Appraisal: Buddy "L" Steam Shovel on Treads, ca. 1925
Clip: Season 28 Episode 20 | 2m 55sVideo has Closed Captions
Appraisal: Buddy L Steam Shovel on Treads, ca. 1925
In Vintage Madison 2024, Hour 1, Noel Barrett appraises a Buddy L steam shovel on Treads, ca. 1925.
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Appraisal: Buddy "L" Steam Shovel on Treads, ca. 1925
Clip: Season 28 Episode 20 | 2m 55sVideo has Closed Captions
In Vintage Madison 2024, Hour 1, Noel Barrett appraises a Buddy L steam shovel on Treads, ca. 1925.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipGUEST: It was originally my father-in-law's.
He got it in about 1921, '22.
He was about one or two years old.
And when he died in about 1996, his wife gave it to my husband, his son.
APPRAISER: Well, Buddy Ls were made out of the same gauge steel that automobiles were made out of because they started off the company in Moline Pressed Steel making automotive fenders.
And then his son, Bud, had toys that just didn't last, so Mr. Lundahl decided to make some toys out of the same gauge steel that they used in the automobiles.
They made a lot of toys over the years.
One of their most popular toys is a steam shovel.
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: They sold thousands of them, and it's the perfect toy for a child because it had a lot of action, can scoop up dirt, take it outside, have a lot of fun.
So there's lots of steam shovels.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And the average Buddy L. steam shovel will sell for somewhere between $150 to $350, depending on the condition.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Then they decided to make what they called an improved steam shovel.
GUEST: Ah.
APPRAISER: They put this very complex gearing system, a piston system, and the extra gears that would actually, when they operated, would move the shovel back and forth as opposed to just swinging.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And their improved shovel is fairly rare.
The improved shovels, in average condition, can bring about $700 or $800.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: And then at some point... and I'm not so sure that the 1921 date...
GUEST: Is-is right?
APPRAISER: ...that your father-in-law got it, because I think this came out a little bit later.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And that's when they started putting some toys on treads.
The treads were a very complex mechanism and they would go over any kind of surface.
They could go back and forth.
They just made the toy more real.
Of course, the problem is...
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: (straining): ...it made the toy even heavier.
GUEST: It's really heavy.
APPRAISER: I don't know exactly what their production run was on this improved steam shovel on treads, but I did a little research and the last two that sold in 2006 and 2007, which were average examples and maybe a tad worse in some cases than this one, sold for in excess of $6,000.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: I think this one would probably do the same, even in today's market.
GUEST: Oh, my gosh.
APPRAISER: It's a real treat to see it.
It's only the first one I've ever seen in person and I'm glad you schlepped this all the way over here.
GUEST: Thank you so much.
Oh, my husband's gonna be so excited.
Appraisal: 1655 Ortelius Theatro Del Mondo Atlas
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 3m 12s | Appraisal: 1655 Ortelius Theatro Del Mondo Atlas (3m 12s)
Appraisal: 1856 Jacquard Coverlet
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 30s | Appraisal: 1856 Jacquard Coverlet (30s)
Appraisal: 1870 Folk Art Watercolor Painting
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 25s | Appraisal: 1870 Folk Art Watercolor Painting (25s)
Appraisal: 1893 Tiffany & Co. World’s Fair Exhibition Vase
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 3m 4s | Appraisal: 1893 Tiffany & Co. World’s Fair Exhibition Vase (3m 4s)
Appraisal: 1910 Bertha Schrader Oil Painting
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 47s | Appraisal: 1910 Bertha Schrader Oil Painting (2m 47s)
Appraisal: 1922 Serge Férat Gouache
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 38s | Appraisal: 1922 Serge Férat Gouache (38s)
Appraisal: 1938 Martin D-18 Guitar
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 53s | Appraisal: 1938 Martin D-18 Guitar (2m 53s)
Appraisal: 1947 Albin Polasek Portrait Bust
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 1m 3s | Appraisal: 1947 Albin Polasek Portrait Bust (1m 3s)
Appraisal: 1957 Henry Varnum Poor Charger
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 43s | Appraisal: 1957 Henry Varnum Poor Charger (2m 43s)
Appraisal: Alfred de Bréanski Jr. Oil, ca. 1930
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 1m 13s | Appraisal: Alfred de Bréanski Jr. Oil, ca. 1930 (1m 13s)
Appraisal: Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington Bronze, ca. 1910
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 39s | Appraisal: Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington Bronze, ca. 1910 (2m 39s)
Appraisal: Art Deco Charm Bracelet, ca. 1935
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 1m 54s | Appraisal: Art Deco Charm Bracelet, ca. 1935 (1m 54s)
Appraisal: Ault & Wiborg Salesman’s Sample Case, ca. 1900
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 11s | Appraisal: Ault & Wiborg Salesman’s Sample Case, ca. 1900 (2m 11s)
Appraisal: Big Bird Figure, ca. 1975
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 25s | Appraisal: Big Bird Figure, ca. 1975 (25s)
Appraisal: Chinese Bamboo Mountain Carving, ca. 1890
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 17s | Appraisal: Chinese Bamboo Mountain Carving, ca. 1890 (2m 17s)
Appraisal: Handel Chipped Ice Lamp Shade, ca. 1920
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 36s | Appraisal: Handel Chipped Ice Lamp Shade, ca. 1920 (36s)
Appraisal: Hank Aaron-signed Game-used Bat, ca. 1965
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 1m 34s | Appraisal: Hank Aaron-signed Game-used Bat, ca. 1965 (1m 34s)
Appraisal: Keystone Watch Co. Pocket Watch, ca. 1890
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 29s | Appraisal: Keystone Watch Co. Pocket Watch, ca. 1890 (29s)
Appraisal: Lenticular Advertising Sign, ca. 1920
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 1m 48s | Appraisal: Lenticular Advertising Sign, ca. 1920 (1m 48s)
Appraisal: Rivir Studios China-painted Vase, ca. 1925
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 30s | Appraisal: Rivir Studios China-painted Vase, ca. 1925 (30s)
Appraisal: Simon Sparrow Mixed-media Art, ca. 1980
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 50s | Appraisal: Simon Sparrow Mixed-media Art, ca. 1980 (2m 50s)
Appraisal: Stickpin Collection, ca. 1900
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 2m 9s | Appraisal: Stickpin Collection, ca. 1900 (2m 9s)
Appraisal: Tiffany Brown Diamond Ring, ca. 1920
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 35s | Appraisal: Tiffany Brown Diamond Ring, ca. 1920 (35s)
Appraisal: Tillman Parker Goodan Oil Painting, ca. 1925
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 54s | Appraisal: Tillman Parker Goodan Oil Painting, ca. 1925 (54s)
Appraisal: Walnut Reclining Chair, ca. 1876
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 3m 3s | Appraisal: Walnut Reclining Chair, ca. 1876 (3m 3s)
Appraisal: Weller Hudson Blue & Decorated Vase, ca. 1925
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 33s | Appraisal: Weller Hudson Blue & Decorated Vase, ca. 1925 (33s)
Appraisal: Zdeněk Burian Illustrations, ca. 1930
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 3m 41s | Appraisal: Zdeněk Burian Illustrations, ca. 1930 (3m 41s)
Appraisal: 1915 Ingersoll Military Wrist Watch & Box
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Clip: S28 Ep20 | 3m 11s | Appraisal: 1915 Ingersoll Military Wrist Watch & Box (3m 11s)
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Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.