here's one of my favorite auction notes to day on eBay about a compass whistle for sale —

quote: Is dented on main body of item and on end but I think this adds to its unique age charm .

Oh really ???

Let me think now, nice house but dented from a car crashing into it, but I think it adds to its charm…

OR great corvette, but dented from skidding onto a telephone pole, but I think it adds to its charm.

OR rare painting,  but torn down the middle, but I think —- no, I don't THINK so…..

hmmmm….

380687650643 on eBay is an 'authentic' Alfred DeCourcy whistle. Selling as old and in great shape 🙂 That is interesting as the company sold out in 1927 !!!

281143036145 also is another 'authentic' whistle made by Auld of Glasgow….odd … they sold out by 1907 ???

261254977919 'vintage' copper and brass bosun whistle ( they are reproductions sold everyday on eBay )

caveat emptor……

well, another show success. LOTS of whistles sold and a few book sets too. Hopefully this will start some more collectors on the trail of whistles and their history. There were 1600 booths this year. 300 outside and 1300 in doors.

Next show is in October, so a period of rest. Time to enter all the SOLD ones on the website 🙂 Hopefully this weekend.

Picked up a few rare whistles lately and will be posting them for you to examine up close.

Following up an interview with the Oregonian last show,  was an interview this show with an antique collectors magazine. There was also some video taken of the booth for possible use on the next shows commercial !!!

We had a corner booth offered to us this time which was fun and then a second booth also was offered, so we ended up with a 10 foot deep by 20 foot long area to fill with tables of whistles. Along with this was a full table of what remains of Martyn Gilchrist's books. A seperate table for chains and upright boards of whistles besides more cases than ever.

Will try to post something soon to share what is hapening in the whistle world here on the west coast of the states.

Perhaps we will try Puyallup in Sept-Oct ??

just got done photographing some whistles for an upcoming SPOTLIGHT — i would tell you about it, but of course something on the same subject would ironically pop up on another website !!! Hmmmm.

In the mean time here is a trivia point if you missed it ??

It is buried in one of the spotlights….

How did the name Porteous get attached to the well known Porteous top whistles ??

Answer… It was actually coined by Martyn Gilchrist who was researching whistles for his books. He wanted to make it easier to know what whistle he was talking about with the globular or spherical tops on tube shaped whistles that he came across.

It turned out that the oldest ones were circa 1860s ( perhaps made by Stevens who later put their name on them when they for sure manufactured them ) that had these tops. So it seemed fitting to nickname them for him. It really helped to set them apart.  Later Dowler and Hudson would start making them,  and finally DeCourcy.

In all only four manufacturers would ever make them. There are of course many variations, but round, spherical tops none the less. Cast, two piece either or.

And there you have it….

https://thewhistlegallery.com/3326/

Well, another show at the Portland Expo and this summer we have a corner booth !! LOTS more rare,antique whistles for sale. TWO large boards with a variety mixed together.

One section will be dedicated to Metropolitan Police whistles dated WW1

One case will be for Rare and another for VERY Rare whistles —  if you have aspired to that level. If not, it is always fun to peruse what is out there. Then there will be a case for new arrivals, so you can see what pops up or ones that you haven't seen just yet.

We loaded up an electronic picture frame that holds just over one hundred pictures of a variety you would probably never see unless we brought them in. Saves time and space at the booth and yet shares potential for the serious or just curious collector and student of whistles.

Posters will be for sale to save you mony and the trouble of searching forever !! Yup, all the whistles you would want in a case ( well picture of a case anyway ) on your wall for a fraction of the cost 🙂

This year we will be bringing a LOT of books and even have a discount for the expo if you want a set of three.

To go along with this interesting hobby please check out the website SPOTLIGHT on whistle chains tied in this month. LoTS of pictures and a great article that took a long time to put together for your enjoyment.

C YA !!!

why buy whistles from the whistle gallery ?? Just for us to make money ??? HAH !!!!!!!!!

We lose money every year 🙂 In what ways you might ask ??

Well many times we buy just to compare whistles for descriptions and the learning curve and then TRY to sell them off — many times at cost ( including postage )

Other times we buy for rarity to be able to do SPOTLIGHTS  for you and us, admittedly we keep them, unless they are doubles and then we buy them because we are constantly asked for more rare ones than we can find.

Then there are those 'papers' we have to actually BUY for research and publications. Patents papers, registration copies, advertisements — all proving model numbers and sizes. along with — obviously —  the actual makers !!!

Beyond that there are materials to buy and use, travel expenses for shows ( the way we actually turn whistles most at )

It goes on and on,  but be assured that when you purchase whistles it is PLOWED back into your favorite reading subjects !!!!

yeah, still thinking ( or shall I say smarting over ) about the rarest whistles–the ones that got away !!!

There's that double ended one, the ring whistle and oh another ring whistle…

Then there was that outstanding extractor whistle of pure silver and oh that Uneedit whistle from South America…

A wonderful speaking tube whistle, and couple of shorter speedwell double tube whistles !!!

Even the smaller angled two tube by DeCourcy… and of course that fantastic horse shaped vesta that was four inches long and went for a thousand dollars

Can't leave out the 1860 stevens tube shaped whistle and Swaine with ivory mouthpiece…

Maybe I will have to continue this tomorrow again ???

Oh and that railway Pringle….ratz …..

the rarest whistles, are the ones that get away don't you think ??

Take for example the Maidstone beaufort that came up for auction years ago. It was in need of a little restoration as the hollow knop top was dark grey to blackish. The rest of the body was dark silverish. I still have the picture. It went for under 200 dollars because I was too chicken to bid on it. There is a perfect example of another one on page 33 of More Whistles by Gilchrist.

It had ( has ) a mouthpiece too, not like most beauforts that just end at the bottom of the whistle. This one was cast. Found out later it was made by Dowler and of course very rare. However even more rare now that it went somewhere else !!

Then there was that round with the two windows — in fact two of them !! And they both went to the same buyer. Pre 1900, unusual curved openings, perhaps made by Linegar even. One had a drain hole for saliva and the other didn't. Heavy brass. I still have the pictures….

Recently missed out on a 1908 siren that went to the same buyer that got the Maidstone, albeit 5 years later. I waited for many years to see one come up for auction and came in second cause it went very hiiiiiigh !!! Great knop on the side instead of the top. It had an open top too. You can see it in More Whistles.

Loved this simple brass dog whistle with a finial top. Haven't seen another since. I have pictures still of the siren and the dog whistle

beginning to see a pattern here ??

1) we remember everything about the whistles we miss………….
2) have pictures still
3) see them in books too
4) haven't seen any more

I can go on and on….maybe I will tomorrow….