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Walter McCracken
Location: Atlanta, Georgia Joined: 21 Jun 2008
Posts: 12
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Walter McCracken
Location: Atlanta, Georgia Joined: 21 Jun 2008
Posts: 12
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 Posted: Sun 13 Jul, 2008 5:21 am Post subject: |
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New way to post pics guys. How do you like this way? BTW, anyone know anyhthing about the sword in pics?
Click on: http://waltermccracken.wetpaint.com/
Thanks
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Sun 13 Jul, 2008 7:18 am Post subject: Re: Father's Sword Collection |
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| Walter McCracken wrote: | A female friend of mine recently had her father pass away and he was an avid sword collector, starting back in the 1940's.
She now has possession of his sword collection and wants to dispose of it but she doesn't want to play Santa and mistakenly give away a sword that may be worth a lot.
Walter |
I'm going back to the first post to give context to the following: Quality reproductions of swords in any quantity by large makers is a last 10 years phenomenon and maybe 20 years if some small companies are counted. So, if your friends father started buying in 1940 what was available on the market would have been.
1) Period original: Much less expensive than today but maybe hard to find or identify in those days by a new and enthusiastic collector who might not be able to differentiate genuine antiques from good or even bad reproductions.
So, period pieces might be few in number in your friend's father's early pieces: If he became more knowledgeable and discriminating in his purchases in later years the odds of good period pieces increase. ( Some collectors learn and other keep accumulating a lot of low end stuff. If they enjoyed that, it is fine, but it makes it harder on the heir(s) to figure out or separate the gems from the paste ! )
2) Victorian reproductions of varying quality: These are very possible and some Victorian reproductions of earlier swords can also be valuable if properly identified. But a lot of Victorian pieces can also be low quality. ( So far a lot of what I see seems to be of this kind, but that is just a " gut feeling " ).
3) Tourist trap stuff made for " walhanger " use: Generally poor quality or overly gaudy and generally what one would buy on a trip to Europe or found in a flea market type " Antique " shop. This is what would have been the most common and easily found from 1940 to even today.
4) Custom made swords: In the 1960 to 1980 period these would have been rare and even if well made and sometimes very valuable would tend towards the " fantasy " type of swords. Some companies like A & A have been making quality historical reproductions for at least 20 years + and Del Tin of Italy was and is still making good period reproduction swords many decades ago.
All of the above meaning that unless your friend's father was a knowledgeable collector the probabilities are greater that he has few valuable pieces that are rare original pieces: An enthusiastic " accumulator " of swords may not have known the difference ? Oh, and " fakes " of period weapons sold by dishonest dealers of antiquities is always a possibility.
Anyway, this may not help you with the identifying or giving value to any of the specific swords you have shown or will show but these are thing to keep in mind.
Oh, dishonest antiquities dealers can also tell you that a valuable piece has a low value if they think they can buy it from you cheaply: Just make sure you deal with a dealer with a good reputation or get a second or third opinion before selling anything " cheap ". ( Again, I'm not an expert on identifying, buying or selling antiques: I'm just giving you what I hope are things to consider.   ).
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
Last edited by Jean Thibodeau on Sun 13 Jul, 2008 8:45 am; edited 1 time in total
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Werner Stiegler
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| Posted: Sun 13 Jul, 2008 8:28 am Post subject: Re: Father's Sword Collection |
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| Walter McCracken wrote: |
Data: Card attached says circa 1570
length 37 5/8"
blade 30 x 1 3/4"
hilt 4 x 1"
Weight 2lb 14 oz.
No marking on sword
Straight double edged |
This one's most likely a victorian interpretation of a muslimic spanish sword. I know the sword it's based on.
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