I was looking at the up-coming local auction offerings today. Among the things from an estate is a brass spittoon. It appears to be spun brass with an image, not well done, of a steam loco on opposite sides and the words Union Pacific.
I would appreciate if anyone can tell me if this could have been UP goods or merely a cheap knockoff souvenir. It appears too clean to have even been used for tobaccy juice.
John H
Hi John,
I don't know much about these, except that it sounds exactly like the one my dad had... he bought it in some brass store at a mall... my mom recently sold it at a garage sale for $15 Canadian... so it's not really worth much
Those things used to be sold in every junk and "gift" shop in every mall you could visit, for about $15.00 apiece. I even had one....made a very nice flower pot once I drilled a couple holes in the bottom for drainage after I watered the plant in it.
Thanks much...I didn't think it was original, not good enough..... but the estate came from a retired CPR worker. In the estate sale is a plaque of his retirement with a short section (1/2 "?) of rail. It is polished up and plated nice and shiny on the plaque. Looks a bit light for 100# rail, probably about 70 #.
Anyone want this, the auction is at Russell Auctions in southern central BC Canada.
John H.
If it has a retirement tag on it, it is probably the genuine article from the railroad. I'd consider it to be worth more than the $15 the others have given but I'd still try for that price.
-- There are more Democrats on the Calif. Special Election than Republicans! Go count if you don't believe me! Bob May
Sorry if I was unclear.... the spittoon is not tagged as a retrirement item, a seperate wood plaque with the slice of rail on it is the retirement item.
John H
I'd probably consider anything past about 1920 for a retirement as being a possible commercial item purchased by the RR and given away rather than a genuine RR item. I'm not too sure when the railroads really stopped providing spittons for their chewing customers but they did go away fairly early AFIK.
-- There are more Democrats on the Calif. Special Election than Republicans! Go count if you don't believe me! Bob May
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