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gdm40

Farm equipment advertising.

gdm40
12 years ago

I recently discovered in the storm cellar of an abandoned Nebraska homestead a tool box.

Inside said toolbox was a Catalogue (not a typo. From the Avery Planter Co dated 1893 on it's front cover.

It's made of red leather contains 111 pages of illustrations of their 1893 product line up, Illustrated parts list from previous models and telegraph codes. To make ordering via telegraph cheaper I assume. As they charged by the letter back then.

I tried to find any example of this on the web Wikipedia has a 1916 Catalog displayed. And a single printed ad from a magazine dated 1899 goes for $7.99 USD on ETSY.

I'm not certain but I may have discovered the oldest example found to date for an Avery Planter Co catalog as I cannot find reference to it ANYWHERE..

Any thoughts, input, or ideas would be appreciated.

Comments (11)

  • gdm40
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I just learned how to add photos here are a few I took.

    {{gwi:1374905}}

    {{gwi:1374906}}

  • lindac
    12 years ago

    Neat!! Cool!!
    I would very carefully take that book apart and frame each page.
    You also may want to contact the historian at the link below.
    Linda C

    Here is a link that might be useful: Avery

  • calliope
    12 years ago

    I wouldn't take it apart for the world.

  • lindac
    12 years ago

    It's put together with rivets.....no need to cut anything.

  • jemdandy
    12 years ago

    I believe you have a salesman catalog. It was not meant for general distribution, but was given only to the sales ataff and dealers. You say it is pur together with rivets. Perchance is it threaded eyelets and large head screws? If so, it was meant to be taken apart to insert new pages and discard obsolete ones. The leather binder further advances the argument this is not an ordinary circular distributed by mail, but one of more permanent nature and was used by the sales staff/dealer.

    The "Avery" name is well known among antique farm equipemnt shows in souther Wisconsin. Any number of folks would enjoy having that copy for show. Most Avery products I've seen at these shows are tractors- very little other equipment. Your catalogue documents many things supplied by the Avery Company, is in relatively good shape, and possibly highly desireble. Be very careful with it. I think you have a relatively rare publication.

    To get an idea of its value, contact one or more antique farm equipment associations. Be aware that members may low-ball its value especially if they offer to buy it.

  • gdm40
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you all for the information. I believe your correct for it being designed to have removable pages. Below are pics of the eyelets for string binding (long gone) I'm also adding several more photos.

    I will probably try to contact some enthusiast sites and see if they can give me more information to insure it. I saw that an 1899 Avery add cut out from a magazine was being sold for 7.99.

    It would make sense being a dealer or sales piece as a lot of the plains farmers here at that time were 1ST or 2ND generation homesteaders, (far from wealthy) and probably opted for the horse drawn planters with a good team. As opposed to steam powered equipment.

    Iv'e been inspecting it (with gloves) basically 111 pages. It is missing 3&4 and one picture was cut out. I'm guessing it was an possible order & the individual just took the picture to the telegraph Co. As it was the 1st and cheapest planter in the lineup according to the index and price guide.

    That and someone was doing a small amount of math on the front inside page with this planters price included in the equation. Probably seeing if they could fit the $6.79 planter in their budget. :)

    Anyway more pictures.
    {{gwi:1374907}}

    {{gwi:1374908}}

    {{gwi:1374909}}

    {{gwi:1374910}}

  • gdm40
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hello folks,

    After much personal debate I decided to list this item on an eBay auction.

    I did this for the following reason. I have no one to pass anything on to. And in the unfortunate event that something happened to myself. It would kill me to think that this could potentially wind up in a landfill.

    It belongs in better stewardship than I would provide. I did gently scan it to PDF prior to listing it for my own enjoyment only.

    I saw that someone expressed interest in it if they are still interested in preserving this in their personal collection I'm linking the auction below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Auction

  • atheling
    12 years ago

    Do you have any antiquarian book sellers nearby? I would take it there and see what they can find out regarding its value. Perhaps they would buy it from you. I found this site which specializes in old catalogs:

    http://www.oldcatalogues.com/agricultural.html

  • Marvin Forssander-Baird
    12 years ago

    Wonderful!!! This just tickles me pink to see. The Avery Building is located nine blocks from my house. Although the company is long gone, the building remains in use as office space. In fact, there was a village, now a neighborhood that grew up around there called Averyville.

    The wikipedia article about the company is pretty accurate.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Avery Company

  • bulldinkie
    12 years ago

    Why would you tear it apart..No Way..

  • jemdandy
    12 years ago

    Contact a historical society at Peoria, IL. I'm sure they would fall all over themselves to get this book, and for sure, it would not end up in a trash heap. Most likely, it would be dsplayed under glass. (If I had that book, I'd keep it with some of my memoribilia. My ancestors were settlers and farmers in southern IL during the 1800s.)