cornsheller wrench combo tool question

[rustcollector]

The opportunity to purchase one of these is near in the future. My question is how much is it really worth? I'd be willing to pay a very decent price for it because I like it, but don't want to pay double what it's worth if I can wait a year or few years and find one cheaper. It is the first I've seen, but I do know one sold on ebay in the past, and one was sold on one of the antique tool type places on the internet before. Just couldn't find a price on either one of those.

Anybody know

[Branson]

The question is, as with all old, unusual tools, "When will you see one again?"  I just paid a completely ridiculous price for a putty knife, but it had a ,matching lignum vita handle to a different putty knife I already had and love.  Both are beautiful, and I knew I would *never* see another.   I suspect both were re-handled by the same fellow, and became separated in the past.

[johnsironsanctuary]

That wrench looks like it slices, dices and even makes Julian fries. Pull the trigger. If you don't, you will never see another. If you do, there will be one on fleaybay for $3.99 next week. If it is that cheap, buy that one too, you will then have cornered the market and you can fund your retirement selling one off.

[mvwcnews]

It's a 1926 design patent (http://www.datamp.org/patents/search/advance.php?pn=D70218&id=13834&set=225 ) -- I have not seen or heard of very many.

[rustcollector]

Thanks for the info everyone. I am prepared to pay pretty dearly for this contraption. At least to an extent anyway, I have a figure in mind and if it goes beyond that, good for the person that can afford to pay it, they can have it. If I am fortunate enough to get it, I'll post some clearer pictures then.

[mikeswrenches]

I would think that this is a rare item.  Hand held corn shellers are very collectible and very expensive, to have one in combination with other tools would seem to me to make it even more desirable.

There is a book on hand held corn shellers that would probably shed more light on this contrivance, unfortunately I do not have a copy of it.

Mike

[Lewill2]

If I remember correctly I have seen 2 on eBay in the last maybe 5 years. I want one too. I have a few other corn shellers as well as Jim Moffit's book. I believe one sold earlier this year on eBay for around $1,200.00 or $1,300.00. A rubber band is supposed to go around the ears at the corn sheller end. I always figured you could find some type of "O" ring that would do the job for a display. I've never seen one to hold.

[rustcollector]

If I remember correctly I have seen 2 on eBay in the last maybe 5 years. I want one too. I have a few other corn shellers as well as Jim Moffit's book. I believe one sold earlier this year on eBay for around $1,200.00 or $1,300.00. A rubber band is supposed to go around the ears at the corn sheller end. I always figured you could find some type of "O" ring that would do the job for a display. I've never seen one to hold.

For that kind of money I won't own one.

[rusty]

For that kind of money you could own the entire cornfield ;P

Never fails, I see something really neat, fall in love, then find out the price tag has twice as many zero's on the end than I would have ever guessed...

Take a shot, sellers don't always know what buyers know.....

[rustcollector]

Lewill2 I sent you a pm.

I am anxious to see what it does sell for now, whether I get it or not.

[jimwrench]

 A brand new one sold for 25 cents retail or 35 cents shipped originally. Odd how some things lose value when they are used and some things appreciate. Neat piece.

[Lewill2]

The Harrisburg Family Corn Sheller Company, Harrisburg PA, marketed a similar one patent 105,825 patented July 26, 1870, to W. A. Middleton. It was just a sheller no other uses.

H. S. Gilbert has the patent for the one shown above, it is a design patent and was marketed as a 7 in one tool, Wrench, Corn Sheller, Hammer, Tack Puller, Meat Beater and Plate Lifter. H. S. Gilbert Feed Store Chambersburg PA was also the main marketer of this one. Of course Chambersburg is right next to Haarrisburg. The corn sheller section is the same basic design, different number of teeth is about all.

The above info was found in Jim Moffet's book on corn shellers. 

[rustcollector]

$950 and I don't own it. Don't need or want it to that extreme. Auctioneer said to watch the cornsheller collection auction they have in Indiana every year, he thinks it might be headed out to that.