I could find was: Loudon Manufacturing Co., Grand Rapids (1920-1927)
I've seen one other quarter-sawn oak version in Texas, about the same size as yours, and they were asking $2,700 for it...I would have bought it, but it didn't match the Mohagany of mine.

I had mine appraised by an collector of antique tobacciana in Northern Calif (His family has been in the tobacco business for well over 100 years.... I'm jealous of his collection), and
he seemed to think that in a 'fair economy', my 9.5ft case sould be worth about $8,500-$10,500 - No telling what either of our cases are worth in this economy!

Valuations are always about the buyer, and the buyer's interest...I had alot of interest in mine when I had a Cigar Shop, but probably would not pay the same price for it now just for using
in my own home. Fair guess in my estimate for your case: $600-$800 if I was buying an antique for my home - $1,000-$1,200 if I was trying to bring some nostalgia to my shop!

I'll upload some pics of mine if I can figure out how to do this...(The Pics are from the antique shop in Columbus Ohio where I bought it from in 2010.)
Otherwise, here's a link to them:
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=3b528...94FC6993%21497

[badwhale]

Nice case - sunny1az !!!

I have the 4-section version of this myself, but in solid Mahogany (Heavy Beast) w/ 12 levers: Used it in my Cigar Shop in Calif, but only to display Cutters, Cases, Lighters etc.
(These do not humidify well by modern standards...originally they used Tin-buckets of water in the lower portion of the cases, as was the norm for humidifcation back in the 20-30's.)
I kept mine when I sold my shop last fall, and am going to use it to showcase my tobacciana-collectables at home once the remodel is done...I just couldn't part with mine either!

As for the company that made these, and held the patents on them, all I could find was: Loudon Manufacturing Co., Grand Rapids (1920-1927)
I've seen one other quarter-sawn oak version in Texas, about the same size as yours, and they were asking $2,700 for it...I would have bought it, but it didn't match the Mohagany of mine.

I had mine appraised by an collector of antique tobacciana in Northern Calif (His family has been in the tobacco business for well over 100 years.... I'm jealous of his collection), and
he seemed to think that in a 'fair economy', my 9.5ft case sould be worth about $8,500-$10,500 - No telling what either of our cases are worth in this economy!

Valuations are always about the buyer, and the buyer's interest...I had alot of interest in mine when I had a Cigar Shop, but probably would not pay the same price for it now just for using
in my own home. Fair guess in my estimate for your case: $600-$800 if I was buying an antique for my home - $1,000-$1,200 if I was trying to bring some nostalgia to my shop!

I'll upload some pics of mine if I can figure out how to do this...(The Pics are from the antique shop in Columbus Ohio where I bought it from in 2010.)
Otherwise, here's a link to them:
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=3b528...94FC6993%21497

Did you even read the rest of this thread? As CC would say, you're talking to a ghost.

Cool pix of your rig.

[wchurst]

Aw come-on Whale....

I DID read the whole thing....but it wasn't only for the original poster, many of us find interest in any new updates - It's both for the poster & for anyone that comes along later.
****I dug around for nearly 2 years trying to find out info about my own piece, so I thought it'd be cool to post what I knew for later views...save someone else some trouble -)

By the way, just an FYI...original poster is not a ghost: http://www.cigarpass.com/forums/inde...howtopic=21661

The Jonathan Day's Indian Arts
21 N. San Francisco Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Walter

[badwhale]

Aw come-on Whale....

I DID read the whole thing....but it wasn't only for the original poster, many of us find interest in any new updates - It's both for the poster & for anyone that comes along later.
****I dug around for nearly 2 years trying to find out info about my own piece, so I thought it'd be cool to post what I knew for later views...save someone else some trouble -)

By the way, just an FYI...original poster is not a ghost: http://www.cigarpass.com/forums/inde...howtopic=21661

The Jonathan Day's Indian Arts
21 N. San Francisco Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Walter

Nice a third username for that scammer. How does a post from 2006, on a different forum, showing identical pictures not imply that the OP here for this thread is not a ghost?

[wchurst]

Nice a third username for that scammer. How does a post from 2006, on a different forum, showing identical pictures not imply that the OP here for this thread is not a ghost?

Whale - You got a point I guess, and if he's a ghost to you...then he's a ghost, through 'n though!

My way of looking at it, he had the same handle in 2006 on both sites....went AWOL for 6 years and came back, probably forgot his password and had to re-register with a new handle.
(I did the same thing on eBay myself...took a year off being busy with work & school, forgot my password, and had to start all over again: Wasted 2 years of solid Seller History.)

No big deal though - Ghost's are ghost's...the info and valuations were for anyone who was interested :-)

What'cha smoking? ...think I'm going to go pull out a Griffin!

Night,
Walter

[starbuck66]

Hey sunny, don't listen to these guys. I am the original poster. That is a really rare thing. I got it from a smoke shop that was going out of business in Flagstaff in 2001. They were wheeling it to the dumpster and I had them wheel it into my shop instead. I put it in my shop and used it for it's original purpose as a humidor. I redid the seals with modern weather stripping and had to do some work on the pulleys and levers. Also one of small wood side doors had fallen apart and was missing a piece so I had that redone too. I sold cigars out of this for 6 years. Then I moved to a new smaller location in 2006 and listed it here for sale to no avail. In 2007 I sold it to another business owner here in flag for $3000-. He used it to display fishing reels and just left the doors down the whole time. When that store went out of business he sent all his cases to an auction in Phoenix. I'm guessing that's where you got this. So don't let these guys tell you it's worth a few hundred bucks! It is worth every bit of 3k- I have only seen 2 others. And they wanted $2700- for one and the other was not for sale. They are amazing in their mechanics and beauty. Feel free to contact me through my website (where those pics in my original post are hosted) and I will tell you how I humidified it and any other things you might be wondering about. I can't believe how much of this thread was dedicated to deciding wether or not you were real. Well I'm the original poster guys and my name and address are on my website, and this other guy is for real too. JD

[starbuck66]

I also noticed in your new pic it has no feet. This had 6 square cast iron feet. Should sit about 6 inches off the ground. Check with the auction house, if they don't have them I will talk to the guy I sold it to and see if he still has them. JD

[badwhale]

Hey sunny, don't listen to these guys. I am the original poster. That is a really rare thing. I got it from a smoke shop that was going out of business in Flagstaff in 2001. They were wheeling it to the dumpster and I had them wheel it into my shop instead. I put it in my shop and used it for it's original purpose as a humidor. I redid the seals with modern weather stripping and had to do some work on the pulleys and levers. Also one of small wood side doors had fallen apart and was missing a piece so I had that redone too. I sold cigars out of this for 6 years. Then I moved to a new smaller location in 2006 and listed it here for sale to no avail. In 2007 I sold it to another business owner here in flag for $3000-. He used it to display fishing reels and just left the doors down the whole time. When that store went out of business he sent all his cases to an auction in Phoenix. I'm guessing that's where you got this. So don't let these guys tell you it's worth a few hundred bucks! It is worth every bit of 3k- I have only seen 2 others. And they wanted $2700- for one and the other was not for sale. They are amazing in their mechanics and beauty. Feel free to contact me through my website (where those pics in my original post are hosted) and I will tell you how I humidified it and any other things you might be wondering about. I can't believe how much of this thread was dedicated to deciding wether or not you were real. Well I'm the original poster guys and my name and address are on my website, and this other guy is for real too. JD

LMAO @ George. I didn't even think of it that way.

There, bolded, is the real value.