Strange Whatzit
Ted Leonard
In article <358813...@voicenet.com>, john godillot
<godi...@voicenet.com> wrote:
> I still havn't figured this guy out.
> Nor has anyone else.
> You can see 4 pictures at
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=17799857
>
> If anyone has any udea what it could be please let me know.
> John
> godi...@voicenet.com
I can't decide if it's some sort of folding wash board, a artests easel or
a floor jack for a covered wagon. What I can tell from all this is,
posting this here is a spam.......
(I'd still like to know what the darn thing is though :-)
--
Ted Leonard
tleo...@prairiestargallery.spamnot.com
http://www.prairiestargallery.com
Notice; I've gone in search of myself. If I should show up before I return, please keep a eye on me till I get back. Thanks!
Michael Dougherty
It's a small easel, for folks who like to paint watercolours en plein
air. The back apparatus is to adjust the tilt of the easel.
Lydia P-D
john godillot
Steve and Terri
john godillot (godi...@voicenet.com) wrote:
: I still havn't figured this guy out.
: Nor has anyone else.
: You can see 4 pictures at
:
: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=17799857
:
: If anyone has any udea what it could be please let me know.
I think it's an ad...
Terri
--
Terri Carl
ter...@neosoft.com
Nancy Eaton
john godillot insulted this group when writing in his eBay description:
>>I've showed it to a lot of people including some pretty knowledgeable
>>antique types. No one has even a clue as to what it might be
for.
John, several of the people in this group already let you know what this was
on several other separate occasions. Its a tabletop easel that is missing a
few parts. Your statement that no one has a clue is wrong. You just refuse to
believe this is not some rare and valuable piece but just some little homeade
easel, most likely made the 20s or 30s.
And the way you have it set up in the photograph is incorrect. You do not
stand it on the ratcheted part, you use that to angle the easel.
It's amazing the amount of bandwidth this silly item has taken up on this NG
already. Why do you think this item demands such attention or is so valuable?
Nancy Eaton
--
R E T R O <http://www.retroactive.com>
The Magazine of Classic 20th Century Culture & Style
"Anything that was ever cool(sm)"
carol millar
I think I have to disagree with those people who think this is an easel.
#1. If you tried to sit it flat on the ratcheted part there would be no
support for the main piece, therefore it must rest on the ratchet to
stay open.
#2. If it was an easel, what possible use is the little "stopper" piece
on the ratchet.
#3. there appears to be no indication on the large wooden part that
there was ever a ledge across it that would hold a canvas in place. You
would expect to see some wood discoloring where something was missing.
#4.You would need to be able to adjust the angle of an easel and this
piece has the ratchet teeth facing in the wrong direction to do this
even if it had another piece on the back to hook it into.
#5.an artist's easel would probably be more refined looking, and would
not have such an usightly looking ratchet.
It may well be, as stated, some homemade item from the early part of
this century, but I believe it had a specific purpose unrelated to an
artist's easel.
IMO
Carol Millar
Nancy Eaton
carol millar wrote:
>
> I think I have to disagree with those people who think this is an easel.
Well, far too much bandwith has been wasted on this so far, but I'll comment
one last time. Carol, I had nearly an identical piece that was, in fact, a
tabletop easel. It was a more modern manufactured piece, but it had the same
elements in the same shape, with the same configuration. So you can believe it
or not. What you are not thinking about is that this guy's easel is BROKEN.
It's missing some pieces. Plus he is not showing it the way it was intended to
be used. Pieces are flipped in the wrong direction.
>
> #1. If you tried to sit it flat on the ratcheted part there would be no
> support for the main piece, therefore it must rest on the ratchet to
> stay open.
This is because the easel is not complete. It's broken. Usually there's
another piece that fits into the ratchet to hold the easel up. On mine, it was
a wire bent into a shape that fit in the ratchet. A wire could very easily
have broken off this piece, especially if it was crudely homemade.
>
> #2. If it was an easel, what possible use is the little "stopper" piece
> on the ratchet.
I don't see any stopper piece. Not sure what you mean.
>
> #3. there appears to be no indication on the large wooden part that
> there was ever a ledge across it that would hold a canvas in place. You
> would expect to see some wood discoloring where something was missing.
Not necessarily. If the piece broke off years ago and was weathered, there'd
be no difference in coloration. This piece looks pretty weathered. Also, don't
count out that the piece of art (or a book, or whatever) might have just been
leaning against the easel at an angle.
> #4.You would need to be able to adjust the angle of an easel and this
> piece has the ratchet teeth facing in the wrong direction to do this
> even if it had another piece on the back to hook it into.
Nope. Wrong. The guy just has it set up incorrectly in the picture.
> #5.an artist's easel would probably be more refined looking, and would
> not have such an usightly looking ratchet.
Who says it's an artist's easel? Maybe it belonged to some farmer who used it
to prop up a Bible or a recipe book or a framed photograph.
Trust me (and Kris and Michael and a few others). It's an easel.
Nancy Eaton
Michael Dougherty
Good Grief! I've seen them and used one - it's an _easel_.
Watercolourists don't paint on canvas, they use blocked paper, which
works just fine :) The back apparatus is broken, and the wood looks
sort of snarfy, so I guess that would make it a badly used easel - but
not an extremely rare and mysterious piece of folk art!
As for artist's easels being more refined - you need to visit a
professional studio sometime ;)
Lydia P-D
carol millar wrote:
>
> I think I have to disagree with those people who think this is an easel.
>
> #1. If you tried to sit it flat on the ratcheted part there would be no
> support for the main piece, therefore it must rest on the ratchet to
> stay open.
>
> #2. If it was an easel, what possible use is the little "stopper" piece
> on the ratchet.
>
> #3. there appears to be no indication on the large wooden part that
> there was ever a ledge across it that would hold a canvas in place. You
> would expect to see some wood discoloring where something was missing.
>
> #4.You would need to be able to adjust the angle of an easel and this
> piece has the ratchet teeth facing in the wrong direction to do this
> even if it had another piece on the back to hook it into.
>
> #5.an artist's easel would probably be more refined looking, and would
> not have such an usightly looking ratchet.
>
Firegifts
Without repeating the ongoing saga of this guessing game, why would anyone put
something up for sale on eBay without knowing what it was so it could have a
proper Item Description?
As I recall the pictures from last time around I'd agree that the thing looks
incomplete but rather than being an easel I would think more like a tool to
level something on uneven ground, or adjust the angle of the input or output of
some object like a sluice, hose, grain auger, or coal chute to mate it up with
another item (like coal chutes going through coal bin windows with varying
heights from the ground) or level a milking pail. Could even be a gout stool,
but now we'll never know.
Charley Kehoe
Tonquish Creek
Fire...@aol.com
A2Gumbo
> why would anyone put
>something up for sale on eBay without knowing what it was so it could have a
>proper Item Description?
>
Well, the Whatzit has gotten 3 bids so far! As for putting something up for
bid when you don't know what it is, I just did that. They are a group of neat
brass tags all of which have the same number on one side and different numbers
and CECO on the other. I figured maybe someone would know what they were and
might want them. Got them in a box lot. As cheap as it is to list on eBay,
why not take a chance?
Nancy Eaton
A2Gumbo wrote:
>
> Well, the Whatzit has gotten 3 bids so far!
This doesn't surprise me. If you present your item as some mysterious thing
unknown to modern man and hint that it has great value like this bogus dealer
is doing, you would probably get some types that P.T. Barnum described years
ago to bid on it.
If you want another example, check out the descriptions of an eBayer named
"ned". I came across his items when shopping for photographs. He concocts
fictional homoerotic scenarios into his photograph descriptions. A simple
photograph of two women standing together becomes Lesbian Schoolmarms from
Hell, and of course some bonehead bids five times what the picture would have
generated on its own merit because he's ascribed some fake tittillating story
to it.
People conduct business how they want to; some people have a conscience, some
could give a flip.
Nancy Eaton
--
Firegifts
On 20 Jun 1998 a2g...@aol.com (A2Gumbo) wrote:
(Firegifts wrote)
Hi Ashley-
My point was that, since eBay is Classification and Item Description driven so
bidders narrowcast their searches, unless you can know what the item is and
post accordingly to catch the bidder's attention by your description, it will
just appear to be another piece of dreck and only bottom feeders will be
bidding on it, as even with good pictures you have to attract them enough to
pull down the item and look it over and with eBay's volume people are hustling
through trying to find labeled items that fit their interest.
Don't know what your tags are but suppose they were "Cleveland Electric Co
1920's Brass Emergency Lockout Tags" (for circuits under repair) you might get
a lot more money. To give an extreme example, which often proves the general
case, suppose you got a grubby Russian 14th C Icon but didn't know it and put
it up on eBay as "Religious picture, metal frame" and put in Misc. Items or
some similar category, I don't think the few bidders spotting and recognizing
it will e-mail you to "kill the auction and properly describe it."
Given the bandwidth and time put into defining this crude object where at
least one person thinks it's valuable, I'd like to see it go to auction with at
least a chance of being exposed to the proper market. There seems to be an
selling urgency that doesn't equate to the apparent value, and since it doesn't
need to be fed or housed in special storage, why not take more time to find out
what it really is? I've held some odd items for years and finally scored big
bucks when it was finally defined, and even those advocates of the "time value
of money" couldn't defend dumping it for a 10% profit. Best example-proper
general "ballpark" description of item by dealer at major show, but didn't
research it further; I paid $155.00 sticker for it (over complaints of then
spouse) did lots of research and passing photos around other collectors. It
finally sold several years later for $6,900. in a private sale and still holds
the 2nd highest price in that class, and the top one took even Skinner's by
surprise as their pre-sale was about $4500. Yes it took several years but
worth it. I think about a year ago Smorg had a similar debate on an Atlas, took
his time, got lots of advice, and got huge bucks by properly describing it and
not slicing it into individual maps.
And to get back to the original point, why should someone put something up for
auction on eBay and THEN ask us again what it is? Its pretty much wishful
thinking that the buyer will buy it for $15.00 then tell you "there's a very
similar 1820's one in Vol. II of Nuttings." But I suppose, given that we're
graduating 70% more lawyers than can be effectively used, someone could
misdescribe an item, sell it for 5% of it's value then get their nephew to sue
for a share of the "real" value, plus costs and fees.
Almost dawn here-got to milk the cyber cows.
L Zinn
Nancy Eaton <na...@retroactive.com> wrote:
> A2Gumbo wrote:
>>
>> Well, the Whatzit has gotten 3 bids so far!
> This doesn't surprise me. If you present your item as some mysterious thing
> unknown to modern man and hint that it has great value like this bogus dealer
> is doing, you would probably get some types that P.T. Barnum described years
> ago to bid on it.
> If you want another example, check out the descriptions of an eBayer named
> "ned". I came across his items when shopping for photographs. He concocts
> fictional homoerotic scenarios into his photograph descriptions. A simple
> photograph of two women standing together becomes Lesbian Schoolmarms from
> Hell, and of course some bonehead bids five times what the picture would have
> generated on its own merit because he's ascribed some fake tittillating story
> to it.
I've run across this at postcard shows, too. Any postcard showing
two women making any sort of affectionate gesture toward each other
was labeled a "lesbian" card, and ditto for any cards where two
men were even standing close to each other. I suppose some collectors
of homoerotica would fall for this, but it struck me as asinine and
manipulative.
Linda
Kris Baker
Nancy Eaton <na...@retroactive.com> wrote:
>john godillot insulted this group when writing in his eBay description:
>>>I've showed it to a lot of people including some pretty
>>>knowledgeable antique types. No one has even a clue as to what
>>>it might be for.
>John, several of the people in this group already let you know what
>this was on several other separate occasions. Its a tabletop easel
>that is missing a few parts. Your statement that no one has a clue is
>wrong. You just refuse to believe this is not some rare and valuable
>piece but just some little homeade
>easel, most likely made the 20s or 30s.
>And the way you have it set up in the photograph is incorrect. You do
not
>stand it on the ratcheted part, you use that to angle the easel.
>It's amazing the amount of bandwidth this silly item has taken up on
>this NG already. Why do you think this item demands such attention
>or is so valuable?
>
>Nancy Eaton
Thank you (again) Nancy (and others.)
I'm too tired to go back and find how many times we've all said
"It's an EASEL, perhaps missing some pieces" -- and I even
emailed him (after his SECOND question) to check here for
public answers before he posts again.
I think you're correct: it's a FS spam....I need to search eBay
for his address ;)
Kris
Kris Baker
I lost track of who said what, so I'll just post the comments,
unattributed:
>>> why would anyone put something up for sale on eBay without
>>>knowing what it was so it could have a proper Item Description?
>Hi Ashley-
>My point was that, since eBay is Classification and Item Description
>driven so bidders narrowcast their searches, unless you can know
>what the item is and post accordingly to catch the bidder's attention
>by your description, it will just appear to be another piece of dreck
>and only bottom feeders will be bidding on it, as even with good
>pictures you have to attract them enough to pull down the item and
>look it over and with eBay's volume people are hustling
>through trying to find labeled items that fit their interest.
Is it listed under "Weird Stuff" ?? Breeden just came out of
HER drug haze <g>....climbed up to the other computer, and is
chortling loud at the Weird Stuff Category.
Kris