Pullman Parlor Car Model, ca. 1885
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GUEST:
I went to an estate sale, and this was back sitting on the dining room table, and there was a family member there. I made an offer on it, and they called back at the end of the day and said I could purchase it. The gentleman, who was the grandson of the owner, all he could tell me was that the family was from Germany, they'd been living in St. Louis for a couple of generations, and the grandfather always had this.
APPRAISER:
He brought it from Germany?
GUEST:
That was the understanding of what the grandson said, that the furnishings in the home, and a lot of things that were in the home, were from Germany. Very elegant furnishings.
APPRAISER:
How many years ago?
GUEST:
I've had it for about two years, now.
APPRAISER:
You said you did some research on it.
GUEST:
Well, the only thing I've discovered is that the Flying Dutchman was a train in England that was the fastest commuter train that could travel across England, in approximately the 1850s or '60s. The Pullman Car Company, I can't find any record of what the purpose of this-- it just seems like it has such amazing detail, that it has some functional purpose, and I don't quite get it.
APPRAISER:
Well, every once in a while, something comes to the ROADSHOW that I just have to fall in love with. The detail on it is extraordinary.
GUEST:
Yes, sir.
APPRAISER:
As far as the Flying Dutchman, I did a little quick research on the Flying Dutchman. The only toy train I could discover was an English train.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
On the other hand, this has all the earmarks of an American parlor car from the 1880s. The detail here is amazing. All the paint details, the little scrollwork here and there, the clerestory design-- it just has everything. What is truly amazing, and I know this must have really had the thing that helped you was the detail inside. I don't think this was, in any way, a salesman's sample. A salesman's sample wouldn't quite have this much detail, and there's elements of it that have a hand-crafted look to it, but, as I say, the detail is astounding. Even the little velvet-lined chairs, swiveling chairs, even outfitted with cuspidors. The chairs even do still swivel, so they can look out the window. It's extraordinary. And of course, you know, Pullman was primarily a maker of sleeping cars, but this, as I say, was their parlor car.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
There's mirrored panels here. I've just never seen anything quite so fantastic.
GUEST:
There's a lavatory!
APPRAISER:
Even-- you see the little bathroom with the commode.
GUEST:
There's a bathroom, yes.
APPRAISER:
Did you tell me what you paid for it?
GUEST:
I made an offer of $800 for it, and then called back about every hour, waiting for the estate sale show to be over because I was ready to up my offer, and then she said, at the end of the sale, at 4:00 , that I could have it for the $800.
APPRAISER:
Wow, that's pretty good.
GUEST:
And I was absolutely thrilled to have it.
APPRAISER:
It is very difficult to value something one-of-a-kind. Based on similar things I've sold, I would say, at auction, $15,000 is a slam-dunk. As a price.
GUEST:
$15,000?
APPRAISER:
I think so, yes. I think it could do more if you found two people really in love with it, as much as I was.
GUEST:
I'm in love with it.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
Oh, my. I'm-- I'm truly amazed. It's-- I had no-- I-- honestly. Had no idea.
Appraisal Details
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