well, did the math….almost three more months till we break 300,000 page loads !!! That means that in just a few more yeeeeears we will break 1 million !!! Or Armaggeddon may come first…
Just sayin….
books for antique, rare old whistles
December 20, 2014 by
why are books so important when collecting rare, old whistles ??
Might seem pointless if you can look on line for free right ??
Nooooo !!!!!!
There are soooo many whistkles not covered on the net, that are pictured and discussed in the only three books written.
Besides that one can't flip through the pages back and forth as well when looking at a computer. It would seem that for study and visual impact of the variety and comparison we still need books.
Eventually the web may catch up. However there remains those pictural comparisons that Collecting Police Whistles did. The same can be said for More Whistles and evn the smaller booklet entitled Whistles has a variety not done on the web.
Martyn Gilchrist did an excellent job on those three books — that is standing the test of time. Beyond that his organizational skills is being appreciated more and more as the years turn.
Do you have yours ?? They are out of print and it is for sure that Collecting Police Whistles is not going to be reprinted !!!
antique dated whistle
December 19, 2014 by
missed it !! Well actually passed on it. What you ask ?? Ok, well it was a dated 1916 whistle. Not your run of the mill Hudson or DeCourcy … kind of cheaply made too. The date was enscribed on the side.
Poorly kept with rust on it. Thin tube shaped and not much to look at.
Yet I did — why ( again ) ??
Well, looking closer at it one sees that the mouthpiece is curled at the end ( lips ? ) and that is unusual. The top cap extended down the body a little more than necessary. German WW1 ?? Maybe…
Curious…hmmmm….much like playing poker I would guess. Do I pay the extra to see his cards or pass….
Pass….
rare whistle oval windows
December 18, 2014 by
when researching rare antique whistles one comes across the most insignificant details. And yet are they worthless points ??
Take for example oval windows typically seen in Auld round whistles. Now who else made those windows ?? Could it be said that Auld was the only one ??
Noooooo !!!! As a matter of fact 🙂
Auld was indeed the first, but not long after that ( and we are talking UK only after all ) came Ward, then later came DeCourcy and then likely Hudson ( but only for the auld type rounds, they re manufactured after Auld shut down.
Ward made several and DeCourcy made even more. It would seem that Hudson made very few.
So what is the point ?? Nothing, Just sayin…
antique whistles on eBay
December 16, 2014 by
wow, prices are really down on whistles on eBay !!!
Why ?? Money going elsewhere ?? Maybe…
Then again saw a Barraall go for quadruple what it could have !!!
So we decided to throw some whistles on and see what happens. The fees for listing aren't too bad–well compared to if you actually sell something…
whistles for sale on eBay
December 14, 2014 by
here is an example of caveat emptor…
A siren on auction on eBay right now says the following:
CONDITION: All original and generally very good. Slight signs of wear and faint denting/distortion to grille commensurate with age and use. Functions perfectly.
DEFECTS: None.
Then a picture is shown with a dent clearly visible. So I guess that 'commensurate with age' allows the seller to throw out everything to do with MINT condition verses damaged condition now ?? Sort of like buying an antique table with a fist size hole in the middle and the seller just ignores it and says 'commensurate with age' and lies to your face and says that there are NO DEFECTS ??????????????????????? One wonders when the seller would say that they have a damaged item for sale ?????????????????????????????
So who's to blame ?? — the seller for saying anything to sell, with no integrity what so ever ?? Or the buyer —-who falls for it ??
Really shows that if buying on line one needs to read everything and then examine the pictures closely and even ask for more pictures.
whistle makers. collectible
December 13, 2014 by
Recently we talked ( well I did anyway ) about tracking down an unknown whistle. In other words a whistle that does not shout who made it.
However what do you do with a whistle that DOES shout out who made it and it just can't be true, or you have 'doubts' ??
Take for example the button whistles that say AULD MAKER. Then there are exactly alike whistles ( clones ) that say BEECH MAKER ????
Can't BOTH be right — right ??
Yah, I know !!! Frustrating. What is going on here ?? And to add to that there are other whistles that say MAKER and add a name that is now dubious !!!
In fact why would anyone even do that ??? Dunno, but I can tell you this, it can be almost as frustrating as the last blog subject ARGH !!!
antique whistles – the game
December 12, 2014 by
What game are we talking about ?? It's the hunt. BUT not just hunting for a whistle. Noooooo, it's waaaay more fun even than that !!!
It comes after you find a whistle that you just can't identify and it just bugs you to death who made it.
It could take yeeeeeers, but along comes another and another with similar design characteristics and then all of a sudden ( like the contrast ?? ) you find a KEY whistle that has a manufacturer name stamped on it or you recognize it out of a catalog or is pictured and identified by someone else ( reliably )
Wow, now that's closure !!!! Pieces start falling together…but then there is that fringe whistle somewhat like the key, but just a little further away….
Hmmmm…..
pewter whistles
December 11, 2014 by
Got a pewter whistle in today and it is a beauty !!! You don't hear that much do you ?? Why is that ?? I dunno, but for some reason pewter takes a back seat.
Should they ?? After all, Yates had a slew of them offered in 1870 !!! great shapes and collectable whistles. And then there are so many others, like Dixon for example, that made very high quality pewter whistles.
Of course along came brittannia and admittedly things went downhill from there. However, the age of pewter whistles ( from say 1870 to 1900 ?? ) saw some very rich looking pewter whistles.
They don't polish up well, true … BUT they do have a very deep rich patina that is unmatched. And they are heavy !! I know how much you like those heavy ones.
Interestingly, there are lots of animals and rounds, but others are on the scarce side. For example GSWs are like hens teeth aren;t they ?? We have a siren here of pewter and of course quite difficult to find and an escargot.
However, beauforts and combos exist done they ??
Perhaps PEWTER whistles should be given another chance now that they are over a hundred years old. They have earned it. 
Check out this PEWTER siren !!!!
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