Antiques — Old Cradle Rocks at Teaberry Appraisals

The last time I did appraisals at Teaberry Marketplace on Route 9 in Clermont, things were so hectic that I didn’t have time to eat my always-yummy sandwich from the Avalon Coffee bistro there. This time I got there early and ordered my sandwich ahead of time (smoked salmon and cream cheese on a bagel, the national dish of New York City).
This time (May 20), the weather was so gorgeous outside there were fewer people inside with things to appraise, but that didn’t diminish the level of the things brought in. And I got to eat half my sandwich.
Hands down, the most fascinating item wheeled through the door (literally) was a large, bentwood cradle. This piece turned heads throughout the store. The cradle had some stenciling on two of its slats, but the words were hard to read. One slat was completely faded, and the other one seemed to read “Patent CT 1776.”
In over three decades in the business, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cradle like this one, so I had to take a stab at value. Despite the number “1776,” I was pretty sure the cradle was Victorian. Nineteenth Century cradles usually fall between $100 and $300. With something so special, however, I gave it a conservative value about $595.
I knew I had more work to do. My first Googling confirmed my estimate of most cradles, but I couldn’t find anything like it – until I added “wheels” in the search.
I found one site that told me that this type of cradle is called a “field cradle,” because in enabled a farmer’s wife to work in the fields while looking after her child. The unreadable slat read “Ford Johnson & Co. Manufacturers; and what we thought read “Patent CT 1776,” was actually “Patent Oct. 17, 1876.” I also found that the actress Adrienne Barbeau has one in her collection.
Finally, I found a price. One just like this one just sold at Skinners for $1,500, after an estimate of $800-$1,200. But there is one currently up on www. liveauctioneers. com with an estimate of $200-$300. That auction ends 7 a.m. PT on June 2. I’m sure it will go higher.
Another showstopper was a large bronze by Frederic Remington, which I recognized as “The Bronco Buster,” one of his most popular pieces, showing great motion and detail. If this were an original it would be worth $200,000 to $300,000. Whew! Did they pull up in a Brinks truck?
Original bronzes will have a foundry mark, often in the shape of a coin, pressed into the work. For Remington it would read: “”Roman Bronze Works N.Y.” Even though this piece bore the Remington signature, it didn’t have the foundry mark. It was a re-cast, and I estimated it at $600-$800, which was confirmed by subsequent research.
There was an impressed mark on the piece, on the horse’s rump. It was a triangle within a circle, and the owners thought that it might be the foundry mark. Instead, it was just Remington being meticulous in his detail; the mark was the horse’s brand.
Enjoy the photo of the other things I saw during this session. Next week I’ll tell you about what I see at the Avalon Antiques show. You’ve got to admit: This is some kind of fun.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to: aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.