Storage Wars

[Harry]

Anyone watch this show? I shy away from most of the drama laden reality type fare on TV but kind of like watching this one. I think it is the mystery of what might get found next.

Anyhow I was watching the other night and one of the guys found some cast hood ornaments in a locker he bought. There were three of them, one was like BobS's plane he has posted numerous times on the AA forum. This one was lighted and dont remember if Bobs was or not. Another was two guys cranking a propeller and the third was an indian head. I think the fellow at the museum where he took them to have them appraised tallied them all up to be worth close to $1,000 for the three of them.

It kind of makes me wonder how much stuff is out there as repro items that are close enough to the originals the pros would not know the difference. I mean a guy could make this stuff and do it honestly selling it as a reproduction but once it gets into the wild who is to say the next owner will be honest or that it might get found third party down the road and deemed original by its new owner simply because they believe it is.

[Nudge]

I dont think it would be that hard to copy some of the old things out there. Most of them are simple sand cast parts (as far as castings go) and it can be easy to pass off a fake part to the un trained eye

[dallen]

I would think that there wouldn't be all that many fakes, probably a bunch of reproductions of things that someone saw and wanted one or just wanted to see if they could cast the same part, but I don't think that you will find that there are as many fake castings as there are fake paintings or Egyptian Artifacts. if your gonna do fakes you better do it where you can get a huge score in fast cause there pretty fast about finding out what your doing.

And that show is a load of crap.

The metal alone would tell you it was fake if they wanted to check it. even if you got your hands on enough old lets say brass of the right age, to make a fake its not going to be exactly the same as the metal used to make a run of castings in say 1890. or a Chinese Ming Dynasty Bronze which is the one I would do it I was talented enough, but hell I can't even get red hot brass to run into 40 degree sand, stuff chokes up and spoiled another buckle casting. DAMN COLD WEATHER

[castaway]

I have reproduced several early pieces for collectors in many different fields. Hood ornaments have been one of my major areas. Like this one. I purchased an original then copied it in every major detail except it was originally a die cast casting in pot metal and mine was sand cast in aluminum. I make no attempt to pass them off as originals and my lower selling prices reflect that. I'm not sure the word "fake" is proper to be used when the item isn't being passed off as original but rather just as a facsimile. Many just want one like these originals but don't want to have pay the higher prices plus my reproductions are usable and good in their appearance.





Here's some others I have done.









However, as a service to collectors trying restore antique items I often get called to reproduce missing items on the piece. This can get a little sticky after the fact. If the item is sold as an original yet has reproduced pieces I have made is it still original?
The old story of the guy that had Abraham Lincoln original splitting ax that had had the handle replaced twice and head once and he still called it the original.

Rare Indian outboard motor gas tank I reproduced. This motor then sold for $7500 after being replacing with my tank on the restored motor.


This Spinaway gas tank and exhaust manifold and a few other parts I did got the collector over $6500. when sold.



It's a hard call to make when it comes to restoring or just preserving an item. Depending on how much is replaced and how much is original can be a toss up to say its still original. Everybody has their own take on this. Since it's been a good business for me and will continue making parts for people. Bob

[Jammer]

My boy just got an old boat motor, it's in bad shape. Bob, I may need your expertise on replacing some of the parts. I'll get some picture around to see what we have.

[HT1]

I know on aircraft, if you salvage the serial, or tail number and involve it into the "restoration" you have the same plane.

anytime you hear the word "restoration" you can assume there are new or remanufactured parts involved parts .

I have some old buick hood ornaments, they are chromed brass. casting new ones would be easy, but chrome is expensive. and passing them off as original, no chance anyone would believe perfect shiney new chrome was an original