Women's Christian Temperance Union Sign, ca. 1915
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GUEST:
During the '80s, I was in the National Guard in uh Danbury, Connecticut, and they had a civil air defense shelter down in the basement. And they were cleaning it out and they said, "We want all you 19-year-old kids to take everything and just toss it in a dumpster." So one of the things they wanted to toss in a dumpster was this, and I'm, like, "This is really cool. Do you mind if I take it home?" They're, like, "We don't care. It was going to go in the dumpster." So I've been carting it around with me for 20-something years now. I looked up the "WCTU" part-- Women's Christian Temperance Union. But I don't really know much about them.
APPRAISER:
The Women's Christian Temperance Union was actually founded around 1873. It’s still in existence. They were very big proponents on anti-slavery, Prohibition, and also women's suffrage. As you can see just from this, it's very cool-- "Alcohol plus gasoline equals danger. "Why drink beer, wine, whiskey? All contain alcohol." So it's definitely anti-alcohol. In 1919, when they passed the Prohibition Act, that kind of brought a lot of validity to what they were doing.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
They wanted Prohibition, they got it. This might have been put up on the street. This is porcelain on top of metal.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And they do a lot of reproductions of these. This one's 100% original. You can tell just by looking at it.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
The grommets are right. That's the holes here. And to me, it's really cool-looking, because it's got some wear.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
Dating it, I would say 1910, 1915 period.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
that's when they were really, really active on Prohibition.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Could be a little bit later, also. The front side's interesting. The back side's great. I'm gonna flip it around.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And um we'll get that up on the stand. And to me, this is, like, the pièce de résistance.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
Because you have the big, "Alcohol is the poison," and you have the skull and crossbones.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
And when it comes to people collecting stuff, that's a big plus. Skull and crossbones on bottles, on poison bottles...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Huge factor. Really, really cool piece. This side is actually in a little bit better shape. And it's a great display piece. I can picture this hanging over somebody's bar in their basement.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
In terms of value, if I were to put this at auction, I would put a $3,000 to $5,000 estimate on it.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
And I think it would sell in every bit of that. And if you get the right people bidding on it...
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
...who love this type of imagery...
GUEST:
Right, mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...it'll go for more.
GUEST:
I, I didn't think it'd be worth that much, because it's kind of banged out, and beat up, and chipped.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, and the estimate I gave you is based on condition.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
If it was in higher grade, it might be a little higher.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
But it doesn't affect the image, and that's what's important.
GUEST:
Right, yeah.
APPRAISER:
It's a wonderful piece. Um I'm glad you save it from the garbage.
GUEST:
Yeah, thank you.
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