The Economies Of (Old) Scales
by Jim RomeoCollecting Antique Scales For Fun And Profit
"It is made of solid brass and in perfect condition. It belonged to my dad as long as I can remember (of course, I'm only 75) and he and his old (er) bachelor brother used it to keep unscrupulous grain buyers half way Honest. Happy Bidding! No Reserve." That's what you'd read if you clicked on one of the recent offerings at an eBay auction.
Well, it's not exactly something you'd find in your Grandmother's attic. Nor is it something you're likely to find in your basement or garage. It's a listing for an antique scale being offered at auction, and these keepsakes are not only collectible - they're a monument to our industrial history and heritage. Lately, more and more individuals are catching this collecting craze and are tearing up the countryside looking for the most unusual devices of weights and measures.
You'll find these collectors in all walks of life. "Scale collectors, like scales, represent a wide variety of occupations and interests. Our ranks include numismatists, physicists, mathematicians, historians, technologists, engineers, journalists, weights and measures inspectors, school teachers, owners of scale companies, scale dealers and repairmen, accountants, doctors, art historians, housewives, photographers, entrepreneurs, salesmen, commercial pilots, pharmacists, writers, scholars, farmers, mechanics--ad infinitum. Generally speaking, those with extensive collections tend to be middle aged or older. " says Ruth Willard of the International Society of Antique Scale Collectors.
"Scales and the knowledge of what characteristics to look for can be found in many ways" adds Willard. "Those who travel often make time to visit the antique shops at every destination. Those with a scholarly bent visit every museum known to have a collection of scientific instruments or ancient weights. Once a collector has bought several scales from an antique dealer, that dealer is likely to inform him or her each time he is expecting a shipment that includes the buyer's special interest. Once you have bought from an auction, you may find your name on the mailing list of other auctioneers as well. For most scale collectors, the greatest reward comes from the interactive nature of the artifacts, and the camaraderie with other collectors." Collectors like scales because they document how much of our lives have been affected by weights and measures.
The Evolution of Standard Weights and Measures
Weights and measures have affected people's lives and livelihoods throughout
history.
Fair compensation for goods produced as well as fair and accurate statement of the weight and volume of items to be purchased have been critical to our ability to provide for ourselves and our families.
As our nation entered an industrial revolution in the early Twentieth Century, the time was ripe for the establishment of a national standards laboratory for several reasons. As American manufacturing adopted industrial forms of organization, more accurate measures were needed. Manufacturing parts and subparts were not made in the same location or company. Suddenly the amount of ingredient in a product was reliant on weight and measures more than ever.
As markets expanded, there were measures and standards, however the nation required greater uniformity in its measures. While most states had adopted the standards that the Office of Weights and Measures had sent to them, they had not adequately attended to their enforcement duties. Moreover, they had few funds for maintenance of state reference standards or for construction of working standards. Over the years, they had allowed their statute books to become a jumble of conflicting regulations.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, industries and scientific societies lobbied for a national standards laboratory such as then existed in many industrialized European nations. On March 3, 1901, President McKinley signed into law a bill establishing the National Bureau of Standards which became a regulatory agency responsible for the oversight of Weights and Standards.
Business enterprise demanded the services of a scale in the 19th and early 20th centuries explains George Glastris, a specialist in antique scales and balances at Skinner, Inc, the Boston -based auctioneer of fine arts and antiques. "A business person hardly left the house without a coin scale in the 19th century" adds Glastris. This was due to coin's worth being largely based on its weight. Glastris also explains that British postal scales from the mid 19th century became common as Royal postage became dependent upon the weight of the shipment. Homemakers used scales as a means of baking, and cooking in the early 20th century, which produced a hefty supply of scales. Scales became a standard of commerce and their abuse became reason for intervention.
The evolution of more accurate, innovative scales have made for interesting types of scales over the years. The interesting facets and characteristics of scales make them a fascinating item to collect. "Collectors tend to learn more about a scale's purpose in the time and place where it might have been used, when and how it was made, how it works, and why it looks like that" explains Ruth Willard. "In the course of their investigations, they learn about the patent system--how to find, order, and understand one--as well as a particular country's legal requirements regarding the manufacture, sale, and maintenance of weighing machines. This can lead into the study of other cultures and sub cultures, with the eventual result that the collector turns author and publishes articles or books on the scales of his choice".
By word-of-mouth, through government documentation, and through the media, society has recorded miscalculations, unscrupulous acts, and the stories of champions who have worked to improve humanity's lot by providing stable and accurate standards of measurement, legal sanction for these standards, and provisions for their enforcement.
What Are They Worth?
Today, much history is preserved in collectible scales, and a scale's value is influenced by the same criteria as any other antique or collectible. Rarity, age, condition, sentimental appeal to a particular person, and how many people are bidding on it at a given time dictate a monetary value. "As with any antique, condition is paramount" says Al Roberts, a scale collector and dealer. "Many collectors are not bothered by extensive restorations and prefer a decorative look, while others are insistent on absolute originality (with only aging being acceptable)."
Ideally, what should a collector look for or be concerned with in buying value in antique scales?
"It's never good to collect as investment, but it is always better to buy one rare and even overpriced " according to Matthias Hass, a scales collector and dealer based in Berlin, Germany. Hass explains that a new investor or collector should concentrate on one area that interests them. " It is always better to build a concentration around one kind of scales . For example small coin or letter scales might be a good starting point as they are most commonly collected, bought and sold.
"Generally, as more people have become aware of 'scales', their prices are climbing" explains Jerome Katz a dealer, collector and member of the ISASC. "As with other areas of collecting, prices for the unique and truly rare scales are rising geometrically".
According to George Glastris, at the high end of the spectrum are older Jockey scales that are decorative and interesting that were once used to weigh Jockeys in old English manor races. Such scales might be found as a conversation piece in an old country house and usually sell for several thousand dollars. Industrial scales aren't commonly found at auctions though. "Many were sold for scrap during the war effort" explains Glastris. What's more, older industrial scales, because of their construction are still used.
How much does a collector need to get started in this collecting category? "Under $50 " says Glastris. "Several hundred dollars will buy you much more". Skinner, Inc. holds an auction each year with a Science and Technology theme. Its catalog features about six or seven scales for sales which range from a small accurate diamond scale to a coin scale used to determine the true weight and precious metal content of a coin.
In Search Of Value
"Scales are collected by a large variety of individuals with varying interests and tastes." says Al Roberts, proprietor of an antiques and collectibles store called "The Rational Past" and a member of Eppraisals.com's Expert Network. "As a result, almost any kind of scale is collectible as long as it is in working order. >From egg scales to diamond scales to grocery scales to jockey scales, there seems to be a ready market."
All scales are collectibles, but the most collectors prefer small scales like letter and coin scales
The most collectors are specialized in these scales" according to Matthias Hass, a scales collector and dealer based in Berlin, Germany. "The second are the bigger analytic scales, the grain tester scales, grocery scales, counter and computing scales. The last group of industrial scales and truck scales are no collectible group... also the very big decimal scales find no buyer."
If a collection is for sale, only the best scales or weights go for a high price, the common and middle value scales find no buyer. Most scales go up in the price year for year. Coin and postal scales are in hottest demand and have been rising rapidly in value.
But Hass points out that it's not only the scales that rise in value, it's the weight sets that go with the balances that are also in demand. This does vary from country to country however. For example, in the U.S., scales are expensive and weights are not a big collectible. In Germany and Holland, weights are higher in value . In England, there's an equal demand between scales and weights . Much of the differences in enthusiasm from country to country may be attributed to the history of weights and measures in that region and the culture that was built around that history.
According to Willard, most collectors, for reasons of space, buy small scales, but small includes shop scales of all kinds, coin-ops, and smaller industrial scales such as counting and bagging scales. Some collect truck scales. Many collectors specialize in a certain country, or a certain time period (beginning with the ancient world), or hand made money scales made before the industrial revolution. Some specialize in scales for weighing or testing a certain commodity--gold, coins, chemicals, letters, grain, milk, silk, paper, solder, bowling balls, groceries, tobacco, drugs. You name it; there's a scale for it and a collector who has it.
"Essentialy there are types of scales and there is the mechanical principle of a scale" explains Jerome Katz. "Take any combination of that mix and you have quite a list. Almost any type is traded and sold as a collectible except the large special-purpose industrial types. Even those might be traded but on a non-collectible level. With regard to what one has for disposable spending, it is recommended to buy the truly rare scales, in the absolute best condition affordable"
But the scales are not only for collecting but they can be used. "I think the important aspects of collecting include the personal growth that comes with being in physical touch with the people who have used these artifacts" adds Ruth Willard of the ISASC. "Nearly any mechanical scale, regardless of its age, can be used today with a little judicious repair where needed. With experience, buyers learn recognize the characteristics of scales designed for various commodities--from prescription ingredients to freight cars--and various purposes--i.e. counting, testing, packaging." As such, many scales may be over 100 years old and still in use.
What's The Trend In Collecting?
Antique scales are experiencing the same phenomenon that other collectibles are experiencing. You guessed it - the Internet! "This makes it very easy to buy scales without leaving home" adds Willard. "Individuals with a scale or two to sell can also find a web site that makes it easy for them to sell. This new marketplace will increase the number of scale collectors exponentially. " On the one day we checked eBay's site, we found 80 scales for sale ranging in price from $300 down to $1.
The arrival of a wired universe and a new economy can yield a bright future
for antique scales. "Two conditions tend to make scales more accessible and at
the same time publicize their charms " explains Ruth Willard. "One is the
Internet accessibility. The other is the fact that the true first generation of
scale collectors is now beginning to auction off their collections. Many of
these collections have been amassed over period of thirty to fifty years, and
contain items almost never seen elsewhere."
Be it a few items from your grandmothers kitchen, or those relics you found
near the barn where you grew up, old things are part of a collecting craze that
brings us in touch with our past. We just can't seem to part with the nostalgia
and fervor that old relics bring. Scales are no exception. As Jerome Katz points
out "Old scale collectors never die, they just lose their balance."
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