whistle trivia

December 10, 2014 by

why post blogs about whistles ?? — trivia is important. Sometimes it is a minor detail that fills in a blank you have been wondering about or a connection that you have overlooked. I know I have and just an off hand comment maybe makes that bridge.

Then again, it gives you new ideas as you put together all the details and the results create a fund of knowledge. After all, you may have noted a dearth of information on the net ??

So talk it up !!!

Gotta admit, most of the write ins are after free information that may have taken a thousand blogs to figure out. Then again, 1 in 20 write ins are avid collectors or seriously developing ones, so it works for the best really…

Filed Under: Website

collectible whistles

December 9, 2014 by

Last blog we considered why collect a whistle because of what someone else thought. How we should collect what WE like.

However let's contrast that with an educated eye. Sometimes it IS what another says that clues us into why a certain whistle is collectable.

The problem only arises when we buy a whistle when we don't like it or when we skip a whistle because it isn't 'approved' by the collecting world, in a book, identified, or ???

One wouldn't think it would be such a wrestling match huh ?? But ask yourself if you have gotten to the point that you want to get rid of a bunch of your whistles because they aren't up to your standards now ?? — might be someones elses standards though.

You might be surprised that in a few years there are whistles you kick yourself for letting go !!!!

just saying…

 

Filed Under: Collecting

scarce collectable whistle

December 7, 2014 by

'Under the radar' is always fun on eBay.

Take for example a whistle that no doubt will get little attention – 271698769820

This Nick Harris whistle was probably made in the USA, It has the unusual feature of split level windows. ( see SPOTLIGHT )

For a certainty, Coney brought this design to almost perfection many years before. They used far superior metals and workmanship,

Only one other unknown manufacturer has been found to use this design other than Coney, ( followed by Hudson ) and then the maker of the Nick Harris. Altogether 4 manufactures. How many do you have ??

Two variations have been found so far with the Nick Harris whistle.

So this would make a great whistle to get for a bargain — with free shipping to boot. It would allow a closeup study  🙂

That's what is fun about on line auctions when looking for whistles. Sometimes they fly under the radar ( sometimes it is the opposite too !! )

check it out…

Filed Under: eBay News & Updates

collectable whistles

December 6, 2014 by

found a whistle the other day that took yeeeeears to find. Cheap little thing really. There was indeed some interesting design characteristics. Yet it lacked that overall, jumps off the canvass look to it. Yet it was important to me.

prehaps dating back to 1910 ?? Flat and with an uneventful top ring for the chain. Inside there is a different tongue than usually seen. ( that WAS quite interesting )

Whats the point ?? Why collect it ?? There's the question for us all. It's personal. Hopefully it can stay that way. Unfortunately when others get involved —— a whistle can become more desiterable.

It is pervasive among all collectors to compete AND to do so sometimes against ones will or even better judgement. Thimk about that…

Really ?? to want a whistle because someone else wants it and not because one wants it on its own merit ??

We hear occasionally that a whistle is important to 'fill out a collection' Or sometimes the thought that a collection NEEDS a certain whistle to be a credible collection.Maybe we would call it an 'important whistle'.

probably the least personal thing a collector could do is collect, because of what someone else is telling us….

Filed Under: Collecting

whistle research

November 30, 2014 by

It would seem that after 5 years of really, really collecting and researching antique hand whistles that things would be winding down by now.

In fact the opposite is happenings. More to learn than ever before !! HOW CAN THAT BE ??

It’s endless. The scary thing ?? Very few countries have been tapped into. Each country has it’s own idiosyncrasies that manifest themselves in the different whistle designs

Back to my discussion or I will keep slathering on some new vector….

Just in the last few weeks are some study examples ….

A whistle from Australia found  to tie into a SPOTLIGHT on Ward ( from the UK )
A whistle from France with a compass on top.
A whistle from Israel related to the Hagana.
A whistle from the USA unknown maker, (been waiting for this one for 5 years or more and it surfaced )
A whistle from the UK that uses buttons, but with a much more solid construction than normally seen on these type whistles.

Add to this a closer look at Japanese escargots, mostly overlooked, as they seem cheaply made.
a closer look at a group of USA escargots ( maker unknown ) —  with very clear identifying characteristics.
a closer look at ….. ad infinitum…..

gotta run…

Filed Under: Spotlight Research

antique metal whistles

November 30, 2014 by

Some say that LEAD took the Roman empire down. Dunno, wasn’t there ( well some say I could have been )

Ever notice how close lead, pewter, and brittania look in antique whistles ??

In the 1870s a lot of pewter was used. Then brittania followed. Better product as it plated well.

I love the look of the patina on pewter , but not too hooked on britt.

BUT I mainly wanted to warn the friends of LEAD. We see old ‘shorebird’ whistles cast in lead. We see German made municipal police tube shaped made circa 1920 that have lead tops and —MOUTHPIECES !!!

LEAD poisoning —

No safe threshold for lead exposure has been discovered….Children are particularly susceptible.

Conclusion ??? Don’t put a lead whistle in your mouth. Don’t even keep them if you have children. Wear gloves — seriously…. maybe best to just get rid of them….

Filed Under: Collecting

collecting whistle tags

November 27, 2014 by

Collectible whistles make sense, but collectible tags don’t.

Yet, there you are right ?? Gotta record what you find or in a couple years you will be crying over what you did ‘when’. Then you will be overlooking what you have and add what you don’t need or worse yet think you have one and then you don’t ACH !!! It all gets balled up unless you keep good records — TAGS ….

So what’s the problem ?? They peek at you ( well me )          I hate it…..

You see in my small world they ( my little soldiers ) hang on the wall staring at me and that’s OK because I stare back — scrutinizing them. It’s all about study you know. However right behind them are these round faced, totally blank stares. Ether each whistle looks like it has wings or they — I hate to even say it…..are…yes, LOPPED SIDED !!! There I said it ….

They are NEVER symmetrical. Some outrageously refuse the stay behind their prospective whistle. They stubbornly POP OUT…..grrrrrrrr…

 

Then there is the problem of where to attach those stupid rings that hold the tags. I can’t talk about it anymore….

Filed Under: Collecting

storing antique whistles

November 26, 2014 by

Well, I give up !!! There  are just some whistles that defy displaying !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH !!!!!

First to conquer me were the combination GSW/ROUND whistles…

Then came the ROUND/BEAUFORT combination whistles…

Oh, sure they have rings, but have you tried to hang one ?? They tuuuuuurn siiiiiiiideways !!!!!!!!  🙁     YECH !!!

There is no balance. They look terrible. Can’t live with it anymore …. So what to do ?? I got a few of those single old oak file drawers and lined them. Side by side they look really antique-ish. Then I organized them ( my whistles ) into their own drawers ( I still hate doing this because they are out of sight and I can’t study them unless I pull them all out ) . More like soldiers laid to rest now.

THEN came the next traitors — The boatswain whistles…monsters to hang. At least the bowl always dropped. Just looked terrible. Guess I could really jump through hoops and mount them sideways. Guess I could do the same for ALL my little friends that don’t hang right…

But, what would I do with my nifty oak drawers now ??

Filed Under: Collecting

repairing antique whistles

November 25, 2014 by

Oh, if only !!! There are so many whistles that deserve repairing.

Why  not do it ?? COST !!!!!!!

Yeah, gotta be really skilled to do it yourself or it just isn’t worth it. Even if it was who would one go to ?? If by posting, then add ten dollars to the bill.

So you have the cost of the whistle, the postage to and from, the cost of the person doing the work and no guarantee it will look right ??

Take for example a RARE Hudson registered design escargot. The tudor rose that is the fourth known but rarely seen circa 1920 escargot.
It was slightly bent. All that was needed was to unsolder it and take it apart. Then straighten it and solder it back together. The repair ‘artist’ used a micro welder and welded it just as it was and now it is permanently bent !!! Ruined and all the cost is lost.

What to do ?? It would seem for whistles either decide to collect on occasion a damaged whistle or just wait for a whole one !!!

Now cleaning might be a different subject altogether…

Filed Under: Buying & Selling, Uncategorized

rare whistles

November 25, 2014 by

What is rare ?? A whistle may be for sale as RARE. It may look RARE even. But what makes a whistle RARE ??

YOU CAN’T HARDLY FIND IT !!!  Yup, there are few —  in existence !!!! So they are RARE       🙂

Interestingly, this word is comes up like word vomit     🙁

Constantly, due to the desire to sell a whistle, it is flippantly called RARE. Obviously cheap whistles are suspect, but what about expensive ones that go for top dollars ?? Are they RARE ??

Not always. A whistle may attract buyers though. Take for instance the Winchester escargots. They come up regularly. In fact just the other day ( I love that phrase ) another medium size Winchester 1805 popped up. Qualifications so many times are then:

1) called RARE
2) sold for big bucks

Another whistle is up for sale as RARE right now on eBay that will sell high, yet a dozen have been seen in the last 5 years. Reminds me of the kings clothes story….Everybody follows the crowd

Why not break away and search for the really rare ones and you might find that you are overlooking some really great whistles !!!

Filed Under: eBay News & Updates
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